Springs Preserve Description
With the
glittering lights and 24-hour action on the Las Vegas Strip, it’s easy
to forget that the city is actually a hotbed of historical significance.
It's also hard to imagine that the dry desert was once home to natural
springs and abundant water.
Welcome to the Springs Preserve, the
birthplace of fabulous Las Vegas. The 180-acre cultural and historic
attraction sits on the site of those former springs, offering
state-of-the-art exhibits, galleries, hiking trails, live animal shows
and botanical gardens that teach visitors about the city’s rich heritage
-- while also getting them to think about its future. The
70,000-square-foot Nevada State Museum is also located on the property.
Listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, the Springs Preserve is
run by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the agency that manages the
city's water and promotes conservation. From recreation to education,
the entire family will enjoy this respite from the hustle and bustle of
the Strip.
Origen Experience
Education about the past
is a key component of the Springs Preserve and visitors can expand
their knowledge at the Origen Experience. The museum teaches visitors
about the springs' early inhabitants with three galleries, a traveling
exhibit, theater, live animals, art projects and much more.
The
Natural Mojave Gallery features interactive exhibits that explore the
geological history of the Mojave Desert and the formation of the valley
and springs. Kids can play with fossils, see how desert animals adapted
and learn about erosion. A live-action flash flood demonstrates the
danger of flooding in the valley as 5,000 gallons of recycled water
comes crashing down every 20 minutes.
Guests will encounter a
myriad of wildlife that calls the desert home with an exhibit of live
animals including Gila monsters, lizards, bats, snakes, leopard frogs,
desert cottontail rabbits, desert tortoises, spiders, a gray fox and
more. All the animals are native to the Mojave and many are bred on site
at the Springs Preserve.
The People of the Springs Gallery
includes 33 exhibits focusing on the city's cultural history and
development. Visitors can tour reconstructions of Native American
dwellings complete with native plants, walk through a multimedia
recreation of the 1905 Las Vegas land auction and view actual news
footage from the construction of Hoover Dam. The arrival of the
railroad, which put Las Vegas on the map, is marked with an explorable
train car.
With today's challenge to find more water, several
exhibits focus on water conservation, including one which shows the
efficiency of local water conservation efforts. Despite a growth in
population over the past 10 years, the city's water usage has decreased
significantly.
Desert Living Center
The
Desert Living Center is a complex of five buildings and 43 exhibits
including a sustainability gallery, classroom and conference space.
Exhibits, events and activities at the center demonstrate the benefits
of recycling, conservation and alternative energy.
Here, visitors
can see a model that shows the path water travels to reach residences
and businesses, a "tower of trash" represents the amount of trash an
average family accumulates in one month and a theater inside a real
garbage truck wallpapered with recycled materials shows a film about
trash and recycling. Guests can also play sustainable video games and
view the exposed engine of a hybrid car to see how it works.
A
model kitchen, bathroom, living room and laundry room demonstrates how
you can save energy, water and money while keeping your home functional
and attractive. The sustainable home utilizes energy-efficient
appliances and features like bamboo flooring, cork tiles and low VOC
paint. In the backyard, there is a cutaway of a drip irrigation system
to help demonstrate sustainable landscaping.
Botanical Gardens
The
award-winning Gardens at the Springs Preserve is a great place to take a
relaxing, outdoor stroll while learning about desert vegetation. The
8-acre garden area -- which is particularly vibrant in the spring --
features a wide range of desert landscapes and showcases native and
non-native plant life with interpretive stations and hands-on
activities.
The garden contains more than 1,200 species of native
and desert-adapted plants and more than 400 trees and plants, including
herbs, vegetables, roses, cactus, palms and more. The garden also
includes spaces for instruction on irrigation, gardening and
landscaping.
The Trails
For those who enjoy
hiking or biking, 3.65 miles of trails wind through the picturesque
Springs Preserve and take visitors through both a cultural and
environmental history of the Las Vegas valley. The trails lead to the
Preserve's cienega, a desert wetland that serves as a home for hundreds
of native plants, birds and animal species including peregrine falcons,
snowy egrets and black-crowned night herons. A reconstructed cauldron
pool depicts the natural springs that once existed beneath the valley.
You will also see the original spring mound, which provided the city's
main water source.
A historical, narrated train can carry up to 48
people on a 20-minute journey along the 2.2-mile Exploration Loop
Trail. Rides are $5 for visitors who purchase admission. Railroad
cottages representing the early settlement of Las Vegas are being
restored on site and will eventually be part of the train route. Bike
rentals are available on weekends and school holidays for $8 per hour.
Time to eat
The Springs Café
isn't your ordinary dining experience. Operated by the Culinary Academy
of Las Vegas, the restaurant offers healthy and delicious food choices,
including a variety of vegetarian options. Guests can dine indoors or
enjoy expansive views of the Strip and the Las Vegas valley from the
patio.
Time to play
While the Springs
Preserve offers numerous chances for kids to learn, it also offers them a
place to play. A playground built to resemble a desert canyon with
oversized wildlife replicas of a peregrine falcon, a wooly mammoth
skeleton and a 50-foot snake are a favorite among the younger set.
Another
area for children, dubbed the Nature Exchange, allows kids to find
natural items and trade them in to learn more about them. Collectors
gain points that can be used for trading for other items.
Other
highlights at the Springs Preserve include an 1,800-seat outdoor
amphitheater, a research library and a gift shop that offers unique
books, toys and collectibles. Regular educational programming at the
Springs Preserve includes classes on arts and crafts, cooking, cultural
studies and sustainable living.
-- Review by Aleza Freeman & Kristine McKenzie
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