“National Geographic’s Real Pirates”

Bob Ruggiero May 22, 2014 4:00AM

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To an entire generation, the word “pirate” brings to mind an effete but basically harmless Johnny Depp with historically inaccurate eyeliner acting like a drunk Keith Richards. The true scalawags of the seas were a bit more dangerous. The exhibit “National Geographic’s Real Pirates” tells the story of the ill-fated Whydah, destroyed in 1717 during a violent storm off the coast of Cape Cod. (Originally built as a slave ship in 1715, the Whydah became a pirate ship, sailing from London.) More than 150 artifacts recovered from the wreck will be on display. “The Whydah is the first authenticated pirate ship to be found in U.S. waters, and visitors will embark on a journey back in time to the life of a pirate with artifacts like jewelry, weaponry and treasure chests full of gold and coins,” says Sydney O’Drobinak of Moody Gardens. “And through four compelling stories of the people whose lives converged on the vessel before it sank, it offers visitors an unprecedented glimpse into the distinctive political, social and economic circumstances of the early 18th-century Caribbean.”

Extended hours during Spring Break 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Through September 28. 1 Hope Boulevard, Galveston Island. For information, call 800-582-4673 or visit moodygardens.org. $9.95 to $15.95.
March 8-Sept. 28, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 2014