Few places offer the versatility and beauty of the Preserve.
The Origen Museum features over 75 permanent exhibits, including the dynamic Flashflood exhibit, live animal habitats as well as traveling exhibits that change throughout the year. Every visit can offer something new.
Walk the Springs Preserve's 3.7 miles of trails and follow in the footsteps of ancient natives and adventurous explorers, meander through 110 acres (44 hectares) of indigenous habitats and archaeological sites. Visit playgrounds, the Botanical Garden, DesertSol; a solar-powered home created by UNLV’s 2013 Solar Decathlon Team or visit the Butterfly House (seasonal). Take our Trackless Train and uncover Las Vegas's history in Boomtown 1905 and all along the journey.
Enjoy lunch in the Springs Café, with views of the Las Vegas Strip, Downtown and the Desert Living Center, where an eco-friendly lifestyle, sustainable construction and the value of water conservation is on clear display.
Tour Options
Skip the Line: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas Admission Ticket
Itinerary
Admission included180 min
Spend an hour or spend a day, at the Springs Preserve you’ll discover the ‘birthplace of Las Vegas, explore Nevada’s history and see Mohave Desert wildlife habitats. Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits, museum galleries, hands-on demonstration sites, interpretive trails and more, the Springs Preserve is a must see while in Southern Nevada.
Situated in the heart of Las Vegas, just minutes from Downtown and the Strip, the Springs Preserve is the perfect escape or a new adventure. Home to the Nevada State Museum, an award-winning botanical Garden, miles of walking trails and desert wildlife, the Springs is a great getaway. Looking for something fun to do? Experience the old west, explore waterworks or any number of interactive exhibits.
From the incredible views from the café, to the many places to play, the Springs Preserve offers an amazing visitor experience.
Admission included30 min
The museum provides a window upon the natural and human history of Nevada taking you on a journey that is 250 million years in the making. Wonder at the State fossil remains of ichthyosaurs which gave birth to live young in the shallow seas that once covered Nevada, as well as discovering more about today’s flora and fauna. Contemplate the life of the Native Americans from gallery video program. Learn about the geology of the State where gold and silver were found in copious amounts and is still being mined today with Nevada still a major world producer. Wander through the boom and bust years that followed creating the ghost towns that are dotted across the State. Find out more about the military contribution and how the atomic testing program impacted the local people. Wonder at the shimmering entertainment wall displaying costumes from latter day casino productions.
Highlights
Skip the Line
What's included
Included
Skip the Line
Not included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks (available for purchase)
Special events admission
Traveller Ratings
4.5
67 reviews
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49
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Important Information
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Skip the Line: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas Admission Ticket lasts about 1 day. The itinerary has 2 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $19 per person for this Las Vegas experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is this tour worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 67 verified reviews; it is run by Springs Preserve. Most-mentioned highlights: Skip the Line.
Reviews(67)
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PATerry-7
May 29, 2026
Just didn’t meet my expectations.
Nothing bad. Just wasn’t very interesting to us. Did not see many living animals, Few snakes and lizards all we saw. Mostly plants and vegetation. Train/tram ride was a disappointment. It is about quarter mile ride to Boomtown which also did not appeal to us. Butterfly exhibit was also closed. Lots of young children running all around. Good news, was very reasonably priced and all the employees were very pleasant and helpful. Very nice scenery to take a long walk. I’m sure a lot of people will really like this place. Had hoped we would and sorry we are not included with them.
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Pamela_H
May 20, 2026
Nice for Seniors
We attended on a weekday in May. There were no lines or problems seeing anything. We saw the Butterfly Habitat, Boomtown, Origen Museum, rode the tram and had a delicious lunch. Nice outdoor activity for Seniors.
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Angelica015
April 17, 2026
So Much to See and Do at the Botanical Gardens!
We enjoyed our visit to the Botanical Gardens very much. The areas we like the most are the butterfly sanctuary--such a unique experience! The rose garden is beautiful and the trolley ride to Boomtown 1905 was fun and informative. The Nevada/railway exhibit was also interesting. This excursion has so much to offer! There are also a couple of museums available, but we ran out of time! Definitely well worth the trip!
1 people found this helpful
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MommyConnie
March 3, 2026
Plan a day here, it's amazing!
What an amazing place to visit! Multiple museums on site, botanical gardens, learning gardens...so much to see! A great way to spend an entire day with friends and family. We all learned so much. The facilities are wonderful, with lots of places to sit, convenient restroom locations throughout, spots to purchase snacks and beverages and helpful volunteers/staff to ask questions to. I would highly recommend a visit here. It's great for all ages.
1 people found this helpful
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malcolms220
February 22, 2026
A Good Way to Spend Half a Day
“Springs Preserve” may sound like a wildlife haven, but it’s actually more of a collection of museums. And it literally preserves the site of the desert springs that gave birth to the city.
Included in your admission is the Origen Museum, that tracks the history of the Vegas area with a series of exhibits, short films, demonstrations, and experiences. Just outside, you’ll find a small collection of local wildlife and recreations of Native American structures.
The Nevada State Museum is small, but has a nice collection of fossils, memorabilia from the state’s early days, and several other exhibits. The mammoth skeleton alone is worth a look.
“Boomtown” is a recreation of homes and businesses from the Las Vegas of more than a century ago. Kids will love the short “train” ride to and from the site. Adults will appreciate the architecture and collection of artifacts in the buildings.
Another feature worth a look is a small eco-friendly home designed and built by local college students. The design won an award in an international competition.
The Preserve also has a playground, meeting spaces, an outdoor amphitheater, a cafe, and - of course - the now-dormant spring mound that gives it its name.
The Preserve is just a few minutes outside downtown Vegas, but feels almost a world apart. If you don’t have the time or energy for one of the classic out-of-town trips, check it out. It’s an interesting spot most tourists miss… and not too hard on your wallet.
1 people found this helpful
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KerryE858
January 7, 2026
Definitely worth a visit, but probably not at the height of summer!
Fun way to spend a couple of hours exploring the area where Las Vegas sprung from...literally. In addition to walking through the acres of nature preserve, there's also a train that goes to a "boomtown" complete with shops, houses, etc., of the era.
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Michael H
August 22, 2025
Very educational and informative about the area. If possible, avoid going in the summer. It’s improved over the years.
I’ve been to the Springs Preserve about 15-20 years ago. It was ok. Not much to do. Skip to August 21, 2025, and WOW. Boy have they made improvements! I was there with my 14 year old son. He kept researching the Springs Preserve, and read they had poor signage, rude employees and very little in gift shop merch. We started at the Nevada Museum. It had a lot of exhibits. The dinosaur bones were cool. The display of old slots had him wondering what drew people to them when there were no flashing lights on it, compared to slots of today. The Origin Museum (I think that’s right) was full of four or five areas that branched off into individual presentations. He liked the Legos, and I liked the Flash Flood. The boomtown is a tiny replica of early 1906 Las Vegas. The bar was the first building. Good representation of what a real one was like. The building next to that was a General Store. My son loved the General Store, mainly because it had A/C. It was about 104° F/40° C outside, at 10:30 a.m. I couldn’t get him out of there to see anything else, because of the heat. The “Train” came and picked us up, and took us back to the other station. We headed up to get a drink, but instead of seeing more, the heat ended up being too much. As for rude employees…everyone was very helpful, informative and kind. The signage had improved a lot from my last visit. The gift shop merchandise was typical museum items, but lacked items specifically for the Springs Preserve in general. Overall, we had an excellent time, but next time we go, it will not be in Summer.
2 people found this helpful
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Ruth_K
August 20, 2025
Fun, learning experience.
Great experience. Wish it had more exhibits. Wish there were more stuff about Las Vegas. Otherwise, indeed it was a fun, learning experience.
1 people found this helpful
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Brock_S
April 11, 2025
Fun time
I was worried about the walking and the heat, but there’s a lot of indoor activities & the train is nice too
1 people found this helpful
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Linda_F
March 31, 2025
There was no lines. Also...
There was no lines. Also very boring. Didnt see any animals or botanical garden. Was nothing special. Not worth the tickets.
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Skip the Line: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas Admission Ticket