Did you know your $15 Adult, $13.50 Senior, or $10 kids ages 5-12 Summer admission to Reptile Gardens buys you a season pass May 28 through Labor day? Or, your Fall visit for $11 Adult, $10 Senior, or $7 kids ages 5-12 admission buys you a season pass for Labor Day through October 31? Well, I didn’t and though its not a KGB secret, it seems somewhat unknown. I should add that fo-yo old and under are free regardless of when they visit.
One small tip: You have to request the season pass upon your exit from the park. No, its not automatically given to you when you pay your admission and my cashier failed to apprise me of this little gem. [begin French accent] But of course, as I sometimes dew, [end French accent] I didn’t pay attention to signage so it’s entirely possible that something was posted and I just didn’t take notice.
I am by no means a fan of reptiles and primarily disgruntled toward snakes. Mainly because things that move on land without legs and feet are as creepy as a night watchmen showing up early for work at a Chuckie Cheese. But…I was enchanted with the opportunity to explore Reptile Gardens accompanied by a friend whom I hadn’t seen in 18 years.
The park has three interactive exhibits/shows; birds, snakes, and crocs/alligators. The shows can be caught several times a day, and do not require a separate admission fee.
The Wings of Adventure session is basically a birds of prey display with hawks, vultures, owls and a falcon. The length of the show varies dependent on the current mood of the birds. The birds move off ’stage’ at their own accord with a reward for leaving or performing for the audience. Obviously, it would not be a good idea for birds of prey to interact with other species especially in front of impressionable eyes. So the show can go either direction, short for birds in a hurry to get rewarded, or slow for stubborn foul.
We were slow moving through the park and missed the snake performance, but no love lost there. After all, it’s Reptile Gardens with several dozens of snakes available to be viewed in the Sky Dome without sitting amongst the masses to see a human toy with deadly snakes. The display area is behind glass so, no worries about Jr. getting bit. Judging from the ooh’s and aah’s from the snake set, it was an enjoyable but slightly terrifying experience for viewers.
Alas, the impressive crocodile and alligator show. The handler was very entertaining and provided an educational back drop. The crowd seemed to gasp, yet encourage the scaled carnivores to snack on the handler. No such luck, as it appeared to be a finely choreographed dance of near death and humane treatment of the two dozen beast.
There are plenty of other interesting things to see including but not limited to; a prairie dog town with a tunnel to a ground level observation bubble, the famous photogenic 125+ year old Methuselah (giant Galapagos tortoise) who enjoys a good neck rub, as well as multiple man-made exhibits. I could continue with several more pages of review, but some things are best experienced first hand.
I recommend visiting Reptile Gardens at least once in your life, if for anything, to pay respect to Methuselah the flagship member in an exciting and educational South Dakota attraction.
Reptile Gardens is nestled in a small valley just six miles south of Rapid City on HWY 16/Mt. Rushmore Rd.
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