See how one of Galveston Islandย’s most famous and powerful families spent Christmas back in the day at the Holiday Open House at Moody Mansion. The 28,000-square-foot, four-story house survived both the hurricane of 1900, when the island was almost completely submerged by flooding Gulf waters, and this yearย’s Hurricane Ike, when the island wasย…uhย…almost completely submerged by flooding Gulf waters (must be a hell of a house). Half a dozen Christmas trees decorate the 113-year-old home, along with all the usual glitz and glam youย’d expect to find in a Gulf Coast showplace. The Moodys, who made a Texas-size fortune on cotton and hotels and are the folks behind the Moody Gardens, lived in the house until the mid-1980s, when it was turned into a museum (really must be a hell of a house). Noon to 3 p.m. 2618 Broadway, Galveston Island. For information, call 409-762-7891 or visit www.moodymansion.org/specialevents. Free.

Sun., Dec. 14, 12-3 p.m., 2008

This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2008.