Springs Preserve

Springs Preserve is a 180-acre cultural and nature campus at 333 S Valley View Blvd, west of Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, on the site of the natural springs that first made the valley habitable and gave the city its name, meaning the meadows in Spanish. The campus combines indoor museums with outdoor gardens and desert trails, giving visitors a view of Southern Nevada that is very different from the Strip. Outdoor areas include botanical gardens planted with desert-adapted species, walking paths across the preserve and a butterfly habitat. Indoors, the Origen Museum covers the human and natural history of the Las Vegas Valley, and admission includes the Nevada State Museum, which has collections on the state's natural and cultural history. Visitors typically spend two to four hours, enough to cover a museum, a garden loop and a trail walk. The best photo opportunities are the garden plantings in morning light and views across the preserve's desert landscape. The preserve is open Thursday through Monday 9:00 AM-4:00 PM with last entry at 3:00 PM, and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission is about $18.95 for adults, with reduced prices for children, seniors and Nevada residents. Midday heat in summer can be severe, so mornings at opening are the most comfortable time for outdoor areas, and weekday mornings tend to be the least crowded, while weekends and school holidays bring family groups. The preserve is reached by RTC route 104 bus along Valley View Blvd, or by rideshare from the Strip in about 15 minutes at roughly $15-20.