Las Vegas Springs Preserve554

The Las Vegas Springs Preserve is the winner of our 2009 Parents' Picks award for Best Tourist Spot in Las Vegas, as well as a 2008 winner as Best Museum for Teens and Best Eco-Friendly place in Las Vegas! Wow!

Las Vegas began here. Really. The area's cienegas - that is, its desert wetlands or springs - attracted early inhabitants of the Las Vegas Valley, who then settled here and established what later became our city.

Today, the 180-acre site is home to hundreds of native plant, bird, and animal species, and the wetlands form the backdrop for the amazing walking trails and gardens within the preserve.

The preserve features several museum galleries, all housed within a stunning display of architecture. Five buildings make up the Desert Living Center, a place for families to learn about ways to protect the resources of desert environments and the global community. The ORIGEN Experience features 150 interactive displays about the culture and history of the Las Vegas Valley.

Inside the ORIGEN, the New Frontier Gallery serves as a globally connected arcade filled with games and activities that celebrate the cultural highlights of Las Vegas. Multi-player games and game show experiences, interactive multi-media kiosks, and an animated show teach visitors about sustainability.

A living bat cave, flash flood simulation, and - within the children's play area - a 50-foot rattlesnake replica and the re-created skeleton of a Wooly Mammoth partially buried in the sand (both a-ok for climbing!) rank high among kids' favorite spots in the preserve.