Springs Preserve

Upcoming attraction: Beginning next year, Springs Preserve will add a train. The train will carry 48 people and  follow a route (about a mile long) along the northern section of Springs Preserve, traveling up to 15 mph. Rides will be about $3 for visitors who purchase admission. Plans of restoring nearby railroad cottages are also in the works. 

Gazing out at the bone-dry, desert landscape of Las Vegas, it's hard to imagine that the area was once home to natural springs and abundant water.

Springs Preserve, a 180-acre cultural and historical attraction on the site of those springs, which dried up in 1962, aims to teach people about Vegas' past as well as get them to think about the future.

"It's a balance of the two," said Jesse Davis, marketing/public relations manager for the Springs Preserve. "In order for us to look toward the future, we have to appreciate the past."

The Springs Preserve, known as the birthplace of Las Vegas and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is administered by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the agency that manages the city's water and promotes conservation.

The Preserve is home to entertainment, exhibits, galleries, trails and gardens that provide recreational and educational opportunities to visitors.

"It's a good place to come for recreation with the trails; it's a good place to come for entertainment with the amphitheater. You can get a respite from the hustle and bustle of the Strip," Davis said. "There's really no other place for tourists to go to see the true side of Las Vegas. Las Vegas has a fascinating history but is infamous for its roots on the Strip and gambling. Here you'll learn that the place is here because of water," he said.

An educational experience

Education about the past is a key component of the Springs Preserve and visitors can expand their knowledge at the Origen Experience.

This area was designed to teach visitors about the early inhabitants who made the springs in the Las Vegas Valley their home. There are galleries, a theater, interactive children's exhibits and much more.

The Natural Mojave Gallery features interactive exhibits that explore the geological history of the Mojave Desert and the formation of the Las Vegas Valley and the springs. Kids can dig for fossils and learn about erosion. A flash flood exhibit demonstrates the danger of flooding in the valley and features a recreation of a ravine though which 5,000 gallons of recycled water come crashing down every 20 minutes.

The People of the Springs Gallery includes 33 exhibits focusing on the cultural history of the Springs Preserve and the development of Las Vegas. On display are reconstructions of Native American dwellings and a multimedia recreation of the 1905 Las Vegas land auction. The arrival of the railroad is marked with an explorable train car and visitors can learn about the construction of Hoover Dam through an interactive exhibit.

The New Frontier Gallery keeps kids entertained as they learn about Las Vegas and the principles of sustainability through 13 different video games and activities.

Visitors can also learn about the myriad of wildlife that call the desert home with an exhibit of live animals including Gila monsters, lizards, bats, snakes, desert cottontail rabbits, spiders and more.

Looking toward the future

Education about conservation and preparing for the future is the other main goal of the Springs Preserve and that is accomplished in the Desert Living Center.

The Desert Living Center is a complex of five buildings and 43 exhibits including a sustainability gallery, a library, and 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 Las Vegas residences and businesses. A "tower of trash" represents the amount of trash an average family accumulates in one month and a theater inside a garbage truck constructed from recycled materials shows a film explaining where trash goes and what types of products can be made from recycled material.

A model kitchen, bathroom and laundry room demonstrates how to save energy, water and money and guests can view the exposed engine of a hybrid car to see how it works.

Desert beauty

The Gardens at the Springs Preserve is a great place to take a relaxing stroll while learning about desert vegetation. The 8-acre garden area features a wide range of desert landscapes and showcases native and non-native plant life with interpretive stations and hands-on activities. More than 400 trees and plants including herbs, vegetables, roses, cactus, palms and more were transplanted from an existing garden and are on display. A theater provides space for instruction on irrigation, gardening and landscaping.

Recreational opportunity

For those who enjoy hiking, four trails featuring interpretive displays 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 plant, bird 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.

Time to play

The Springs Preserve offers numerous chances for kids to learn and 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.

And there's more

Other highlights at the Springs Preserve include the Springs Café, a restaurant operated by the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, which offers expansive views of the Strip and the Las Vegas Valley, 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.

Davis said a mix of big-name entertainment and local performers in both theater and music are planned for the Preserve's 1,800-seat outdoor amphitheater throughout the year. The facility opened with a performance by Jewel.

A dream realized

Planning for the Springs Preserve had been in the works since the late '90s and ground was broken in 2005. After two years of construction, the newly-opened attraction is expected to bring in around 600,000 visitors each year and become a major part of the city's identity.

"The Springs Preserve represents to Las Vegas what Central Park represents to New York, said Springs Preserve Director Francis N. Béland. "Not aesthetically, but in what it means to the community from a historic and cultural perspective."

See raptors up close and in flight as Wings over the Springs returns to the Springs Preserve. This exciting live show explores the role these majestic birds of prey play in sustaining our environment and can only be seen at the Springs Preserve. Visitors will observe a variety of birds including: Eurasian Eagle Owl, Saker Falcon, Barbary Saker Falcon, Lanner Barbary, African Hawk Eagle, Barbary, Red Necked Falcon, African Crow Raven.

-- Kristine McKenzie