The Lone Star State is home to a plethora of thrilling activities suitable for the whole family. Here are just a few stretching from Galveston to San Antonio. Now, round up your friends and family, and hop in the car. Fun is just a short road trip away!
Upcoming Events at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
With more than 60 amazing rides, slides, shows and attractions including nine exhilarating coasters, Fiesta Texas is the perfect day-cation getaway that is always close to home.
This Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, Six Flags Fiesta Texas invites moms and everyone who loves them to enjoy a day filled with laughs, good times and incredible family memories. Whether your mom is a daredevil or prefers to just relax, she will find non-stop fun on jaw-dropping, giant mega-coasters like Iron Rattler and classic family rides like Crow’s Nest. Mom’s little rug rats will love the kooky kids’ rides and all the zany characters from their favorite cartoons.
The park will celebrate Memorial Day from Thursday, May 26th through Monday, May 30th. Look high in the sky at awe-inspiring roller coasters like the Superman Krypton Coaster to see what good, old-fashioned American ingenuity can achieve. Then, climb aboard as Fiesta Texas’ legendary collection of roller coasters deliver non-stop modern thrills. There is fun for the whole family on fan-favorite spinner classics like the Hustler. And, the littlest speed demons will be dazzled by the wildly creative rides made just for tykes, the majority of which are located in the Kidzopolis area.
Crawl, Climb and Fly with Amazing Butterflies
Transform into caterpillars and experience a life-size, interactive maze packed with amazing facts and the fun navigation of blind alleys in Amazing Butterflies, a special exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) at Sugar Land running through May 15th. Visitors experience the challenges of being a caterpillar as it morphs into a beautiful butterfly through a hands-on maze of larger-than-life leaves, grass and trees. Along the way, discover the ways caterpillars move, what they eat and how other creatures help them achieve their transformation.
“Butterflies are considered by many to be the most beautiful and interesting of insects,” said Adrienne Barker, director and chief development officer of HMNS at Sugar Land. “One of the most amazing things about this insect is how they transform from caterpillars to butterflies. It is a remarkable occurrence in nature.”
Learn to crawl like a caterpillar by slipping into a set of caterpillar legs and using teamwork and locomotion to sprint for the finish line. See why carpenter ants in Panama defend metalmark caterpillars from parasitic wasps and other predators, and feed a caterpillar its lunch through team games and contests.
Once the transformation from pupa to butterfly is complete, practice flapping giant butterfly wings while avoiding spider webs that lurk around every turn. The “Nectar Food Path Puzzle” and “Squeeze and Sniff” stations explain how butterflies find food by sight and smell. Finally, mark your progress as a butterfly by stamping a souvenir garden card at eight stations before zooming out of the maze as a butterfly on “The Monarch Monorail” mini zip line.
Amazing Butterflies is produced by Minotaur Mazes, Seattle, based on an exhibition created for the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom with their scientific input and interpretation. This exhibition is locally sponsored by the Fort Bend Junior Service League and the City of Sugar Land Tourism.
New at SeaWorld San Antonio
Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™, is a whimsical waterpark with up-close animal experiences, high-speed thrills and sandy beaches. Image from www.seaworldparks.com.
The world’s largest marine park, SeaWorld San Antonio will treat guests this spring and summer to the return of their popular dolphins in an expansive new naturalistic habitat, a new way to experience Aquatica and a variety of special events.
“The 2016 season is going to be exhilarating and full of new adventures that every member of the family will enjoy,” said SeaWorld and Aquatica San Antonio Park President Dan Decker. “We’re especially excited about the debut this spring of Discovery Point, one of the largest capital investments in the park’s 27 year history.”
Discovery Point, the most highly anticipated of the 2016 additions, features a new realm within SeaWorld showcasing bottlenose dolphins. Standing on the habitat’s sandy shores, guests can observe dolphins cruising the surface, or from an underwater viewing area, they can see the energetic animals playing beneath the waves. In addition, guests who wish to come nose-to-nose with these amazing marine mammals will have the opportunity to reserve an unforgettable opportunity to swim with dolphins for a separate fee.
Entry into SeaWorld’s highly acclaimed waterpark Aquatica previously required the purchase of a two-park ticket. But new this season, guests can purchase a separate ticket just for this park.
Providing even more reasons to visit, SeaWorld is enriching its strong lineup of special events – all of which are included with SeaWorld park admission. The “Seven Seas Food Festival” sets sail weekends in April and May. Guests can sample and sip their way around the park, enjoying craft beers, wonderful wines and global fusion food. “Summer Nights” offers special evening entertainment and later closing times.
MASSIV: The Tallest Water Coaster in the World
An artist’s aerial rendering of MASSIV. Image from www.schlitterbahnnews.com.
First it was the longest river ride, then the longest torrent river ride, then the tallest waterslide. Now, Schlitterbahn is building the world’s tallest water coaster and putting it in the award-winning Schlitterbahn Waterpark on Galveston Island.
Called MASSIV, the German word for massive, the water coaster will be in place in time for the waterpark’s 10th Anniversary celebration this summer. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island is home to more thrill rides than any other Schlitterbahn Waterpark, making it the perfect home for this record-breaking ride.
Not only will MASSIV be the tallest water coaster in the world, but it will also have a number of other innovations, including a translucent section that will make riders visible from the river below, four uphill sections with six blaster jets and a triple-drop ending into a landing pool – a never-done-before thrilling finale to the ride. The exact height of the water coaster will be announced later this spring.
MASSIV utilizes Master Blaster technology, which was invented 22 years ago by Schlitterbahn’s Wizard of Water Jeff Henry. This technology was licensed to WhiteWater West, which is the company constructing MASSIV.
“We are thrilled to be bringing this iconic ride to Galveston Island,” said Ron Sutula, general manager for Schlitterbahn Galveston Island. “It’s a massive anniversary present to all of our guests and is going to be a blast to ride!”
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston Island has been named the world’s best indoor waterpark for eight straight years from theme and waterpark enthusiasts worldwide. MASSIV will be twice as long as any waterslide in the park and the tallest slide.