We visited this attraction with our two young sons during a cross-country road trip, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our stop. The collection of reptiles and amphibians is impressive, with an incredible variety of species to see. Our favorite experiences were getting to pet the giant tortoises and watching the live alligator and snake shows. Both were entertaining, educational, and kept our kids completely engaged. Whether you're a lifelong reptile enthusiast or just mildly curious about these animals, this is a fun and worthwhile place to visit. It's especially great for families with young children and makes for a memorable stop if you're traveling through the area. read more

Our visit to Reptile Gardens was absolutely unforgettable! From the moment we walked in, we were blown away by how well-kept, interactive, and family-friendly everything was. Traveling with our 5-year-old, this was easily one of the highlights of our trip. He was completely fascinated by the huge variety of reptiles--especially the giant tortoises and snakes--and the live shows were both entertaining and educational. The staff did an amazing job keeping kids engaged while teaching them fun facts along the way. The grounds are beautiful and easy to navigate, making it a relaxing experience for parents too. You can tell how much care goes into the animals and the overall experience. If you're in the Rapid City area, this is a must-do--perfect mix of fun, learning, and memorable moments for the whole family! read more

The staff were amazing and the animals are well taken care of. This is a great place for the whole family! read more

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A must see!! Everything was amazing! My favorite was getting up close to the tortoises. read more

Reptile Gardens - 600lb tortoise! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

This place is cool! If you don't like reptiles you will probably not enjoy it, but hopefully you would not come to a place called Reptile Gardens if you don't like them. There is a big dome here where you can walk among some free-roaming reptiles; but don't worry, most of the creatures here are in enclosures. Displays are mostly well labeled and in an amusing way. Obviously the people here love reptiles and have fun talking about them. There is a crocodile show that was informative and amusing. I think there are snake shows too. My favorite exhibit is the tortoise area. They are ancient! One is 120 years old and is still - um - frisky. You can touch them! Food was not great. Not many choices. I got a hot dog since it was cheaper than the other items and it was good. I got it "dressed" and the relish and onions definitely elevated it. Great selection of gift shop items. What's really awesome about this place is that - once you have paid admission and are inside - there are some "season pass" signs. If you take your picture with them it will act as a Season Pass for the rest of the year! We don't live in the area so didn't do it; but if we did we would have really taken advantage of that! We came here after going to Bear Country USA and this was by far my favorite of the two. Though I do REALLY love reptiles. read more

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Cool because all the animals where great the guy that I saw do the shows did a great job and I had a great experience and the gift shop was amazing I got a snake that goes on your wrist and a alligator fidget for it and it's only like $18 read more

Great place to take the family. I highly recommend. Great views of the animals and clean and inviting atmosphere. Well worth the entrance fee. We loved every minute of it. Very large parking area. We were in the area as part of Operation Black Hills Cabin. Thank you Reptile Garden for supporting our wounded veterans. read more

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Out date with big animals in tiny cages. Great fir a 1930s zoo but by modern standards it is sick.

Came for the reptiles, but really unexpectedly appreciated the flowers and garden. Be sure to watch the shows, very informative and interactive! Stop and notice the flowers! And all their detailed gardens. read more

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I went in not expecting much, but man was I wrong! This place was so much fun, the staff members were so kind, and the shows were awesome, the staff members made them enjoyable for adults and kids alike. read more

Reptile Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

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Service nice and has a variety of reptiles and prairie dogs. Birds and other animals are interactive. read more

Reptile Gardens - Entrance - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

My husband and I really enjoyed our visit here. This is one of the most extensive snake collections we have seen. We loved the indoor and outdoor exhibits. read more

This is a very professional setup, nicely laid out for a visit that can take a couple of hours to get through. It is clear that they take very good care of their critters and want them to be comfortable. I stopped by out if interest when I read about the large variety of inhabitants kept here and I can say they did not disappoint me. I'm well-traveled and like to wander through unique animal experiences when given the opportunity. The offer of some very rare snakes, combined with a few big bugs and their variety of other animals brought me through the door. Funny to think that I had to come to South Dakota to see some of the the world's deadliest snakes, but so glad that I did! I also made certain to catch the alligator and snake shows they have to learn some fun things and see a few critters out in the open. Lots of visitors had young kids and they all were enjoying themselves so very family friendly. It's also important not to overlook the incredible landscaping and plants they have bordering the walkways throughout the area. Beautiful and very well maintained. Highly recommend this side trip if in the area. read more

Reptile Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

Amazing place with awesome people. Highly recommend. My boy absolutely loves anything to do with reptiles, so this was especially awesome for him. read more

We loved the alligator show! Just make sure you get there before the show starts (10 mins) to get seats! The alligator guy was very knowledgeable and funny! Great gift shop! Love the dome building! I wouldn't visit more than once, but if you want to come back, snap a picture with the mascot and get free entrance when you come back during the same season! We didn't get to see the snake show, we arrived at the exact time it started and not only was there no seats, people were even sitting on the floor! read more

Had an amazing time with my family at the reptile gardens! We even got to see the snake show and bird show. read more

Reptile Gardens - Family picture - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

Im not a fan of snakes and was worried that would be the 1st thing we walk into. You first walk in where you buy your tickets they go over highlights of the park and shows. We started at the skydome. It was awesome!! Lots of beautiful flowers, lizards. 2nd floor of skydome is where the snakes are housed along with lizards. I did avoid quite a few of the snake exhibits and they are well marked so I could. We watched the gators and crocs show it was awesome!! Well worth the visit. Daughter did one the dolphins 3D safari. Cost was 8 dollars not to bad she loved it! read more

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Super fun place, so many animals to look at! The snake and bird show were great too! Both shows gave so much interesting information and laughs! The dome was great too! read more

This is a great place to spend some time, so many different species and the biggest crocodile i have ever seen. The coolest thing is that you can go in and pet the giant turtles, that was just amazing! read more

In the words of my husband "this place is AWESOME!" His excitement was the best. Everyone in our crew actually enjoyed this stop. They have special pricing for kids and then you get teens and seniors. 3 and under are free so that was a perk! We only watched the Birds of Prey show (loved it!) and didn't stay for the Snake Show just because we were starving by then and since they don't have a cafe or snack place we needed to go somewhere to eat. That honestly was the only downfall to our stop. But it did save us some money lol! We enjoyed all the reptiles and the Maniac crocodile. It. Was. HUGE. all the enclosures were very well tended to and the animals were active and all healthy. The dome was cool! They had free roaming lizards and some birds in there as well as a snake and skink too! The tortoise exhibit was great. It was pretty large and you could just go in and they all roamed freely as well. They had a whole bunch of baby babies and then teenage tortoises too! Those were in an enclosed area to grow safely. The bald eagle was one of the most beautiful we have seen at a zoo. And the last thing exhibits wise we loved was the prairie dogs. So cute! The botanical gardens throughout the entire place were so beautiful and someone was out there watering basically the whole time we were there. The gift shop was the last thing you walk through before you exit. The prices were so fair. I couldn't believe it. We found a few great finds for memories so the kids were all super happy about that. This place did not let you down. read more

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I love this place so much. I will go back again and again! Definitely get your yearly pass. It's great for the entire family. Don't forget to stop at the gift shop at the end. You won't regret it! read more

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Reptile Gardens opened in 1937 and the same location is STILL in operation today! They have the LARGEST reptile collection in the entire world! They had an array of snakes, including a BLACK MAMBA, a super informational and witty snake show, alligator feeding, beautiful botanical gardens, huge tortoises, an array of birds, and so much more! You can even get a "seasons pass" by simply paying the price of admission, then taking a selfie by one of their designated signs. You can come back for the rest of the season, for FREE! My favorite part was petting the giant tortoises and watching the adorable prairie dogs. This place is definitely worth visiting. read more

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Great place for kids to explore and have fun. (3 children 5 and under) Easily spend 2 hours here. The shows they put on are pretty neat too. We got to watch the gator wrestling show and the kids loved it! They have smash penny machines which make great Souvenirs! Collect all 8 with one dime squishing one. They do have food Cafe, but we usually pack a lunch anyway. Make sure to take a family photo next to the sign holding lizard to be able to go in again! There is a elevator lift to get to the second floor in the dome, you just need to find a staff member and ask them to unlock it. Staff was very kind and helped me get my stroller loaded. Lift isn't that big so may be a tight squeeze. I did subtract a star because of this. I wish there was a ramp that could be added to make accessing the dome's top floor for wheelchairs and strollers easier. Or update the elevator would even make a difference. As it is now, you have to walk out from the 1st floor, outside, then access the elevator from there. It is a little difficult to find and a tight squeeze. But doable. Otherwise tham that, everything is fairly accessible. We still have fun everytime we come, so still worth it. read more

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I will be honest, I thought Reptile Gardens would be your typical tourist trap while visiting Rapid City. I didn't believe they were a top contender for zoos in the US. They were in the middle of nowhere and so small. But, boy I was wrong. In what they lack in size, they more than make up for in terms of animal variety, especially in the reptile category (which would make sense judging by the name). If you are a fan of snakes, this place is a gold mine, so many species here. I saw snake species from all over the world that I have never laid eyes on before today. You think you have seen everything when all of a sudden, BAM, there is a huge salt water crocodile chilling in his pool. In South Dakota?! My kids loved the gentle giant tortoises that happily munched on grass while being pet by the kids. SO fun. One striking thing I kept noticing was how clean and well maintained all of the animal enclosures were (even the super deadly snakes had super clean habitats - that means somebody continues to put their hands in there to maintain them, just tempting fate!). Can you imagine trying to work around an animal that could potentially kill you in minutes if you were to get on their bad side? That is dedication. And dedication shows. This place is unique, fun, and the price isn't bad. If you love reptiles, or just zoos in general, this is a must stop for your family while visiting Sodak. read more

Great great garden. Mason was my favorite employee there, he was truly special and gave us a fun time. Evan was also a nice guy, even though he didn't let me mark my territory on the tortoises. Orville was very active despite being so old. tank is running out of gas and might be dead by the time. I'm writing this review. Tank does not have much time left, rest in peace tank. read more

Reptile Gardens - My guy Mason. So inspirational. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

I haven't been here since I Was eight but I was so excited to come back to the place that I had snippets of memory from. This place does a great job at conservation. There are numerous snakes from all across the world here. Lots of reptiles that you can somewhat interact with and birds! In fact my favorite which was the kookaburra! The gardens around the entire facility were gorgeous! Definitely will be coming back again! You can also get a free pass once you pay once for the year! Just take a picture with a board and keep your receipt. Will be back again. The gift shop has a lot of cute things for everyone too, gemstones, toys and some unique things I didn't expect to find. read more

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My family loves Reptile Gardens! The animals are all properly cared for. The animals are happy and you can see that! My favorite part about Reptile Gardens is the little rainforest you can walk around. I love love getting up close to the small lizzards and different types of turtles. The beautiful rainforest trees, vines and flowers smell fresh and just amazing. The boa that slithers above you just wants a hug. ;) I love that they have added on a bird sanctuary. Absolutely stunning creatures. Beautiful parrots and owls. The staff answer any and all questions and just love their birds. I do hope they add more that can roam freely in the bird area.. i'm sure they can make it happen! Being able to touch turtles that have been alive for 100 yrs is incredible. Obviously you can't ride them but you can pet them and interact with them. They let the turtles out every single day and the turtles roam and snack on grass all day. The turtles love the attention they receive. It was really cool seeing so many baby turtles. The chunky little prairie dogs are well fed and taken cared of. These little guys have serious attitude problems and aren't very friendly BUT still cute to watch. The babies are super cute too. All and all Reptile Gardens is worth the 20 bucks to get into. Your kids will LOVE it! Free snake shows and gator shows and bird shows now too. The food is spendy but that's the only expensive thing about this place! Reptile Gardens does amazing things for their reptiles! Please help them by going to their amazing zoo!!! read more

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My husband and I had the best time here today. So many different reptiles and amphibians to see, as well as some birds. A lot of rarer snakes and monitor lizards that we'd never seen before, plus two Komodo dragons. The Galapagos tortoises were great and one was 118 years old! Another named Sampson was 35 years old. The staff were great too. read more

Great family fun. Very nicely kept up. Clean and beautiful grounds. Shows and exhibits are really fun and educational. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed our visit even on a rainy day. You enter the gift shop building where you pay and then go outside to the other buildings you then go into to see everything. We watched the snake show with cheesy jokes and all and then headed over to watch the same guy wrestle a crocodile. I personally love listening to the tortoises snore. You can even pet them! The dome building houses reptiles and insects along the walls on the outside and beautiful flowers take up the middle with a few unique birds. They say that there are free roaming lizards and frogs but we didn't see any. Upstairs you can look down into the flowers and birds but there are also more reptiles for viewing. Unfortunately, we didn't get to enjoy much else but we did swing by to see the Eagle! Throughout the Gardens are piles of green, blue, and pink rocks. I got a picture of those but no snakes. Not a fame of them. read more

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I have not been here in over 30 years and it was such a fun place to bring my family to for the first time. My kid loved interacting with the tortoises (I got to ride them when I was a kid) and going underground and seeing through the eyes of a prairie dogs. The eagle was beautiful and maybe my kid's favorite animal there. There were tons of pressed penny machines which my kid loved. We all had fun! read more

This place is amazing i have teenagers and they love it. It looks small but the place is really big there's a snack area that was closed at the time i think it was like off season! I loved the snake presentation and the alligator's den and all the snakes that are hard to find. I loved the small gift shop. this is a must if you are going to keystone SD. read more

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It was ok. Maybe because we went on a weekday. The turtles were not out so we couldn't take pictures or pet them. That was the reason we were there. There was no snake or alligator shows. The ladies working both gift shops were so nice. I did enjoy seeing the prairie dogs and the mega alligator but I feel like he needs to be free. read more

Reptile Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

loved it. if you are a reptile geek like me, you will love it. if you are not, it is very well done and greatly informative. my favorite reptile collection ever! The PNG art collection that can be bought is something special that can be found just anywhere. Not to be missed. read more

We love this place and can't wait to go back. Giant tortoises and feeding alligators and crocodiles and caimens... lots of cool animals to enjoy and just another fun thing to do in this great area. We will never forget feeding gators! read more

I was honestly not expecting much from this-- but it was fantastic! A large variety of snakes, alligators, and turtles along with prairie dogs and a few birds. There was a caretaker who talked to us for ~10 minutes answering all of our tortoise questions. I was really surprised at how much was there for a roadside attraction that cost $12/person. read more

Reptile Gardens - One of their giant tortoises - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Rapid City, South Dakota

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My kids (and big adult kids) loved this place. Lots to keep you interested. The dome is well put together with exhibits.

I know that a park really takes care of their animals if their parrots are in good health and have all their feathers. There were some parrots in the Sky Dome, which is their indoor animal display and botanical garden, and they all looked so well cared for. All the lizards, gators, crocs, and snakes looked in fabulous health as well. We didn't get to attend the shows, but we did get to see a lot of reptiles. The park is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest reptile park, and from the variety of reptiles you can see, that's not hard to believe. I didn't think a reptile park would be all that interesting, but Reptile Gardens proved me wrong. Besides the Sky Dome, however, my favorite place was Tortuga Falls, because I love all things Japanese. It is a gorgeously appointed garden, with a beautiful samurai statue that keeps vigil over it. We did get to see the giant tortoises, and pet them. They were precious and seemed quite content. I definitely recommend visiting the park if you are ever in South Dakota. read more

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A must do! When I was planning our trip to the Rapid City area...this place wasn't even part of the equation. But once we got up there we realized certain things were closed for the season, so we had to find something to do...not to mention, it snowed! I started searching for Plan B...and this was it! Although my son loves reptiles, I must say up front that all of us weren't thrilled about going because we chalked it up to a little kid type of place...and that couldn't have been further from the truth. This should be part of your Plan A and it's good for all ages...seriously! The original park opened in 1937 and since that time they've had to move, had some challenging setbacks, went through some changes...and now it is the fantastic park it is today. I suggest you read their history on their website and/or ask any employee when visiting. Today, and in short...right here...this is the world's largest collection of reptiles. Unlike my son, I am not a fan of reptiles, but I was amazed!!! They have snakes you probably won't see any place else...like an Inland Taipan. They have Maniac, which is one of the world's largest Saltwater Crocodiles in captivity (sadly his enclosure seems rather small for him, but this was probably just his winter home we were seeing). These are just a few highlights, but there is much, much more to see. We went in the off season and some things were closed within the park, but it didn't matter to us...there is plenty to see for sure. My personal favorite was the Sky Dome. A kind gentleman immediately started pointing out lizards and such that I wouldn't have spotted on my own. The unique flora and fauna is cool to see too. I thought it was funny that a few species were "volunteers" since they managed to get in on their own from the outside...can't blame them! Love that they have given a home to an injured bald eagle as well. Everyone that works there is so friendly and informative. Plus, they made recommendations for the local area for other things to do and see outside of the regular touristy things we all know about...I/we appreciated that very much. There is plenty of parking and it's easy to find...can't miss it really. The gift shop is huge and not only offers items to remember your visit to the gardens, but the local area as well. Plus, they honor the uniform with a discount on admission with proof of ID...thank you for this! I'm glad things turned out the way they did for us or else we may have missed this place. Don't miss it!!! read more

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Very friendly and helpful staff. Family accommodations. Fun and doable for families. Kids can walk it without strollers if need be. The snake show was fun - the host had great comedic timing. It's like the staff wanted us there. I would recommend the company put Koala Care changing tables in men's rooms as well as ladies as dads change diapers too! read more