Reptile Gardens

Was told about this place by a local gal while shopping. What a great place to visit! The entire reptile garden was very clean, and all of the animal habitats were well maintained. The gardens were beautiful, with gorgeous plants and landscaping throughout. The dome was impressive, and the alligator show was a lot of fun. This is definitely a must-stop if you're ever in the area!

If you're visiting the Black Hills with your family, Reptile Gardens is definitely worth adding to your itinerary! My family and I had a great time here, and there was much more to do than we expected. It's not just rows of reptile exhibits, there are live animal shows, beautiful botanical gardens, giant tortoises, exotic birds, prairie dogs, and plenty of opportunities to learn about animals from the knowledgeable staff. The famous Sky Dome is incredible and houses one of the world's largest collections of reptiles, including snakes, crocodiles, alligators, and lizards from around the globe. The live snake and alligator shows were entertaining and educational, and the bird show was another highlight that kept everyone engaged. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with colorful flowers and walking paths, making it a pleasant place to spend several hours. Everything was clean, well maintained, and easy to navigate. There are shaded areas to relax, a gift shop with lots of unique souvenirs, and a café if you need a break. One thing I really appreciated was that admission includes a vacation pass, allowing return visits during your stay in the Black Hills. That's a great value if you're spending several days in the area. Depending on the season, the park is generally open from late February through November. Summer hours (late May through early September) are typically 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, while spring and fall hours are shorter, so it's worth checking before you visit. Overall, our family had an excellent experience, and Reptile Gardens turned out to be one of the highlights of our South Dakota vacation. Whether you're traveling with young kids, teenagers, or adults who enjoy wildlife, there's something here for everyone. We would definitely visit again!

Our kids really enjoyed the alligator show and the komodo dragon area was pretty cool. Lots of things to see though my personal favorite was the prairie dogs. They do alligator shows 5 times a day, and snake shows as well though I didn't catch the schedule. The gift shop is wild, worth going just for that.

This was so much nicer than I expected. The gardens are beautiful. We spent some time talking to the guy hanging out with the big tortoises and he told us all about them (Orville is 121 years old!) and seemed to really care about them. They do have the raptors tethered so they don’t fly off so I really hope they aren’t out for long periods at a time but they didn’t really looked stressed at all.

I really had no expectations when I booked tickets for my hubby and grandson and me. I have been to reptile venues before and they are kinda stinky and dirty. This place blew my mind!! It was spotless and the grounds were beyond beautiful! We adored the snake and the gator shows! The employee who conducted those shows was engaging and cheerful and entertaining. I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone! I enjoyed it immensely!

So many reptiles to look at! It was so fun. The shows were great, everything was neat and clean. They have a penny machine, incase anyone still collects those, I do for now. Was very nice today, we visited around 430 and it was lovely. All the flowers are in bloom

We had such a great time and can’t wait to come back! I was really impressed with the overall cleanliness. You can tell the owners take a lot of pride in maintaining everything and taking care of the animals. We missed the bird score but the snake show was awesome. The entire staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. I was pleasantly surprised when the front person told us that if we take a photo with the title sign we can get in free for the rest of the season. We can’t wait to go back when it’s warmer and the giant tortoises are out and about in their outdoor enclosure. This place is a gem in Rapid City and definitely a must see if you are visiting.

We had a great visit to the Reptile Gardens today! All animals are well taken care of and all of the habitats and enclosures were clean and well kept. It was very exciting to see so many snakes. The snake show and aligator show were well done and educational for kids and adults. We especially liked the giant tortoises.