Springs Preserve

My favorite place in Las Vegas! I’ve been taking my boys for years and love it so much. We own a yearly membership and it’s so worth it! The café’ is also amazing– super yummy and fresh.

This is such a beautiful place. Extremely peaceful. Definitely a wonderful hidden gem.

I love this place! I’ve visited about 5 times and every time I discover new places to see and explore– It’s huge and there is always so much to look at. Also be prepared to walk A LOT and to enjoy the fresh air. It’s definitely extremely beautiful and Vegas is very fortunate to have it. It is also a great place to bring the entire family. Maybe the staff could be a little nice but that can be overlooked because it’s about appreciating what this nature has to offer. I also love that the Nevada State Museum is right next door because it is filled with interesting facts!

Love it!!! This place is awesome. An oasis in the desert. I love that there are 2 museums, walking trails, wildlife and great events. The Nevada state museum is a must do for anyone who likes history. There is so much to see and learn. You can spend hours learning about the past.
There is a café on site if you need to grab a bite after all the walking.
My tip if you are a local is to buy the yearly pass. You will pay less and be able to go many times.
There are events all the time that make it worth going back.

Today we saw the Las Vegas Family Puppet Theater’s «Sustainability» show at Springs Preserve. It was great! This was actually our second time seeing it! It was hilarious! There are adorable puppets and audience participation that gets exciting. It was a lot of fun and they are only there a couple more weekends so go see them! It’s really worthwhile.

From 11÷18÷15
We came here to the Springs Preserve to enjoy some nature on a pretty November day. This place is perfect for hiking, learning about Las Vegas and it’s natural resources in the museums and seeing various desert animals. If you’re looking for a tranquil day, and just want to chill in nature without leaving the city this place perfect and super convenient to visit.

What happened to Dia de Los Muertos?
It lost his magic. Very few altars (most of them not authentic). Too much illumination on the entire park. No Copal.
You guys are killing the Mexican tradition. This is very unfortunate.

Special events (Halloween) where you purchase tickets in advance, don’t think thats so you don’t have to wait in line.
Long
Lines

Most peaceful and serene spot in Las Vegas, day in and day out, hot or cold, shine or… shine. Of course, an occasional event brings out masses, but come here on a week day and get lost in an illusion of seclusion and isolation, and only a vague humming of the freeway nearby reminds you that you are still in the middle of an overstimulated city.
I think annual passes are totally worth it– sometimes you feel like strolling the trails in 110 degree weather, and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you just want to pop into Nevada State Museum or Ogden museum and spend time browsing current exhibit.
Have been a pass holder for years and have been bringing the kids here since they were toddlers. I do think it’s geared more towards younger crowd if you have little ones, but now my pre-​teens are starting to appreciate trails, gardens and our favorite new exhibit– the solar house.
Little ones will definitely enjoy interactive exhibits, a display of desert animals, library and I would say playground, but it’s currently under construction. There’s a seasonally operated butterfly habitat, train ride and a small variety of other activities available at an additional fee. I haven’t visited the café in a while, but gift shop does sell water and soda, if you are in a bind.
I know there’s farmers market and all sorts of things to do if you enjoy gardening, but I couldn’t speak to details.
Being one of a handful of people that actually love living in the desert, I do appreciate the display of it’s rich and delicate nature, and Springs Preserve does a beautiful job capturing and showcasing many sides of Nevada.

Took the family here for the dinosaur exhibit!
We went around 10:30 and there was a good amount of families here but it’s very open so you don’t feel crowded. My sons favorite part was all the video games and to be able to try and wear a dinosaur tail the whole time in there– I only wish we could’ve been able to buy one :(
I didn’t see any. The only downside is that it’s so hot outside, so you can really only do the indoor activities. There is a dinosaur show, the exhibit and the museum, which are all fun!
This is a good place to bring family who is on vacation as well. Get the membership because you won’t need to pay every time you go, if you don’t have one its $ 10 entrance, per person.

The Springs Preserve is an active learning and social environment. We have been members since 2011, I bought my membership when my children were infants. We have grown up with this place.
For my children, I have found this place provides a way to tap into the internal way of assisting a child’s self-​construction and psychic development. The Springs Preserve offers materials and activities to aid in their growth by providing them stimuli that capture his and her attention and initiate a process of concentration.
We can listen to Chris at story time to learn about the southern Nevada ecosystem. We can stand amidst a flash flood simulation of the Mojave Canyon. We can get up close to the feeding of a tarantula, observe butterflies, and see other animals like Gila Monsters. The list is abundant and continues.
I want a place for my family to explore and interact with science and history. The Springs Preserve provides opportunities for all the senses for all ages.

What a cool not so little place for anyone especially families to come and hang out.
Tons of stuff to see and do with the little ones on the weekend or whenever.
They also have exhibits and events year round. For my small family of 2 kids under 5 we purchased the one day pass to see the butterfly exhibit and decide to pay just $ 20 more and became a member. Meaning free entrance anytime for a year and discounts in the awesome café and other events.
I would defiantly recommend locals to come and visit and even bring your out of town visitors with kids for sure. Price are not that outrageous and literally in my opinion the best value for your money I for entertainment in Vegas.
Prepared to be out side for the most part and to spend almost the whole day here. We lived here for 9 years and never knew how big it really was and was quit surprise.
Locals do get a discount year round I believe so ask about that and if your not a local I think there’s deals out there for you as well.

I’ve never been here before, never thought about coming here! Wow, I was amazed.
We came for the Beer Festival. I had no Idea this place was so big. We were meeting some friends, we thought they would be able to find us easy. So we go towards downstairs! I’m glad we went that way, because that’s were all the good beer was. So hubby and I got started right away, we weren’t waiting for them, it was all you can drink for 4 hrs! I think we hit 4 booths, then the friends started texting and calling, wanting us to step away from the booths and meet them! Ohhhhh heck naw! So they found us, and we are all beer drinkers. One is a home brew master, he has taps all over his house and the other is one of our bartenders. We bounced around that place, they knew about beers I never would have thought about trying. They were also giving away free hats, and you can decorate them yourself. I should have just did mine as soon as I got there, but we wanted to find the beer booths. Once our friends found us, and we hit a couple of booths, us ladies decided to go and get our hats! Welp, all the good ones were gone! There was 1 that one of the workers decorated, and it was her’s. But my friend wanted it! My friend was willing to pay her $ 10.00. And the lady wouldn’t budge. So I offered her $ 15.00 She said go ahead and take it. She also wouldn’t take the $$$. She should have put it away if she didn’t want anyone to ask for it. I didn’t see anything I liked, so I passed. We had a fabulous time. All I know is I will be at every beer fest from here on out!

The Springs Preserve proves itself as a valid escape from the nearly 2 million people who call the Las Vegas Valley «home.» It does not, however, let you forget that you are still in the city. The 95 freeway runs right by the Preserve and you can most definately hear the traffic. Not to mention the planes flying frequently overhead. I also heard sirens and helicopters. Yes, you are absolutely in the middle of Las Vegas. Yet you are a world away at the same time.
Walking through the display gardens at the southern end of the Springs Preserve is a pleasent experience. There is a lot of shade and some beautiful displays. The fragrant flowers like mock orange and honey suckle fill the air with a sweetness one does not often experience living in the city. During my visit there were several small groups of people walking, talking and enjoying the scenery. They weren’t necessarily disturbing the tranquility of the gardens but I was looking for more seclusion. I was looking for the hiking trails.
I began hiking at the train station and bike rental booth. I walked strait across the paved 2.21 miles Exloration Loop Trail and started on the road less travelled. I took to the gravel paths if the Crossroad and Cienega Trails. On the Cienega Trail I descended into the wetlands area past reeds and tall marsh grasses. This led me to the southern third of the Exploration Trail which took me back to my starting point. I was not yet done hiking so I went back to the Crossroads Trail to see the rest of what I had missed on the first walk. I headed south the see the Spring Mound and turned back to the north to see northern section of the Crossroads. By this time I was started to get warm and was running out of Gatoraide so I headed back to the train station. I wish had known was missing the Springs Trail. I did not have a map with me when I set out. I guess I’ll check out that one next time. That and the full Exploration Loop Trail. It felt good to get out and enjoy nature. It is not complete isolation but I’d like to do it again.
I also checked out the museums at the Springs Preserve. My favorite was the Nevada State Museum. From the prehistoric days of the dinosaurs to the modern times, this museum has it all. Fossils of the ancients, intact animals that you can still see today, minig history, native peoples. If you want to learn about the Battle Born State, this is where you should come. It is a beauty of a museum.
The rest of the Preserve caters more to children. The Origen Museum, the Activity Room, the Desert Living Center are all kid friendly. I did not spend much time in any of these areas. That is not to say the information they provide is not useful. It all provides kids a great interactive way to learn for the future.
I can’t wait to share this experience with my family. I know a couple people who would enjoy a hike. My family does not do the whole Las Vegas thing and this is just about as far from typical Las Vegas as it gets.

I had no idea! This place is HUGE and has SO much to look at! We spent over 3 hours here and it was not nearly enough. Tip: Set aside at least 5 hours to be able to check it all out.
Besides the trails and all the nature, there’s museums and all kinds of other cool things to see and experience. Oh my! We could have easily spent an entire day here. Just walking around and looking at all the plants and bushes is quite exciting (for reals!). But then there’s also the Nevada State Museum and Origen Museum. Add on top of that the special exhibits and various guides tours and hands on elements. From dinosaurs to chocolate to butterflies, there was so much to see!
While there were a couple of non-​working things, the entire area, and all the exhibits, were extremely well done. Color me VERY impressed! I explored, I learned, I had fun. And I can’t wait to come back again.
It’s also an amazing place for events, like weddings and proms — which were both happening when we were here.
Hint: They have a locals discount, so don’t forget to bring your Nevada ID and ask for the discount. Also, be cautious if you are here around closing time. There’s some many exhibits and nooks and crannies that you just might find yourself spending a night at the museum.
We were totally enthralled! We especially loved the Origen Museum and all the timed shows /​movies. They were both educational and entertaining. Tip: Be sure to check out the flash flood one.
And then there’s the gift shop and the nature exchange. You can literally bring in nature items, tell them about it, and get points so you can take home other nature items. We spent quite a bit of time just looking around this part of the store.
I can’t believe I waited so long to come here. We’re already planning our return visit — and it’ll be soon. We should probably just become members. This is a fab place for sure!

I really thought the springs preserve was a cool place. I like all the museums and activities that are available for kids. It’s very kid friendly. I actually went there to check out the chocolate exhibit. I think it would’ve been cool to give out a sample of chocolate, but the exhibit did a good job at explaining the history of chocolate.
My favorite part was the botanical gardens. It’s so nice and well maintained, that people have weddings there. I came on a day that a wedding was being held, but the ceremony was done, so we were allowed to walk through the gardens. The gardens gave me ideas on what I wanna do with my backyard. It’s very beautiful.
My least favorite and what saddened me the most was the animal exhibit. I HATE seeing animals in captivity. I felt like the gila monster had a very small cage/​burrow in comparison with their size. I also felt the same way about the tortoises… But the one that’s the worst, is the gray Fox. It’s all by itself and his cage/​pen is definitely too small for him. They say that they are «studying» the Fox… so why not do it on their natural environment?! My heart sank when I saw the Fox and his living environment.
I really don’t think they need live animals there. I mean everything else is fake in their exhibits, so they can educate people with out using live animals and keeping them in captivity. Wouldn’t it be cool to offer tours where people can go looking for these insects, lizards, and foxes in the wild?! Like a safari, but in Vegas. I think that’s more rewarding and natural than seeing animals in captivity.

The wife turned me on to this place when we were searching for something local to do over the weekend and I was greatly impressed! We ended up spending the entire day at Springs Preserve because it is such a large place and there are quite a few exhibits to see, trails to walk/​ride, and plenty of places to practice photography.
Since we’re locals, we only paid $ 20 to get in ($ 10/​ea.) and, at the end of the day, they allowed us to turn that $ 20 into a $ 45, two-​person annual pass!
I took over 500 pictures that day and only spent time in about 60% of Springs Preserve.
Check out my photos here:
. That will give you an idea of what you’ll see and what you can do.
The Divine Café is a great place to take a break, relax, and eat some great food. They also serve wine to go along with your pizza or other food offerings.
We don’t have kids, but there were quite a few playing around in the kids playground and we were able to see the butterfly exhibit which was awesome!

This place is a gem– it’s a bit pricey for single admission, so spring for the membership ($ 25 for an individual) and come back frequently, there’s too much to see and do in one visit anyway, and they have a lot of great events throughout the year.
Great place for kids– several exhibits both indoors and out, interactive stuff and museum displays, not including the seasonal fun stuff over the summer and for Halloween. If you have a toddler in particular, there are regular weekday events for that age group.
Two museums on site– both worth exploring, both with regular and featured (changing) exhibits. Admission to the museums is included with your admission to the park itself, and they each have a small gift shop.
The trails. This is the highlight for me. Dessert setting with gravel and paved trails, never too busy, particularly once you’re out of sight of the main starting area and the train station– that’s right, you can ride a train here too! You can also rent bikes for a low fee to explore instead of hiking.
Add to the above that there’s space for events and weddings, a healthy café on site, and even an interactive presentation with exotic parrots, and you have more than enough justification for the membership pricing and several reasons to come back frequently.
My only problems with this place are the short hours: 10AM-​4PM, daily. Would love if they opened up earlier and stayed open later, or even had extended seasonal hours. Also, heads up that the parking lot is small and fills up fast on beautiful days.

A bit overpriced but worth checking out. The cost is about $ 18 a person for non-​Nevada residents which is a bit steep but the museum has interesting exhibits including the history of Vegas, the changes in geology over millions of years (Vegas was once an ocean), and an interactive exhibit on what it’s really like to experience a flash flood. When I was there, they also had a seasonal exhibit on deadly plants that was worth checking out.
They also have a 2 mile bike trail which is worth a look, it’s a little expensive at $ 8 plus the cost of your admission but offers a look at a marsh in the middle of the desert and a scenic overlook.
It’s only about 5 miles from the Strip (you can even see Stratosphere from here) but you feel like you’re removed from the city.

You’ll need Lady Luck on your side to tear your friends away from the seductive sights and sounds of The Vegas Strip to go to a preserve. Unless you have a friend like me. I volunteer to go to zoos and gardens. As a matter of fact, my inner child glows with glee at the thought.
Springs Preserve is only 5 miles off The Strip but it might as well be in a different ecosystem. Instead of losing your hard-​earned greens, you’ll see lush native greenery. Instead of going wild, you’ll get to see plenty of wildlife unique to this desert landscape.
Knowing it’s up against some alluring competition, this zoo/​botanical garden is designed to be highly entertaining while still educating the public. One of the more creative exhibits include a show-​and-​tell featuring small animals like scorpions with a live cam that projects onto a large screen.
The grounds are massive at 180 acres with multiple buildings, gardens, and even hiking trails. If you can’t cover it all, I advise not missing the Origen Museum and the patio view from second-​floor Springs Café. The Sustainability Gallery is quite a walk away at the other end but has neat displays on energy conservation.
The preserve officially closes at 6, but it seems like many of the activities and workers clear out around 4 pm. We wanted to take the train ride but found it already retired by that time, contrary to what the brochure said.
Tickets are $ 19 for non-​resident adults and half that much for NV residents. It also includes admission to the Nevada State Museum which we didn’t even have time to visit. Considering how much I saw and learned, I consider myself lucky to have gone, much luckier than I would have been at the casino tables.