Bellagio Conservatory

Conservatory fast facts There are five themes per year: Holiday, Chinese New Year, Spring, Summer and Fall. Each change out takes a total of 100 people working 24 hours a day for a week. Five cranes, which can move trees up to five tons, are located under the landscape. A series of tunnels underneath aid in change outs. The landscape is put together on a platform system, then assembled like a puzzle. The flowers are replaced every two weeks. Theatrical lighting, sounds and water features enhance the conservatory. A 40,000-square-foot, off-site warehouse houses about 10,000 plants and flowers. Each show includes approximately 40 trees, 1,500 shrubs and 10,000 blooming plants.

When completing an installation, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens transforms into a beehive of activity.

Horticulturists wearing hardhats and gloves scurry about. Some carry in assortments of potted flowers from an on-site staging area, others kneel on the floor planting roses.

But while the show's set up is a sight to see, the finished product is the real spectacle that draws visitors to the atrium, located just beyond the lobby at the Bellagio Las Vegas.

The change-out, which occurs five times a year, closes off the 13,573-square-foot area to the public for a week, while about 100 people from both the Bellagio's horticulture and engineering departments work non-stop to execute the seasonal plans, utilizing cranes and a tunnel system underneath the conservatory.

"We're here for seven days, 24 hours a day," said Tim Hunter, manager of the conservatory. "We work non-stop, around the clock."

The free seasonal exhibits at the Bellagio Conservatory, including Chinese New Year, Spring Celebration, Summer Garden Party, Harvest and Holiday, are on display 24 hours a day, and don’t cut any corners.

Flowers and plants for the conservatory – such as coastal Redwoods reaching upwards of 25 feet, weeping willows and 40-foot poplar trees, azaleas, hydrangea, miniature roses, dahlias, agave and agapanthus – are shipped in from all over the nation and are temporarily kept in a 40,000-square-foot, off-site greenhouse until ready for display.

Even though the selected flowers and plants do well in the Conservatory’s 78- to 80-degree climate, they are replaced and refreshed every two weeks – and many are hand-watered.

"It's always got to look nice in here," explained Hunter.

While the Bellagio does not disclose the amount of revenue spent on the conservatory, he said it is "well worth the money."

The horticulture department puts a great deal of time and effort into designing and maintaining the conservatory. Everything is thought out and planned, down to the most seemingly minute technicalities.

During the Chinese New Year show, for instance, Feng Shui experts are brought in to make sure the energy in the room is just right. This includes analyzing the flow of the water and the direction the animal props are facing.

For the Summer 2007 show, Hunter said the department did extensive research on flags. Several American flags hanging from horizontal flag poles near the ceiling are displayed following flag regulations, with the blue union to the observer's left, per the suggestion of military personnel.

"The conservatory is what sets us apart from the other hotels," said Hunter, explaining the attention to details. "There are people who come in every year just to see a certain show."

--Aleza Freeman

Year of the Tiger

Through Feb. 28, 2010, visitors can enjoy a unique Chinese New Year display at the Bellagio Conservatory. Each year, the Conservatory incorporates the ancient balance of Feng Shui -- the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy . This year, guests can enjoy the Year of the Tiger presentation. 

The centerpiece of this exhibit is the tiger made of dried botanicals. The tiger stands among a garden of Taibu rocks (believed to encourage circulation of natural energy), overlooking a tranquil pond of Koi, a symbol of abundance and fortune. Just steps away, visitors can see  another animal display --a trio of six-foot-tall pandas. These pandas are made up of more than 9,000 living plants and can be seen in a lush garden with towering bamboo. 

The Conservatory also includes a zig-zag bridge leading to a Ming Dynasty-styled gazebo, oversized red silk Chinese lanterns and an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Prosperity.