Reptile Gardens Reviews

We loved this place! The shows were amazingly good and you could tell they loved the animals and were proud to show them off. And were very knowledgeable! There was so much to see we spent a half day here and could have spent longer.

[Review from 2017]

Two of my girl friends and I decided to go on a trip to SD over our spring break. We were excited to be out of Minnesota and on a pretty cheap trip. The first time I had ever gone to Reptile Gardens was when I was 13 years old in the summer. As a 20 year old I decided to go back! In the spring a lot of the exhibits are closed or are indoors which aren't as fun in the summer.

In the summer they have bird, snake, and crocodile shows which are amazing and educational! The shows are really the crown jewel of Reptile Gardens.

Kids will love the Gardens and so will adults! Just make sure you plan your trip in the summer:)

We visited here one of the days it was raining and cold outside. While some of this is outside, it was easy enough to see the outdoor exhibits around the spring rain. The place is really cool and full of lots to see. The atrium or dome in the center was my favorite part. I loved the plants and the birds. I also really liked all the stones and rocks throughout the park and even in many of the enclosures. Lots of beautiful large pieces of rose quarts. I would visit here again. I do agree with a few people in that some of the animals seem to be in areas that are a bit small.

I think 4.5 stars is a bit of a reach. The alligator show was entertaining, but mostly because the poor handler seemed to be constantly in danger!

we loved the alligator show.there was too many people for us to fit in the stadium for the snake show which was disappointing.there was a walk through atrium and the huge tortoises.giant gift shop as well.

It was a learning experience once I stopped in to see it. All sorts of reptiles and birds are on display in a very beautiful garden. Giant tortoises were my favorite reptile there with the oldest being 113 years old. The grounds are just gorgeous and well manicured with many little gardens encompassing the park.

I was very happy to visit Reptile Gardens and it was the highlight of our trip out west. On buying our tickets we were told the "shows" only went on during the summer Memorial Day to Labor Day which was fine with us as there were less people and we got to take our time and see everything. First the gardens, which were beautiful with people caring for the plants really knowing what they were doing. Saw a gathering of pumpkins to beat the frost coming the next week. Grounds were immaculate. Then we got to sit and observe a Bald Eagle, Cheyenne who was injured and cannot go back to the wild. It was a joy to see such a majestic animal up close. Going into the big dome, you get to see all the snakes. I love snakes and every enclosure seemed very clean so if you took a second and read the copy, you could easily find what it said was in there. When you were done, going to the first level it was like you were in an African Forrest and small lizards scampered at your feet. The docent was very knowledgeable but also mentioned that there was another person starting her shift shortly and she could answer any other questions we had, as she was more experienced than he was. Then, the tortoise's! Oliver was the oldest at 102, then Tank and Simon. I got to pet Oliver on the neck and he loved it. Tank spied one of the trainers taking out the hose to water the pen and it was fun watching him pay attention and lumber over so he could get sprayed. Glad I got to see this place and so did my son.

Reptile Gardens is a gem for tourists and locals.

Locals know it isn’t a tourist trap and brings something very special to the region. The landscaping and gardens are always impressive and the wide variety of animals is amazing.

Absolutely worth a stop if you’re in town. And worth several trips over the course of a year if you’re a local.

Wonderful snake and alligator shows! Dane, the presenter was awesome!!!! The park was nice, smaller than I remembered.

Overall, the facility was interesting to view, but not significantly more than any other aquarium or reptile facility we've visited. The best part of the facility is their season pass option - which is to pay the entry fee and then go to one of the cut outs in the facility and take a selfie, then you can use that any time during the season to get back in if you're part of the selfie picture - that was pretty cool, and we needed to find a quick 45 minute activity right before we left town and ended up inside for a quick "freebie" visit since we had decided to take a selfie the first time we were there. Plus there's a line for pass holders, which was great since there were about 30 paying guests in line in front of us. There were LONG lines to get in first thing in the morning the 2nd day we visited, but the first day we ended up there shortly after lunch time, which was great as most of the families with little kids had left for lunch/naps, so the park was less crowded than it was first thing in the morning. Plan to spend ~an hour there, but probably not much more unless you're visiting with a reptile lover who reads every single sign. There isn't any social distancing happening at this time and they don't require wearing masks inside the buildings and people aren't shy about crowding you while you're looking at the snakes. Overall it was a fun to see, but not a must see. They had not started the alligator/croc feeding show yet when we were there, and I think that would have been more enjoyable as well, but it is seasonal, which is understandable.

If you have a Snake lover in your group the snake demonstration is a must! Very educational and fun for sure. At least half a dozen snakes live shown with an option to pet a constrictor at the end.
Awesome the number of different snake species on display along with different types of minerals to view.
My favorite was the tropical room in the middle of the some - Birds, beautiful orchids, bromeliads, small lizards, birds, turtles, and more!
Feeding the gators and up-close encounters with the aviary animals was pretty fantastic too!
Beautiful landscape and architecture everywhere.

Would definitely recommend this as a 'must see' attraction. Lots of fun, educational and quirky. Watched their live Birds show, it kept us entertained. They have a nice environment for the reptiles. We didn't get to pet a piton, but its ok. Something for everyone here! This place was great.

We took 5 grandchildren ages 8 to 13 and all had a great time, I am not a snake lover but the snake show was informative and entertaining. The kids got to touch the python, as well as pet an alligator and the tortoises. The gardens were immacualte and colorful, so even if not into reptiles there was a lot to catch your eye.

This has a wide variety of snakes. You can feed an alligator. They have a snake show that is neat and you can take your picture with a snake after the show.

AMAZING!!!! This place FAAAARRRR exceeds a .ormal touristy place!! We had so much fun!! I expected some.jenly place, and this is NOT that at all! First off the beauty I'm the courtyard! So pretty! This wasn't a real destination place but I am so glad I stopped!! The kids and I had a blast!! Now I want to bring my grandsons!!

My family and I had so much fun here! The dome was a blast! It’s like a critter scavenger hunt-frogs, birds, lizards(?) hiding in the trees and moving in the growth. The young man in the dome when asked about the banana trees said they do indeed produce, but in the fall.

The snake show was very informative. The young man that was the snake whisperer was friendly about answering questions and great with the kids.

So many things to see here. This was one of the highlights of our Black Hills trip. Will definitely stop back next time.

My son and I used to live in Rapid City while I went to SDSMT as a single mother. This was one of my favorite places to go with him. If you think you will go twice make sure to get the "season pass." It is cheaper to get a season pass then go twice and pay for two day passes. We also had my son's 4th birthday party there. They were amazing. At that time we were able to bring our own food and just pay for a room. They brought in a snake and a baby alligator into the room for the kids to see and pet.

We had visited here many years ago and made it a stop on our visit to Yellowstone. If you are zoo/aquarium people like we are, this is a great stop. Boasting one of the largest reptile collections in the US, this place has it all. Be sure to visit the dome and look for lizards running around the falls (they are hard to find!). Check out the snake presentation and alligator/crocodile presentation as well. Lastly, be sure to see Maniac, one of the largest crocs in captivity.

Something for everyone here!! Don't skip this just bcuz you're not fond of our scaly friends!!! The landscaping is incredible. The dome houses some beautiful birds and amazing plants and trees. Now... Onto the before mentioned scaly friends... From lizards to Crocs to snakes... This place has it all!! Back stories and education is top notch here. We spent about 2 1/2 hrs just walking through looking at everything. And one of the coolest gift shops I've seen!!! Put Reptile Gardens on your list... You won't be disappointed!!

The price seemed a little high but our kids absolutely loved it. They can’t stop telling everyone about all the reptiles they got to see and touch. Worth a stop.

I hate snakes but I took my family here because the kids like this kind of stuff. We took in all 3 shows - bird, snake, and alligator/crocodile. This is a well-run facility and we enjoyed visiting. Also, I still hate snakes.

As 'seniors', we weren't sure about a visit, but decided to stop. Reptile Gardens was way more than anticipated! Lots to see, many interesting reptiles species and stunning flower gardens. The displays were informative and easy to follow. Staff was friendly and informative as well. Enjoyed the snake and bird shows. Again, the flower gardens were exquisite!!! Would definitely recommend this as a 'must-see' attraction.

Personnel quite friendly. Snake show good. Unseasonably cold and snow/ice left the outdoor areas (prairie dogs, bald eagles) devoid of the animals. Recommend with decent outdoor weather

Great alligator show. The park has wonderful opportunities to get up close and personal with many species. Including holding a baby gator and petting a tortoise.

We loved the reptile gardens, but there were field trip kids that ruined a lot of it. They were running around yelling during the snake and bird show and had little to no supervision. We stayed long enough to catch the show again without the kids and it was so much better. It was awesome to see all the animals they have there.

A must see when in the area. This place has a fascinating variety of reptiles and very educational if you take the time to look and read. We had our 11 yr old grandson with us, and we all had a great time viewing all that this place offered. We missed out on a number of shows, because it was early May and most shows were closed; but it was worth the visit. If we are ever in the area again, this would be a repeat visit. Enjoy!

Not as big as advertised, expensive for what was there. I never did see any big snakes, any large bugs or much else except for some gators and tortoises. I was not impressed.

Our family rated this. 9/10 and would do it again. The exhibit shows for the snakes and crocodiles were very informative and funny. Hunter did a great job.

We were so exited to visit after hearing stories from my husband when he visited as a kid. It was fabulous and the exhibits were great. We experienced the Snake Show with Hunter. He did a great job. And we then were able to feed the gators with Riley. The facility is very clean. The staff is so helpful and friendly! I would highly recommend attending. It definitely exceeded our expectations.

Just a great place to spend a few hours at a very reasonable price. Lots to see and do with bird and snake shows, wonderful gardens and attractions including getting to pet the friendly giant tortoises.
Very knowledgeable and helpful staff.

My daughter and I stopped there on our way to Hot Springs, SD, for business.
We both hadn't been back there, since she was a young girl, and we went there on a family vacation.
It had really changed from when she was maybe 7-8 years old. She is now an adult.
Everyone social distanced and some were wearing masks. In SD they are not mandatory I don't think.
But she still loved seeing the prairie dogs the best I think!!!!
It was a very nice business get away.

the kids just loved it ,they had good time ,everything was fine, you need to have time and be patient with the kids

We decided to visit the Reptile Garden on a day where the weather wasn’t as conducive to some of the outdoor activities on our agenda. I must say we were very surprised and completely impressed with the Reptile Gardens. Tremendous variety of snakes, Alligators, Lizards, and many other species. Place is meticulously cared for and it’s obvious the workers take great pride in the place. We watched two live shows one with Alligators and the other with snakes. The young man Cody was fantastic! Knowledgeable and witty during the performance. Highly recommend stopping here.

You would never think that the largest collection of reptiles would be in South Dakota. Even though our kids loved this place, as a parent, it was okay. It may be large, but it feels small, so you don't have to spend all day here. There are some neat exhibits, shows, and retiles that you can get up close to and pet. They teach a lot about the reptiles and are ready to answer any and all questions. Because of this, it was fun and something to do while in Rapid City.

This place was great. We loved the beautiful gardens and the fascinating snakes. The alligator/crocodile show was better than ones we've seen in other places, particularly because of the presenter and the small audience. I have seen better bird shows and the presenters seemed to be in a rush to give as much information as possible - would have liked a demonstration of flying or beak strength type thing - but still enjoyed despite the heat! We spent a few hours there easily and were lucky it wasn't too busy. Definitely recommend

Everyone in our party of 12 loved the place- including seniors, tweens, little kids, and adults. It’s exceptionally well laid out and easy to navigate. The snake and croc show were excellent and the food at the restaurant was fast food, but much better than expected. We spent 2 hours cut easily could have spent more time. Worth the price of admission.

I was fully blown away by the cleanliness of the park, and the love how much love these folks seem to have for their jobs!

The Gator Man was entertaining! The ladies with the birds showed their expertise. The woman running the sluicing operation was great with kids. The Sky Dome was lovely!

The Koi seemed not to have enough water to properly swim in at Tortuga Falls, but that was my only concern. These critters are well looked after, and seemed content. It was a great visit!

Pretty cool outdoor exhibits. Huge tortoises you can pet and feed, a komodo dragon, a bald eagle, piles of obsidian (which our Minecraft obsessed kids thought were awesome), but the indoor reptile exhibit with all the snakes and such was packed with folks, few if any were wearing masks. This is during the COVID-19 pandemic which is spreading across the country like wildfire. To their credit, all of the employees here were wearing masks, so they were protecting us from them just in case they have it. I just wish the majority of the patrons would be considerate enough to return the favor. That or they have a person with a clicker limiting the number of folks allowed in there at a time. We didn't dare enter that enclosed space (which is the main attraction) due to the unmasked crowds so it wasn't worth our money. Great place for families with little kids if it weren't for the current pandemic and hoards of unmasked patrons.

This place was AWESOME. My husband and I don't have kids and we were thinking this might be more geared towards kids but honestly, it was fun for everyone! The variety of snakes and reptiles they have here is incredible, from harmless to the most venomous types. The 16 ft crocodile was truly the most massive croc i've seen in my life. I really enjoyed the outdoor area where you could see some prairie dogs, birds, more crocs, and giant tortoises you could give neck scratches to as they munched on some grass. If you need to kill some time with the kids, take them here!

Fun lil day trip to Rapid with the family tbh. And once you go once, you get a season pass to go as many times as possible thruout the year which is cool. The shows and exhibits were fun. Especially the Gator shows. That 1 is a must see. Fun entertainment for the whole family.

Been going to Reptile Gardens since I was a little kid and always look forward to it. The dome is pretty and we are able to get up close with alligators and crocs. The shows were closed because of COVID. The high point for me was getting to pet the necks and heads of the giant tortoises! I really missed the enchanted village with the trained animals.

I've past this place several times on previous trips thinking it's nothing more than a snake pit. Boy, was I ever wrong! I'm so happy I stopped and will continue to make stops again in the future. I was amazed at the beautiful flower gardens. I fell in love with the tortoises. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I made lots of suggestions to people I met along my trip to stop by and see this fascinating place. Love it!

This was a blast! Beautiful gardens. Very clean- very informative. My kids loved it- they love snakes!

We held off on the Reptile Gardens til towards the end of our trip as we weren't sure if it was going to be just a cheesy tourist place. But it was seriously awesome!!! Crazy huge selection of snakes and ginormous alligators & crocodiles! We loved the different animal shows (snake show, alligator show during which the crazy guy literally wrestled an alligator while talking about the animals, bird show). They have these giant tortoises that you can get up close to and even pet. And lovely botanical garden-type flowers throughout the park. We didn't have time to go back, but they did give us a "vacation pass" that would have allowed us access back into the park during our trip which is also pretty cool. Overall, I'd recommend taking the time out of your trip to check it out!!!

The garden was great in many aspect-my children were astound to be able to pet the turtoise and the alligator show was very fun. The bird show could be better-flying birds would be a plus-not show show and tell.

We met two workers who were very pleasant and informative about falcons which was great, but that was the only high point. Once we got to the reptile building, we found that gift shop is the focus, not animal welfare. For my son who is an animal lover (especially reptiles), this was an incredibly depressing place. It was clear that the focus was on showing off the animals and not on properly caring for them. The alligator habitats were small and were basically pools in glass rooms with no toys or enrichment at all. There were several species of venomous snakes which would have been fascinating were it not for the fact that they all looked miserable. Their habitats did not include proper ground coverings and none of them had hiding spots which are mandatory for any healthy reptile habitat. We ended up leaving minutes after walking into the reptile building.

My wife and I visited here 10 years ago as a couple and brought our kids this year. The landscaping is so much nicer than it was on our last visit but I thought the gator/croc and snake shows were a little better on our previous visit. Much more crowded than it used to be though. Still lots of fun and great memories here. The hot dogs we had for lunch were pretty good too! Appreciated that there was hand sanitizer available throughout the park.

We stopped after doing Bear Country and our 2 year old loved seeing the Gators and the snakes. We did the bird show and that was neat and also watched them feed the Gators. Very very interesting.

I would highly recommend a stop here if you are looking for something to do.

This was a fun stop on our recent trip to Rapid City! We were there on a Monday afternoon in September and we felt like we had the place to ourselves! Honestly, there were only like 75 other people there when we were there.

The tortoises were awesome and petting them was the coolest! The prairie dogs are a hoot and I could spend hours just watching them! And I couldn't believe how many snakes they had!! The facility itself is gorgeous - meticulously landscaped with a tropical botanical garden to boot!

The restaurant wasn't open when we were there, so I can't speak to the food offerings, but the gift shop was huge and had a wide variety of stuff to choose from if you wanted a souvenir.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Was our 2nd year in a row visiting with my family, grand kids, my first trip there was in 1973 with my parents, lots of fond memories, parents & brothers are now gone, but starting new ones with daughter & grand kids, love that your still there, hope too keep coming back for many years

This is always one of our favorite places and it never disappoints! There are so many reptiles to see and the snake and alligator shows are great

Awesome experience! Loved that we were able to catch the snake show. Staff was friendly and was super great with handling kids that weren’t being watched by their parents. Offered a lot of extra information on animals.

So amazing, educational, and Fun ! So many exotic reptiles, you can tell the animals are loved, & cared for with reverence. Highly recommend Reptile Gardens ! One of the best experiences!!

Our favorite part were the Snake and Alligator shows. Connor, the MC was knowledgeable and fun. He was able to connect to all ages. The dome was 👍 and the tortoises we're a big hit too

I am not a creepy crawler, slimy slithering lover by any stretch but absolutely loved this visit. The entire facility is extremely clean. The staff is very friendly. The landscaping - wow! Just beautiful. I’d go again just to walk around the gardens.
The indoor botanical garden is very nice with lots of hidden reptiles to find. We went to both the snake & gator shows. Very educational as well as entertaining. The gift shop had the usual touristy type things but also many very unique items. I think we spent 3 hours there, saw both shows, took our time walking around. Plenty of shade & also an air conditioned room to cool off in if needed. Easy even walking all through the facility. Exhibits have great information & signage.
All around a great experience good for singles, couples, families, etc. highly encourage you to visit.

This attraction was one of the highlights of our trip. If you like plants, exotic animals or both, you are in for a treat. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with many different varieties & colors of plants that are kept in excellent condition.
The dome in the center of the property is deceiving at first glance. One would think there cannot be that much to see inside that little building. But walk inside, & there is three levels of animals, skeletons, fossils & plants to see & enjoy. The first floor houses many beautiful tropical plants & animals in a natural, uncaged environment. We spotted a couple of small green lizards running the length of a couple of the trees & a couple parrots perched in some of the trees observing all of the visitors. There are employees present in the tropical garden milling about to make sure no one messes with the animals. Surprisingly, there is no glaring "animal smell". With the hundreds of snakes, reptiles & insects housed there, you would think it would have "that smell". But it didn't, it was very clean & inviting. I would also recommend attending one of the hourly gator shows. The young man, Connor, did a fabulous job educating us about alligators & crocodiles & entertaining us with "dad jokes", wrangling one of the alligators & sharing a baby crocodile with us. There is also a small aviary on the premises. The birds looked like they might be injured rescues. As one of the birds was a turkey vulture missing most of a wing. But they were beautiful, interesting animals to see from a 5 - 10' distance. We did not take in the snake show but it is available as an hourly show also.

Definetly worth stopping, especially for the alligator show, Glad we did not skip it, We loved all teh animals and the staff was very friendly

I visited with my grandchildren. The place was great. The staff that we talked with shared many things about the place and the animals in it. We loved Prairie Dog town, particularly the "bubble" that allowed you to get up close and personal with the prairie dogs.

The Reptile Gardens was enjoyed by our entire family (kids age 11 & 8)! We did the gator & snake show and loved both. Matt has a great sense of humor while also giving tons of info. We loved all the different types of venomous snakes, Maniac the GIANT crocodile, prairie dog town and petting the Tank the tortoise was my favorite! While it did seem a little overpriced we definitely enjoyed our time there.

Although there is not much to do in the spring season, this is still a great place to visit. My personal favorite part of this place is the prairie dog exhibit. I love the fact you can view prairie dogs from up close in there.

We absolutely LOVED it! So fun and interesting. Yes there are snakes there, but so much more. You can learn and be entertained as well. Kids as well as adults will love it. If you only can see one place in South Dakota, make sure this is it.

Reptile Gardens is an animal park located south of Rapid City, South Dakota, on the road to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The park is open the first Saturday in March through November 30 each year. Reptile Gardens was cited in the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest reptile zoo. Even Steve Erwin came to visit.

We had so much fun seeing all the animals and absolutely loved the snake and gator show! Dane was hilarious!
The food was good, the facilities were clean, and the staff was informative and friendly! For a family with kids who range from 1 to 18 it was a great time! Highly recommend!

Went with grandkids. Had lots of fun. No complaints. Kid that did the gator show and snake show was hilarious, but very knowledgable and had lots of good information at the same time.

What an amazing visual & educational experience, well worth the 2 hrs we spent there. The grounds of the Reptile Gardens are spectacular, and worth the price of admission just to stroll around & enjoy the flowers, trees & ponds...especially the tropical jungle like atmosphere inside the Dome. We loved the bird show!

It’s pretty cool but honestly overpriced for basically a small zoo. I find it asinine that there are no drinking fountains (aka bubblers for us Wisconsin people) anywhere and even a plain water bottle is $3 from a vending machine. I have mixed feelings about watchingy a guy drag an alligator around by its tail for the entertainment of a crowd of humans. I have mixed feelings about zoos in general though, so I guess that’s something to think about before going to anything like this. The dome with all the little lizards and frogs roaming around is very nice. Whoever does the flowers and grounds keeping does a fantastic job (although it must take a lot of water during a drought year 🤔).

With lots jammed into our trip, this stop was an awesome surprise! Tons of wildlife and very educational. Make sure to see the whole park and plan 2 to 3 hours.

We were excited to see Reptile Gardens again after being away for a few years. We had a really nice visit. We were sad because the shows had been changed due to the virus situation, but understood the reason. We appreciated that they tried to come up with alternatives for the bird show and the alligator show. The grounds are beautiful, the dome is so much fun with all the different animals, and we had fun exploring. We spent much less time here than in visits past, but the admission fee had been discounted to reflect the changes. We also appreciated the military discount. Would definitely recommend.

I was expecting more after reading the reviews. It was nice and my son had fun, but I feel it is over priced for what it is. Also I dont feel like they are being g responsible with their breeding of the tortoises. They live a long time and they had at least 15-20 in the pen of various ages. The large crocs and gators could use a larger enclosure as well.

Really informative and neat. As someone who doesn't even like snakes, I found this to be a really neat idea. There were so many exotic varieties of everything here it was truly amazing. They had snakes on display that nowhere else in the world has, including the most venomous snake in the world! They also had a 115 year old tortoise! Our teen got to feed an alligator (which was pretty cool). If that just really isn't your thing, you can walk around outside and take in the grounds, which were beautifully decorated. This was an unexpected pleasant surprise!
As well, all of the staff were EXTREMELY friendly and knowledgeable. They even offered advice on things to do in the area when they found out we were from out of town.

We have a two years old son and we totally enjoyed it. Make sure to check out the gift shop! Especially the one with New Guinea arts!

The animal shows were awesome and they are timed quickly after one another so you can get up and move in between shows. If you take a picture with a specific sign you can get in free on another day. I would budget 2.5-3 hours here so you don’t feel rushed.

Was a good stop visit. See the critters up close was cool. The gardens are beautiful !! The shows were very good. We only had time for the gator show.

Our family has been to the Black Hills several times. It is one of our favorite vacation spots. With each trip, we like to try new places to eat and visit. Except for Reptile Gardens. We always go to RG! Yes, it is pricey for our large family, but this is our splurge. While it doesn't hurt that most of us are reptile lovers, I would think most everyone would enjoy this place. The grounds are just lovely, and seem to get nicer every year. A very pleasant place to walk around, with so much to see. The best of Rapid, for certain!

I really enjoyed the Reptile Gardens, it was a bit small, but had lots of variety to look at. I really enjoyed the prairie dog exhibit and also the snake show. The Bald Eagle was awesome and I loved looking at the giant tortoises.

We arrived at Reptile Gardens and immediately were able to see the three shows - the Gator Show, Bird Show, and Snake Show. My kids LOVED getting to touch the animals and being able to learn more about them during the shows. We had lunch at one of the cafeterias and took it with us to eat during the Gator Show. They also were so excited to be able to touch the giant tortoises. The gift shop was also wonderful! A great place to add to a Black Hills vacation!

Awesome place. We took our 4 kids, ages 2-9, they all loved it. I highly recommend going. We even went back a second day. The giant tortoises were our favorite.

My family absolutely adored the tortoises and being able to pet them. They were so sweet and it was crazy to see a 117 year old tortoise. We enjoyed the prairie dogs, snakes, frogs, lizards, turtles, etc. I really enjoyed seeing all the snakes. The amount of snakes and information posted was impressive. I especially liked how it was posted how venomous each snake was. I never thought I would be face to face with an anaconda so that was cool.

We were disappointed with the lack of communication in regards to some of the exhibits offered. I had been on the website to plan for our trip's budget prior to coming to South Dakota and nowhere did I see it listed that they were not offering shows. It was what I was excited for the most about our visit to the Reptile Gardens. It appeared to be a surprise to one of the employees as well because when I asked about the time of the shows, she started telling me the times and another employee had to correct her that there were no more shows for the season. I am glad that they were not showcasing most of the birds for their protection against avian flu, but I think this should have been posted walking into the building and on the website as well.

With that being said, the prices were discounted and I felt like the price we paid for a family of 4 ($42) was a good price, especially compared to some of the prices back home in Minnesota. We just would have rather caught it all in one trip.

The only other thing I have to add is a selfish comment and that is that I wish the bug display was separated by a curtain. I loved seeing all the other animals but as someone with arachnophobia, my husband had to guide me along the other wall to the "safe" area with my back turned to the spiders. I can't be the only one with this problem lol.

Thanks for all you do!

We live in Minnesota and went to visit Mount Rushmore during the pandemic and have been very careful with social distancing and wearing masks. The kids wanted to visit reptile gardens and as soon as we parked the car in the parking lot we noticed that the people coming in and out are not wearing masks. I called the information desk and was told that masks are not mandatory for the visitors inside the facility so we decided to skip that place. It was September 2020 and the numbers of new COVID-19 patients were spiking in South Dakota. It was very disappointing and frustrating that a highly rated place did not follow the safety measures during a pandemic.

The grounds are beautiful here. Our rate was discounted a bit I guess because they didn’t hold animal shows due to COVID. Our family liked the indoor exhibits like the snakes and spiders. A worker by the owls was holding one and was full of interesting info about them. Worth a visit!

Our family really enjoyed our time at Reptile Gardens. The Gator show and the snake show were both excellent; very entertaining and educational. Huge collection of animals and plants. The grounds are immaculate: very clean and well taken care of - good work! The kids enjoyed the gem sluicing and the target shooting as well. I would recommend this to everyone. 10/10!

I went there with young children hoping to enjoy the shows that were there... But to my dismay -- there was only 1 show about snakes. What happened to the bird show and wrestling the alligators, and the chickens in the village tricks -- Very disappointed. Even the big dome had limited interaction. It was much much better 10 years ago.

First off the grounds were absolutely beautiful and well taken care of. The landscaping, cleaning, and I was happy to see Staff all wearing mask. Our children are 6 and 2 and we were really hoping for more for the amount of money we paid. We were in and out in about an hour Max. The kids kept asking what else they could look at and do. we avoid some of the snake area because at the time we visited we were uncomfortable with the number of people all in the same area. I also noticed someone sweeping rocks but I never saw any staff cleaning off the glass which a lot of people were touching. Recommend Saving your money during COVID and Finding something else to do.

The place is smaller than expected for the admission we paid. The grounds are beautiful and extremely well kept. The snake and alligator shows were entertaining for my younger kids. The enclosures all seemed relatively small for most of the reptiles, which my 9 and 12 year olds even pointed out.

Who would have known this attraction would turn out to be a 5 Star one? From the outside, we saw some lovely gardens but the best is inside. It’s almost like a mini Butchart Gardens in Victoria! They take a lot of care of their grounds, Oh yeah, there’s reptiles too! Any some pretty exotic ones at that. Snakes, alligators, frogs, crocodiles and even a Komodo dragon. An avery too. A large gift shop and snack bar with plenty of outside seating. We had a great time and I think you will too.

Outstanding setup and great displays. The animals and reptiles were very active in the afternoon. We got to see/pet a 118 year old tortoise and watch a python eat a rabbit. It was awesome

Reptile Gardens is always a great place to do in Rapid City! Our 5 year old loved being able to see all of the snakes and lizards that they had. The snake show was so good. The guy doing it was young, good with the kids, and made a lot of jokes for the adults in the audience too. They weren't doing the alligator show but they did have the option to "fish for alligators." They had a "fishing pole" that they attached a piece of raw chicken to and you were able to hang it over the edge to get a gator. That was fun for the entire family!

Reptile Gardens has an amazing display of venomous snakes from around the world, and many species are only seen in the US at Reptile Gardens. There's a lot more here too of course, but I came for the snakes and was not disappointed! Mambas, cobras, rattlesnakes, and many serpents I've never heard of. Maniac the giant crocodile was quite a sight too. It's very convenient to all the Black Hills sights.

We enjoyed Reptile Gardens! The grounds were amazingly beautiful! The animal exhibits were great! Recommend an afternoon there!

I'm not a big snake fan, but Reptile Gardens won me over. There are hundreds of well-cared for reptiles ranging from venomous and nonvenomous snakes to LARGE alligators, iguanas, Komodo dragons. Do not miss the tortoise exhibit outside. The keepers gave wonderful talks on birds, and we enjoyed the kiddy rides and "mining town" exhibits. This is a place where your ticket is good for a return, so we felt great value. The exhibits are clean and well-maintained.

We had another event planned that cancelled so we decided to do local sightseeing. We decided to do a quick trip through. We ended up doing the gator and snake shows. Both were very informative and the speaker did a great job of explaining and adding a little humor. I would recommend getting to the shows early as they were full both times. If you or your kids are interested in reptiles highly recommend stopping and taking the tour.

Absolutely a great place to take the family. Well taken care of place with some amazing animals on display. My 8 year old even got to feed the gators!!!

This should be a definite stop! There is so much to see! It is also a beautiful place with the flowers and foliage! The staff is very knowledgeable about the reptiles and birds!

This place is incredible. Great collection of reptiles from snakes of all varieties to the hands on with giant tortoises. Excellent for anyone who loves reptiles.

I'm not much for reptiles and was hesitating about visiting, but I'm glad we did. This place has reptiles, but so much more. The tropical dome is gorgeous with birds and plants. In fact, the garden flowers all over the grounds are so lovely. I'm happy we spent some time here. It's not just for kids.

Very interesting Bird & Snake shows. Young people teaching the audience about the respective creatures. Very knowledgeable and informative.

Not withstanding the fact that they have the largest collection of reptiles in the country, the part we liked the best we’re the shows. We saw the bird show first, which was fine. And then we saw the snake show and the alligator show. The young man who was giving the presentation at the snake show and the alligator show was outstanding. They space the shows out so you can kind of go to them one after the other, and each is about a half an hour. And stone this was the best part of our day there. The food is decent if a bit pricey.

What an adorable place to visit! We loved every minute of it. They have lots of information on their various snakes, frogs, lizards, etc. We watched the snake show and the bird show. We were able to pet the giant tortoises. The surrounding gardens are beautiful. I think it is a great place to visit for all ages.

So many animals! If you have little kids you will definitely want to take them here! Everything is clean and the animals all look healthy. Plus the grounds are so beautiful! Our only complaint was the fact we didn’t get to pet the giant tortoise because it was to cold for them to be outside. You can spend a couple hours here and be very entertained.

The zoo part was nice and kids enjoyed it. By far the best part was the gator show and snake show! The host was awesome. I have never seen so much activity from and animals. I was on the edge of my seat the whole show just praying he wouldn’t get attacked.

My favorite part of this place was seeing the snakes! So many!! The turtles were awesome also. It only took about an hour.

Best attraction in Rapid City. The kids loved it, we loved it. Tortoises were our favorite. Staff is highly knowledgeable and genuinely love what they do. Highly recommend!

Definitely worth stopping in to see the tortoises. Fun times for kids. The Bald Eagle is being well cared for in her condition. Prairie dogs, and so many reptiles. Wish the outside attractions were available but that’s because of COVID.

Reptile Gardens is a place I loved as a child, my daughter loved as a child, and now my granddaughter. This is a superior family outing. Great prices and fantastic shows. You can tell that the staff love working there. Thank you to the Brockelsby's for bringing such an important family adventure to the Black Hills!

Tre was amazing! He has a talent for crowd entertaining and is knowledgeable about snakes and gators! This guy is going places! They allow DOGS! This is so important to pet owners and I’m so grateful this company has the thoughtfulness and compassion to allow dogs. Beautifully maintained grounds- well done!

Reptile Gardens is a very well kept zoo, specializing in, well, reptiles. The grounds of the gardens are very nice; well taken care of with nice flowers. The exhibits are all in good shape. You will see many different snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles/alligators galore. They have a snake show several times a day which is fun and informative, kids love it. One can also feed crocodiles/alligators for an additional charge, this is incredibly fun (this adult loved it). In addition to reptiles there are some birds, and a cute prairie dog town. However, my favorite was petting the Giant Aldabra tortoises. These are very gentle and interesting creatures; they enjoy human contact and made my day to pet them. The staff at the gardens seems to be young people who seem to love animals; they are all very nice and were a pleasure to deal with.

If you are at all questioning whether or not to put this on your list of attractions to visit you must no matter what age you are!

I’m just going to start off by saying of the 4 of us in our family I hate zoos, I hate the crowds, the smell, they’re always hot and to me are just gross! My wife hates snakes, The kids (age 13 and 15) absolutely loved this place!

First to address my issues. Reptile Gardens has got to be one of the most clean and well cared for facilities that I have ever visited! I was absolutely amazed at how clean the grounds were! The trees, plantings, landscaping no doubt should be winning awards if they haven’t already! We chose a day during the week and first thing in the morning when it was less busy to avoid the crowds. As far as smell and animal area cleanliness here too they are doing a great job. Naturally there is going to be that traditional zoo animal smell but it didn’t seem as bad here even in a very hot day! My wife’s issues of the snakes….well it’s a reptile place she’s just going to have to deal with it. HA! The kids loved everything too! The alligator and snake shows are worth checking out but get to the seating areas early they fill fast. We found that during the times of the shows is a great time to check out other things in the park a bit closer.

Throughout the park you can interact with different animals and caretakers. Get up close to big turtles. A rainforest like dome to see even more up close and I’ll just say again the grounds and landscaping here is amazing!

Overall 5/5! The staff here is doing a great job! Keep up the great work and again was well worth the price of admission!

The garden in the name is appropriate. Grounds crew is doing a great job. Snake show was so good we went twice in the same week. Prairie dogs, giant tortoise, lizards, exotic birds, alligators, crocodiles and lots of snakes. Take a selfie picture and get free entry for the rest of the season.

My husband and I (54) took my parents (74) to Reptile Gardens and we had a great time. My dad remembered RG from boyhood and was excited to go back. He was not disappointed!! We spent half of a day there enjoying the shows - gator & snake and then strolled around looking at the beautiful flowers and the other reptiles!! This is a top-notch facility. Every exhibit was labeled with interesting facts and in an engaging manner. Every cage was clean, the display areas were clean and well-maintained. Do not hesitate to visit Reptile Gardens!

Best value for your bucks! Beautiful grounds/flowers. Amazing creatures. Impeccably clean!!! Friendly staff!

Reptile Gardens was another grand highlight of our vacation. The reptile selection was wonderfully diverse. If you want to see a variety of snakes, this is the place for you! The turtles, that look like big boulders from a distance, were just adorable. While the alligators and crocodiles look nice and docile, I certainly wouldn’t try to get close (which you can’t anyway). The placards throughout the museum nicely illustrate the various subjects. Highly recommended.

For those that have posted a negative review that this place isn’t safe during the crisis, please stay home. South Dakota is not run by a dictator governor, but one that treats citizens and visitors as adults. Businesses are open and masks are optional. If you want to wear one great, but that doesn’t give you the right to judge others or condemn a business. If you feel so unsafe you just can’t get out of your car, please stay home and stop ruining the experience for others.

Family with 3 boys (9,10,12) and we thought it was pretty awesome. Great snake show- excellent handler. Displays were plentiful and all three kids got great stuff sluicing- the size “gems” were large enough that buying individually would exceed the $5-6 for the sluice bag. I call that a bargain!

We spent three hours and my husband usually rushes us through everything (he gave it 4 stars, the rest of us 5). Recommend. Go right when it opens.

We came with 2 teens. It was enjoyable. We liked petting the giant tortoises and the exhibit in the middle with all the different reptiles was fun to go through. You'll see a lot of unique snakes and other reptiles you probably wouldn't regularly see at a zoo. I liked the alligator feeding. You can feed a tiny fish (bait) to the alligators using a pole over the glass enclosure. The only thing I was a bit misled by was the botanic garden. I thought it was a separate area but it is just very pretty flowers and plants all throughout the area.

We enjoyed the dome and seeing so many different types of snakes that are rare to see in captivity. As a wildlife educator at a zoo though, I'd say some of the messaging in the shows is a bit outdated as far as how animals are treated during programming. Even if you need a certain gator during the show, joking about getting your "volunteer" and then chasing it down and dragging it out is not sending the right message that any of your animals should be treated with respect. Just seeing them being fed in itself is very cool.

The adults in the car did not want to visit yet another reptile gardens. We had been to several throughout Florida.
With 5 kids begging to go, we gave in. this was a pleasant surprise. Well run, lots of interaction for the kids. We left will the kids saying, "I told you it would be fun!"
Lisa Reinicke/Author

I have been going to Reptile Gardens for over 30 years
Always a treat! It’s hard to run a “Zoo” but it seems they are always doing a good job, taking care of animals, young staff seems I. Time and happy to work there!
Keep up the food job!!! Very educational!!!

On our recent trip to Rapid City we stopped in to visit Reptile Gardens which is full of live snakes, birds, crocodiles, and giant tortoises! We enjoyed the gator show and snake shows and got up close and personal with the giant tortoises. Even though most of the families had small children with them, we enjoyed Reptile Gardens as 4 adults!

We by no means budgeted enough time to spend here! This is an all day place! Super fun, so many amazing animals and I could have spent the ENTIRE day with the turtles alone! Something for everyone! We loved it!

We have been going to reptile places for a long time in a lot of different locations this is by far the absolute best this is for everyone nit just reptile enthusiasts. From the beautifully planned and kept landscape to the wide variety of well kept and cared for animals this is a must for everyone passing through here. I hope the cafe opens back up soon but it’s a great place for whole family to spend the day we’ll worth it and a well cared for place all the employees were great as well very friendly. 😊

This was a nice little stop for a couple of hours. Went to the three shows they offer, the alligator show was really good. You will get to be up close and personal with tortoises. There is also a walk through building with birds and reptiles/amphibians. There is also a large gift shop.

We really liked this place. I would recommend getting there as early as you can. It seemed to get pretty busy for a weekday. Take your time and look around. We weren't there for hours but by far our favorite part was the alligator show. The guy was funny and it lasted just the right amount of time.

A tremendous collection! Many at eyeevel and many very active. The habitats are somewhat smal but that allows you to find the more reclusive species. . Beautiful gardens too!

Very well done exhibit! One of the biggest reptile attractions I've ever seen. It's done so well! the only negative I seen was, they had 3 large tortoises out for the public to interact with and there were too many kids for the 1 handler. I seen a little kid try to put sunglasses on one and poked it in the eye. Again so cool for me to pet and play with the tortoise but put the kids in a line and 1 tortoise per handler.

I loved it here. If my kids weren't pressuring me to move along, I would have looked more closely at all the species of snakes in the dome. Quite a few of them I have never seen before, or even heard of. Alligator/crocodile and snake shows were entertaining, and we got to pet a baby alligator! Lots of restrooms around, food available. Kids did the virtual realty room and enjoyed it. Nice little playground for them to get some energy out as well. Reptile Gardens is easy to find, lots of parking. There is also a pond where you can feed the fish. We easily spent about 5 hours here, but I've also very interested in reptiles. To top it all off, they have a huge gift shop with really cool fossils. I got myself a megalodon tooth!! Great range of prices in the souvenirs.

We were skeptical when we first heard of this place but ran into several people at Mt. Rushmore and area that had been so we gave it a try. We were not disappointed. Kids had a blast. I planned on spending about 2 hours there but we ended up being there about 3 1/2 hours. Snake and Gator shows were entertaining and the Dome Exhibits were totally awesome. The kids went bonkers over all of the live snake species, free roaming lizards, LARGE land tortoises, prairie dogs and much more. Highly recommend.

I’m not a fan of snakes, but agreed to stop here for my husband and I’m very happy we did! There were so many animals, a person could spend an entire day here reading about each one. We came late in the season, so we missed seeing the giant tortoises outside and I was also bummed to see their bird show was canceled due to COVID, but we understand. I still loved seeing the giant tortoises inside and definitely need to return during a warmer month when a person can interact with them outside!

I'm not big on reptiles but I would recommend this place. The gardens are beautiful. The snake presentation is well worth seeing. They have a good collection of animals. It's not cheap but worth the expense.

What a fun place! I was iffy about going here since there are so many things to do in the Black Hills. But my family was tired after 10 hours of traveling and I didn't want them to be stuck on yet another car ride. This place was close and a work colleague had recommended it.
It's so beautiful. Really, the landscapers are to be commended.
Also, I have never seen so many types of snakes in my life. They all look well cared for and the cages clean. The part where you just walk around and little lizards are hopping everywhere is a treat too.
We came to the snake show about 5 minutes late and there was not a seat to be seen. We learned our lesson and arrived early for the alligator show and got a front row seat. And the show was amazing. I was terrified for the poor handler the whole time.
Their collections of rocks is beautiful too. My kids are all rock hounds and wanted to spend forever in the gift shop.
I'd plan at least 2 hours here. More if your kids like reading all the fascinating facts.

I have never seen so many snakes! The exhibit is well laid out and did not seem crowded. The alligator show and the snake show were great.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and even went back for a second visit a few days later as you can for free with your admission ticket. Super clean with wonderful exhibits and information. The giant tortoises are very cool and you can pet them. We loved our time here.

Fabulous place! Unbelievably clean with an amazing collection of animals!
Grounds and buildings are impeccable and the staff could not have been nicer! Must return! So impressed - do not miss this stop! We ended up spending 3 hours here.

This was a highly rated thing to do when in Rapid City and right across from our campgroud so we gave the kids a choice Bear Country or Reptile Garden. The kids picked Reptile Garden so we went right when they opened the day we left Rapid City. The gardens were really pretty and eye catching. I liked how they had information about each snake and told you if it was venomous or not. We caught the snake show with... Daniel??? Not sure of his name but he said he was pretty new. He did a good job and knew lots about the snakes. My favorite part was the tortoises but they had the big boy put away and the teenagers were out for touching. I can't really say anything bad about this place but I just wasn't wowed. If you like snakes go you'll probably like it. They did offer a military discount so that was good :).

We had a perfect day to visit Reptile Gardens and all the exhibits. The snake and bird shows were great. It is always nice to see the tortoises, bald eagle, and Prairie dogs. But the inside exhibits are phenominal. It is worth spending several hours here.

Watched both the gator and snake handling show.
The dome was a great venue for all the possible creatures that live there. Granddaughter was especially thrilled to see their display of Axolotls and the tortoise area.
The grounds are beautifully manicured with nicely landscaped with lots of flowers. Something different from other attractions in the Black Hills.

I loved watching the tortoises. They move quicker than I have seen anywhere else. They had more poisonous snakes than I have ever seen.

My husband and I loved seeing so many types of reptiles and amphibians here. They have countless exotic snakes, poison dart frogs, alligators, and so much more (to include several birds). A fun place to spend about 2 hours. They also offered shows, but we didn't go to them. Free parking out front and a large gift shop inside.

Very friendly staff! This is a great place to see snakes, crocodiles, turtles, and birds. Stroller friendly except for one part. Great for young children.

I’m not much of a fan of reptiles but decided to go because I have a 3 yo who really wanted to go. I was AMAZED by the shear amount of venomous snakes. They had an awesome collection. I was stoked to see tons if snakes that I had only seen on that snake show with Simon 😂 from South Africa. What was really neat is that we went at a time when all the snakes were really active and my kids really got excited seeing them right up against the glass. Also the HUGE croc was really fun to see!!! I recommend for snake fans and people with kids.

Great place to visit...even in October! They do a great job of moving a lot of animals indoors when it gets cold, so you can still see them.

Attend all the shows. There are many reasons why they get great reviews. Very well run. The logical layout makes it easy to get around. It is amazing that they can keep a place with so many animals and plants so clean. Stop and take in all the gorgeous flowers. All our grand kids really appreciated being able to see and touch so many different animals. Be sure to “snake through Reptile Gardens slowly.”

Gardens very nice but this place needs to be inspected by the ASPCA. Many of the 'enclosures' the reptiles were in we too small and totally inadequate. Children were left unsupervised to mess about however they wished with the giant tortoises. I felt quite depressed when I left that, not only does a place like this exist in this day and age, but also that there are so many positive reviews about it.

The Reptile Gardens was a great attraction to see. My wife and I expected to see reptiles but we were pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. They need to promote the gardens more. It was so well done! Lots of flower gardens, trees and shrubs that were extremely well maintained. The landscaping was simply superb. We watched two shows as well. One was on snakes that were being displayed by the representative. The other was on raptors and also had raptors being displayed. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

We had 3 young ones 5 and 4 year old's and a 13 year old. All the kids young and old even the adults like this. It could easily take a few hours but we didn't have enough time for our trip. This will be a place we will be going back.

A gem! We visited with kids age 10-17 and they all loved it. The animals were SO active. The tortoises and crocodile named Maniac were our favorites. For more time with the tortoises, visit during a snake or gator show. We were practically the only ones there. This is a very well-maintained place with good customer service and knowledgeable team members.

Everyone here is just so super nice!!! My kids absolutely LOVED the crocodile show. It's so awesome that they offer a vacation pass(or something like that) for guest who are on vacation and we can keep going back throughout our trip for FREE!!! LOVE IT, and THANK YOU!!!

We were staying in the Rapid City area for a week and decided to give this place a try since my oldest LOVES reptiles and amphibians. The whole family had a blast and we asked for a vacation pass, which is FREE, and we’re able to go back another day to revisit our favorite parts. Everyone we met was kind and very polite. The park was fun, informative and easily traversed!

Beautiful setting, lots of creatures to see. Easy to get around except for the top floor of the atrium ( need an elevator). Lots of benches and people were good about social distancing.

This place has a lot of rare reptiles, lots of things to see. The kids fed the gators and the tortoise exhibit was a highlight too. Had a great time! We spent some time in the building where all the plants are, they have lizards free roaming there, we had a lot of fun trying to find them! it was difficult to adhere to social distancing due to the setup of the facility and others allowing their children to run everywhere.

The reptiles are really cool! The zoo had a great variety of animals in a variety a different enclosures. We were able to roam around with several lizards, snakes and birds in the dome. The giant tortoises were our family favorite, we could hangout and watch them roam all day. The guy who performed the alligator and snake shows was funny, entertaining and very knowledgeable.

This is a must see for families visiting and living in the Black Hills! Plan to spend at least 4 hours to see and do everything. They offer three shows: birds, snakes and alligators; that last about 25 minutes. The grounds are beautifully decorated with blooming plants of all types and lush green grass. They offer shaded bleachers and a variety of foods for sale. The gift shop is amazing with all kinds of souvenirs and gifts. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Best reptile museum we’ve seen. The grounds are beautiful and worth the visit. The selection of reptiles is enormous and they are well presented. The place is immaculate and the staff are friendly and helpful. And you can take your dog in.

Our son loves reptiles so we visited not thinking we would enjoy it. We were surprised. They have beautiful landscaping throughout and orchids and bromeliads along with other tropical plants inside the dome. The reptile collection is impressive as well as the amount of animals that we could directly interact with. We attended the alligator and snake shows. Both were very entertaining and informative. We are glad we went.

The exhibit at this reptile gardens was absolutely amazing. It boast that it has the most reptiles in captivity in the world, and I would believe it. The snake show and the alligator show was fantastic. For those who are not able to do a lot of walking, they do have loaner wheelchairs available.if you love reptiles like I do, this is a must see exhibit.

When they say that they have a large selection of reptiles here, they aren't kidding. I was able to see things I haven't seen at my local zoo and I thought they had a large selection. We were made aware of an offer if you take a selfie with one of 3 signs in the park, we could come back for free during our stay. We didn't have time, but we thought about it if we had time. We were there at the end of the tourist season, so it was not crowded at all. There are gardens spread out

I really liked the snakes , alligators and Crocodiles, Prairie Dogs and birds. My wife liked all the beautiful flowers.

Super large collection of reptiles. Nicely laid out and the grounds are beautiful with lots of flowers, places to sit and plenty of things for kids. Displays were really informative and we thought the gator show was fun. Ended up grabbing lunch there and were surprised at how good the burgers were. We really enjoyed it and would recommend for families. Staff was really nice too!

We read about this attraction and were not disappointed. There are several venues, each interesting and well-maintained. The reptile house stands apart from other places with snakes in glass boxes because of the variety. We visited late in the day and the snakes were quite active - something you don't often see.

Walking on to the tortoises, prairie dogs, alligators, and birds we discovered well-tended exhibits. The staff was friendly and helpful as we enjoyed feeding the gators chunks of chicken. We especially liked the atrium garden where lizards, frogs, and birds are on the loose.

We were lucky enough to catch a live show which taught about snakes. And don't overlook the gardens. The grounds were superb in their colorful blooms. This is a great place for a family.

It was a great experience all around, but Dane, the host of the Alligator and Snake show, really made it for us! His sense of humor and rapport with the kids were unmatched. We've been sharing his jokes ever since we left, and we were genuinely impressed with both him and the park. It was truly a great experience.

We saw giant turtles (we couldn't believe they were real!). The shows they typically do were not happening due to COVID (we went the first day they opened, June 15). Still worth visiting!

There are so many interesting animals to see at the Reptile Gardens. The kids really enjoyed seeing the Prairie Dog town!

From tiny prairie dogs to a giant alligator and gigantic turtles the Reptile Garden exposes you to the world of wildlife with emphasis on cold-blooded, slithery snakes. Lots to see and acts to enjoy. Don’t overlook the stunning displays of flowers that cover the grounds. Worth the stop.

Largest selection of reptiles in the world. So clean and very well taken care place. Beautiful. Petting a 114-year old tortoise was amazing!

This place was so much fun. I took my 4 and 6 year old boys. They loved seeing all the snakes and crocodiles and Prarie dogs. You can easily see everything in 60 to 90 min bit can also take longer if you want to read all if the info about the reptiles. We went in off season so no snake shows but was still a lot of fun. The Prarie dogs were so funny.

We had the best time. We greatly enjoyed being able to interact with the large tortoises. And my husband really enjoyed the giant saltwater crocodile.

This was a amazing experience for me and my family lots of animals and gemstones to see beautiful plants and the Dome is absolutely amazing if you're in South Dakota it's a must-see

Definitely worth the stop if you or your kids have an interest in reptiles. We got there in time to see the snake show and my kids were excited to see them so close. The prairie dog area was a favorite as well.

Real family fun!
Beautiful settings, is not just the animals, they really take care of the place beautifully. Plenty of interesting rocks to checkout for rock hounds too.

Fun and educational visit. Wide variety of reptiles. Clean grounds. The tortoise exhibit was great and you could touch the animals.

Good time. Well-done displays and exhibits. When in the area, be sure to check it out, especially Manic the Alligator!

Nice smaller place but SO much to see and do. Even in Covid times without the shows. We spent about 90 min here. Very well kept, clean, and nice. Not cheap but worth it!

I went with my husband and two sons , ages 12, 15. The staff is so knowledgeable and willing to answer any question. They even ask if you have any questions they can answer . The ticket lady was personal asking where we were from . Awesome customer service . You could tell the men working the alligators loved there job. And very sweet helping my boys feed the alligator . The ladies at the birds were telling us everything we needed to know and didnt mind repeating their self after each group . What an experience being able to touch and walk around with the turtles. If you have small kids I would watch there feet , the turtles are heavy and can miss step . The gift shop is big and has a lot to offer .

It was fun. Loved the huge tortoises! We got to pet them. Felt sorry for the huge crocodile though. Not much for him to do in his small enclosure.

This was our second visit and we enjoyed the well planted grounds and large variety of snakes. We went to the snake show and petted the tortoises. The place was quite crowded so definitely come early.

Very Kid friendly, and the tortoises where just walking around freely. Which was super fun to see. The snakes were very active the day we were there, which the kids found very entertaining. We didn't stay long to see the alligators, as it was very crowded and zero chance to be socially distanced and in an all enclosed hallway. The kids LOVED feeding the crocodiles with a fishing pole outside.

My daughter loves reptiles so this was a definite must for us. The turtles were the highlight. My kids loved watching them and petting them. The staff was very informative and friendly. My only word of caution is the price. Even though the price was discounted because the shows were closed, I still felt it was overpriced.

It makes little sense to have a reptile zoo in South Dakota, which has no native reptiles of which I am aware, but Reptile Gardens was an interesting attraction to visit. The highlight is a giant domed building, which houses dozens of scary-looking and highly venomous snakes, plus several species of alligators and crocodiles including one jaw-droppingly large gator.

The outdoor portion of Reptile Gardens includes a giant tortoise enclosure where they invite you to pet these gentle animals. There's also a vibrant prairie dog village a dozen large birds, a crocodile-feeding area and a venomous snake show.

Reptile Gardens shows its age, is not very big and, with a $19 adult admission fee, is on the expensive side for an attraction you can visit fully in an hour or two at most. But the animal variety is interesting and the staff is friendly and it makes for an enjoyable visit overall.

This is definetly a true gem in the area. We really enjoyed the reptiles, birds, and flora on exhibit. Each exhibit has a great amount of information. It would have been nice to have plant ID in the dome hot house area. Other than that, the facilities were very clean, people were very friendly, and the reptiles were well cared for. And you get to go back all year long for one admission price! Will recommend and return again when in the area.

Ok, on the outside this definitely looks like a tourist trap. And it kinda is.
However, it is still awesome! First, it is HUGE - much bigger than it looks on the outside. SO MANY reptiles, snakes, insects, etc. But other animals, too!
Also, buy a bag of rocks for your children to sift through - much better payoff here than at similar places (like the "gold panning" places.)

We loved the alligator show. We missed the snake show. There are many employees that are helpful. The grounds are pretty. Lots to see and do

This is an amazing game lace for families, both young and old. You will see lots of different birds and reptiles. Be sure to take time and enjoy this great area.

Reptiles Gardens was AMAZING! Our grandson thoroughly enjoyed seeing such a vast number of God's creatures and got to pet an alligator and hold a pigeon. The shows were corny and funny and totally worth seeing :)

My son loves reptiles. Snakes, alligators, lizards, turtles, all of them. This is a great fun for the family and a gem for locals. When you get a ticket it's an annual pass so you can go over and over and enjoy all the cuddly reptiles.

Fun place to visit and see many reptiles, birds, turtles, and of course crocodile. Due to the virus they did not have the crocodile wrestling.

My 5 year old (and us) have learned a lot about snakes and crocodiles. What an interesting animals. We loved the snake show and crocodile show. It was funny and educational also a bit exciting to see the guy single handedly narrating the speech and also managing not to get bitten by the crocs. Also after the show he let the kids touch the animals and it was all my daughter talked on the way back.

Of course, it helps if you really, really, REALLY like reptiles—which I do. But they have plenty of butterflies and such, too. Lots of fun, educational and quirky.

A must stop if in the area. Better in summer than off season as you can’t pet the tortoises and they don’t do all the bird, snake, and gator shows. In the off season, we went through in under an hour.

Place is perfect for all ages! They have a lot of animals like alligators/crocodiles, macaws, and prairie dogs as well!

Their flowers are also beautiful too. Honestly I’d go here just to see the flowers! 😂

Other than in a few areas friendly dogs are allowed to visit the gardens. This makes it an excellent place to stop when the whole family is traveling together. This place had much more to do than I expected with alligator feeding (for an additional cost), some games (additional cost), aviary, prairie dogs, giant tortoises, a bald eagle, kookaburras, mining for gems (additional cost), lizards, crocodiles, and a Komodo dragon in addition to the biggest variety of snakes I have ever seen in one place. Most of the displays are outdoors allowing visitors to spread out. The grounds are beautifully kept with flowers and plants throughout. There is a small cafe and gift shop as well.

One of the highlights of our spring break trip with our 6th grader, 4th grader, and preschooler. Conservatory, alligators, snakes, giant tortoises (one tried to climb the wall), small kids outdoor play area, prairie dogs, and the gift shop was great, too! Some stuff was closed for winter like underground prairie dog viewing. One of the workers said that summer is the best time to visit. Got to see a bird up close that a worker was handling.

An awesome place for the entire family both our girls ages 4 and 15 had fun especially getting to walk right up to and pet the giant tortoise! we learned a lot during the snake and gator shows thanks to Connor who was the presenter at both, we enjoyed the shows a lot! There was so much to see and do make sure you give yourself plenty of time to visit

This place is amazing and a must see for everyone! It seems small but we spent 4 hrs here. As soon as we paid/checked in, we got a very easy-to-read and colorful map as well as a list of times for the alligator and snake shows. We immediately went to the alligator show where the guy presenting was funny and informative. We walked the park and as we were about the leave, the snake show started so we headed over there, again awesome funny and informative. So much good stuff stuffed into this place, a must see for sure!

This place is a great day out.
Beautiful grounds. Loved walking around with the tortoises.
Connor running the snake & alligator shows is a must see.

Was pouring rain when we started so the dome was a welcome sight!

My three boys loved this place! I loved the gardens also. It was absolutely beautiful and fun. We watched the snake show and crocodilian showed. Conner was hilarious and entertaining. Well worth the money!

It was a cold and rainy day so we decided to check this place out. Just my husband and I.
The reptiles are awesome. To see some snakes that you only hear about, but actually see was pretty cool. The alligator and crocodile section was interesting. A lot of interesting facts about them. Maniac was huge!
I loved the flowers and plants as well. It’s just a nice, clean place to bring the kids.
Oh, and I forgot about the prairie dogs. They are adorable, and the kids were having a blast going up in the dome they have in the enclosure to be eye level with them. My husband got in there for me for a picture after the kids were gone

We thoroughly enjoyed Reptile Gardens! Beautiful gardens and habitats included a wealth of information on the animals living at the park. Don’t miss this stop when in Rapid City.

What a beautiful and delightful place. It was off to a wonderful start with Barb at the ticket area. She was so kind and helpful. We so enjoyed the beautiful gardens on the grounds and the even more beautiful indoor tropical gardens in the dome. It was fun to pet the giant tortoises and Josie was so informative about them, as well as really fun and nice to talk to. The prairie dogs were super cute as well. We also really loved the waterfall and pond area with the koi, kookaburras and the rescue bald eagle. The indoor tropical gardens were really pretty and having the lizards and beautiful parrots as residents made it even better. Megan in the dome was just as informative and kind as Josie. In the upper level there were more snake varieties then I have ever seen. Also lots of frogs and reptiles. Worth mentioning on the lower level are the many alligators and crocodiles and the ginormous saltwater crocodile Maniac. Super impressive. I was so glad to see that the animals are well cared for, rescues, and captive bred. I'm not entirely sure if that is 100% of the animals but hope so! You can see that the workers are happy and kind people which says a lot about the management! In the well stocked gift shop Sandy, Verlene, and Bev were so much fun and so helpful and nice. They all made are visit extra special and memorable. I highly recommend this place!

We saw all the reviews and attraction articles. So we went and decided to give it a view. A lot of cool reptiles. Feed the alligators for an extra $12. They do have a gift shop. To us it was kinda small for the price of $60 for the four of us. Afterwards on discussion with both agreed that this really wasn’t worth the $72 spent.

We had to deal with noisy school field trip kids. It was difficult to enjoy the displays and hear the shows. Give customers a discount, coupon for the gift shop, or priority seating for the shows.

We had a few hours before our flight and my 12-year-old chose this over Bear Country because of the deadly snakes and giant tortoises.

This is a nice facility with knowledgeable, friendly staff.

Twice they had voluntarily stopped to see if we had questions - once by the snakes on upper floor and once by the alligators/crocodiles.

On the first floor in the botanical gardens you'll see a few lizards roaming and a couple of birds. Upon exiting, you could choose to see some frogs and bugs on the first floor or head up to their snake collection on the second floor.

Outside, they had the giant tortoise encounter area where there are three enormous tortoises you can pet - and they actually love being petted. I was a bit leery at first, telling my son to keep his hands and face away from their mouths, but they were so chill and gentile, never making any move that were remotely threatening.

One of the tortoise actually laid its head on my son's hand free hand as he petted it. And the 100+ year old tortoise stretched its neck towards us as we petted the underside of its neck - we got tipped that it was their favorite spot! We must have spent about 20 minutes just petting these wonderful, gentle creatures.

There were also prairie dogs. We saw them at Custer State Park but it was nice to see them up close, even though it seems like they seemed a bit crowded.

We were lucky we got to see the alligators and crocodiles sun bathe as it was their last week before they need to head in for warmth. While we watched and tried to figure out how many types there were, a wonderful staff stopped and offered his knowledge and much appreciated help!

In between the different areas are flowers, plants and stones beautifully landscaped.

And last, but not least, their gift shop had a good variety of interesting souvenirs. I went home with a pair of hypo-allergenic earrings!

Overall, this was a nice facility and good experience. There might be some animals that could benefit from a little more space, but it's no different from any of the major zoos we've seen - though with a much friendlier staff and cleaner than most we've visited.

One thing to note is that this facility, as with all the places we've visited on this trip, did not require masks - just social distancing signs and hand sanitizer at entrances.

My six year old daughter loved this place. Staff here were also very friendly and knowledgeable. We attended the bird, snake, and alligator show. My daughter loved getting to hold the baby alligator.

Great place for family fun!! The snakes did chase me in my dreams that night but at least I knew which ones were harmless and which ones were dangerous. The snake show and bird show presenters were very knowledgeable and we loved talking to them after the show. The dome was one of my favorite parts because there are free roam lizards and frogs along with parrots, my favorite being the african grey. Amazing place for families!

They have a great facility with the largest selection selection of reptiles I've seen. This is the first time I've been able to see a large number vipers in one place, not just non-venomous snakes. Also a large selection of other reptiles. Their outdoor attractions are definitely worthwhile too.

The cost could was worthwhile considering the indoor and outdoor attractions.

They also had an area with birds/raptors. First time I've been with 10 feet of a red tailed hawk or a russian owl - so cool.

Shows weren't going - probably due to COVID19, but there was more than enough to do for 2 hours.

The staff was very nice and knowledgeable.

Had teens and a younger child with us.. they a enjoyed themselves. Kids liked touching baby alligator and the tortoises.

They need to install a real elevator. The wheelchair lift is not sufficient for strollers, wheelchairs and others who can’t take the stairs. The sweet employees who helped us did their best to make it work, but they can only do so much.
I recommend going during the summer season. Although my kids enjoyed it, the off season was limited in hands-on experience like petting the turtles. None of the shows were happening. I didn’t see this explanation anywhere in the advertising, so I felt a bit deceived and disappointed.

My husband loves reptiles so this was a must stop on our vacation. I was surprised at how gorgeous it was. The grounds and flowers are awesome. I loved the giant tortoises and the all the exhibits were interesting and very well done. I highly recommend visiting Reptile Gardens if you are in Rapid City.

This place is AMAZING and highly recommended!! We were passing through on our way home from vacation and had our puppy with so needed to find a dog friendly place to visit. I had my two teens and my mom with. From the time we walked in to the time we left this place, we were welcomed! Every staff member we encountered was very friendly and this place is beautiful, full of plants and flowers all is perfect order. There was also a water dish for our puppy available so she could keep hydrated. We were able to pet beautiful tortoises and feed the alligators among MANY other cool things to see and do at this place, the staff taught us so many things about these creatures we didn't know. Last but not least, the gift shop is gorgeous and so many fun and neat things to purchase for a reasonable price. Highly recommend this place and plan to return again, Thank You Reptile Gardens for the FUN experience and welcoming our puppy right in!! Had you not been able to have dogs, we wouldn't have gotten this AMAZING experience!!

What a pleasant surprise! This reptile park is beautifully dedigned and landscaped. It makes it easy to see and interact with the wide array of reptiles, birds, insects and amphibians it houses. There is a snake and alligator show. These are must do attractions! Not only are they informative, but you can pet an boa constrictor and baby alligator. We learned a lot about these animals. A great way to spend an afternoon. Highly recommend!

This place is amazing!! I LOVE this place!! there are so many things to do!
You learn so much about the different types of snakes from not so venomous to extremely venomous! there are even tortoises to pet!
this is a must if this is your first time in Rapid City, South Dakota (or maybe your 10th time going) this is a fun thing to do for the whole family!
(If you like snakes, and crocodiles the shows are awesome and entertaining the crocodile show was my personal favorite!)
spend about 2-3 hours if you want to see everything

I highly recommend the experience at Reptile Gardens. As a life long fan and keeper of reptiles I still found plenty to "oh and ah" over. My companion is a reptile newbie and was even more blown away by the variety of animals on display. Look forward to visiting again during the warmer months fo see even more. I saw Reptile Gardens on the Brian Barczyk YouTube channel and had to get there myself. Well worth it.

We were afraid this would be kitschy but were blown away with the care, quality, and variety here! The grounds were beautifully landscaped. Several reptiles were displayed that can't be found elsewhere in the United States. They had an open room where you could look for birds and lizards amongst the flowers and foliage. The animal shows were doen due to Covid (so we couldn't hold a snake), but we did feed alligators fish from poles, pet gigantic tortoises, and spoke at length with workers stationed by the bird exhibits. Even though they didnt perform the bird show, she had them show us their skills and answered countless questions my son had. It did get hot in the outdoor portion, so bring water.

This place was awesome, albeit you need to have an interested in wildlife and reptiles. Great exhibits, lots to see and some interesting shows about birds and snakes.

We spent about 4 hours here and were really happy with the experience. All the staff was super knowledgeable and friendly. Hunter did exceptional snake and gator shows. Bella and Jordan were excellent guides in the bird area. Parker and Becham also were super helpful in yhe dome. The gardens were beautifully landscaped and the reptiles and other animals have been provided with decent habitats and are easy to observe. One of the unique experiences was being able to interact with 3 giant Galapagos tortoises. One is able to get up close and pet them. One if them is 117 years old. We highly recommend going here to this family owned and managed location.

Reptile Gardens was a hit with all three of our kids (9, 13, 15). The exhibits and shows are informative and interesting. The grounds are meticulously maintained and very attractive.

One suggestion: Water bottle refilling stations, please!

We enjoyed all the features of Reptile Gardens. But i was very surprised you didn't have any bins for recycling. So many plastic bottles etc in trash bins. Disappointed in that !!

Very large collection of reptiles from all over the world with beautiful landscaping. Plan on spending several hours there.

My kids and I were super excited to visit this place on our trip to South Dakota, after reading that they housed more reptiles than anywhere else in the world. We were pretty let down. Yes, they did have an incredible amount of reptiles, ones that we'd never seen before, but at the cost of space. Hardly any of the animals there had sufficient homes. Their habitats were small, cramped, run down, and not life like. We're from the Omaha area, and I guess we're just used to seeing expansive, natural habitats for animals. This was really depressing. It's easy to have the most reptiles in the world when you just cram them in like that. It's like they're collecting for the sake of it, and don't really care about the animals themselves. Heck, the gift shop was bigger than the animal habitats. Tells you all you need know.

TLDR; They had a couple of cool things, but if you're an animal lover - pass.

A really wonderful collection of snakes and lizards, but also a great experience with the giant tortoises - I just wish the staff watched more closely to be sure kids didn't poke their eyes! The gator show was fantastic!!! The gardens are spectacular. Definitely worth the visit! We had been here nine years before and it was top of my list to see again this time.

We brought our grandchildren ages 6, 8 and 12 and they loved everything! The flowers and gardens were beautiful and each exhibit enthralled them. The snake and bird show were the only ones being done after Labor day and we wish the gator show would have been too but the tortoises being touchable was wonderful.

Excellent place to visit! Had a great experience! Awesome to get up and close to the tortoises! Lots of green areas!

This was a good stop. The kids enjoyed petting and being by the tortoises. The atrium was uncomfortably hot which should be expected I guess. We probably would have had a better time if we went earlier in the day before it got soooo hot.

So enjoyed the reptiles, birds, flora and rocks! The giant tortoises are amazing, wow!! Also enjoyed learning about various birds of prey and watching the “food” being prepared (staff person was cutting up mice…). Amazing up close look at these gorgeous birds. Also had lunch at the Parrot Cafe - good value for chicken strips and fries.

I haven’t been to reptile gardens since I was a kid. There have been improvements and it is better than I remember. My kids enjoyed seeing all the creatures and getting to pet the tortoises. The gardens were beautiful.

Watched all their live shows, the kept you entertained. My young boys loved it so much we went back later in the trip. They have a nice environment for the animals.

We weren't quite sure what to expect but we are so glad that we did. The interaction with the animals especially the giant tortoises is just too cool. The shows were fun to watch and the playgrounds are fun for kids. I would definitely stop again.

If you love animals and ever get the chance to go to Reptile Gardens in Rapid City, then do. It has changed so much in the last 5-6 years since my last visit. The cost is minimal and worth every penny. It's perfect for a family or just one person. The shows are entertaining and informative. The people could not be nicer and they have a wide range of animals. There are different food stands throughout and a large gift shop.
Happy Travels.

This is such a gem for the city of Rapid City! The facility is beautifully landscaped and spotlessly clean. There are lots of things to do.....something for everyone. Loved the shows and the presenter. Would recommend highly.

I have a son who is a bit of a snake enthusiast and he loved this place. The giant tortoises where also pretty amazing. Staff super friendly. I just thought it was pricey. Cost my family of five 75 bucks with a military discount and we where through the place in an hour. Just three stars for me if my son where writing this he would give it 5.

Traveling with kids from 9-14. EVERYBODY loved it! Handicapped accessible
Animals well maintained
Great gift shop.

We drove by it every time we've been the hills and never stopped. We visited this time and it was awesome and we realized what we missed. Everyone was so nice.

The reptiles are cool, with some very large crocs etc. The shows esp the gator and snake shows were very well done indeed. Great sense of hunour on the guy hosting it. The gardens and rock specimens in cages and gardens were stunning, an unexpected bonus. The owners must be collectors.

Staff was very friendly. Enjoyed the overall layout of the property. There seemed to always be a new area to explore. The Gardens have informative bird shows and snake shows guests can observe if they would like- this is included in the admission price, so no added charge. We watched the bird show and really enjoyed it. The show only lasts just shy of 30 minutes, and the staff member handling the birds allowed members of the audience to come up at the end to see the birds a little closer and ask any questions. And the landscaping! We visited in early October and everything was still very lush and beautiful. We planned on spending 2 hours here, and I think we stayed just a few minutes over that. Definitely stop by this attraction, you won't regret it.

I don't normally attend the shows but some of our party wanted to see the snake and alligator ones.
I'm so glad I did, the guys that did the snake and alligator presentations were knowledgeable and very humorous that they held audience attention the whole time. I was impressed at how clean the whole facility was .. Definitely worth going to.

Interesting place. Lovely landscaped grounds, giant turtles you can pet (35 yr old, 51 yr old, and 140 yr old). They have a snake show where you can pet a boa, a bird show, gator feedings, and many, many snakes and reptiles on display. They appear to also have other activities during the summer, but I was there in mid-September. I enjoyed my visit very much.

We were here in October after there had been a freeze, so flower gardens were not in bloom. Not a huge fan of reptiles but we are very happy to have had this experience. Was very impressed with the cleanliness of the areas that animals were in. Also impressed with how active some of them were. Usually in zoos it seems that snakes and crocodiles never move, but here a large portion of them showed some activity. Also, liked that there was a card detailing interesting details about each animal. In the greenhouse section, the young man working there was friendly and very helpful in helping us spot the animals that were well camouflaged. We enjoyed our time and would recommend a visit.

So much fun! This was such a beautiful place to be, with so much to see. It's designed more for families, but my spouse and I had a great time! The grounds and landscaping are gorgeous (great ideas for home now 😀), and the reptiles and animals were well cared for. Lots to learn!
There were plenty of shady spots to cool down, if needed, with refreshments, benches, etc., if you need to stop. It's not a huge area to walk around, but there is plenty to see and do!

My family and I went to this on July 16th of 2020. We loved seeing all the turtles, snakes, bugs, crocodiles, alligators, and the fossils being displayed there. I want to note that if you are visiting this place. You really want to plan about an hour or two because there is so much to do there. We were there for only an hour because we needed to catch the 1880s train ride which it too is worth it. I recommend anybody to go to the reptile garden because they have rare animals such as Cuban Crocodiles. This type of crocodile is endangered to the point of extinction in Cuba and are very unique in having a somewhat pack mentality! You will not be disappointed in the creatures you'll find there because there is something for anybody there! The only downer is the shows were canceled because of the corona virus, but with that said the price was reduced too. It was fun petting giant tortoises!

This venue was very well planned andstaffed.
I felt a little like I was at a Disney attraction.
While reptiles are the main attraction, there is also an abundance of manicured gardens and flowers. Of course, there were lots of poisonous snakes and crocodiles, alligators, etc. to see, but the highlight of our visit was in the tortoise enclosure where they have three large tortoises that you are allowed to interact with and pet. All of the staff was extremely friendly and helpful and went out of their way to try to make our visit as pleasurable as possible. Even the restrooms were clean and well maintained.

It’s not the type of venue we were planning on visiting when coming to South Dakota, but definitely worth the price.

Highly recommended!

I can confirm all the positive reviews.

Terrific place. Beautiful space. Well maintained.

TIP * you can get a multiday pass for no extra cost at the time of admission.

This is a very nice attraction in Rapid City. We enjoyed meeting Orville the tortoise. He was the highlight of the park, we thought. All the outdoor areas were well maintained and we were able to view the reptiles well in their habitat. The inside area was very nice as well. I enjoyed walking into the main level where the plants and lizards, frogs, ect were free to enjoy their living space. We enjoyed seeing all the snakes, bugs, lizards and other reptiles. The admission fee is well worth it.

My family and I loved Reptile Gardens!! We are happy we went! Absolutely beautiful gardens and set up. We did have a concern that some of the reptiles had a small enclosure for what they were. It’s nice to see such a variety, and wish they had larger homes.

This was the first attraction our grandkids wanted to go to when we arrived in Rapid City, it remained as their favorite even though we did many other things while there. They enjoyed the shows and being able to touch the alligators and snakes at the end of the show. There is a lot to see!

Enjoyed our visit and the price was only 13-15 bucks a piece. It is clean well kept and the gift store really neat. The employees were so kind. Had tons of snakes.....

My kid loved it. We thought the cages were a little small. The charge a big price, but overall it was fun.

Best part of our vacation was coming here! So much fun and so up closer to the animals! The alligator/croc show and snake show were well worth it! Riley was highly entertaining and made the shows so great!

Very interesting information on reptiles. The price is fair, and they offer you free season pass!!! We were there the week before Memorial Day, and had called to see if they were doing shows, we were given the impression they were only to find out that the shows do not start until after Memorial Day, We had fun anyhow!

Staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. My 10 & 11 yr old nieces loved it. Make sure to go to the Alligator and Snake show. Learned a lot and had a ton of fun.

Is always awesome to visit and see the snake shows and the birds and gators. The flowers are so pretty and there is a cage for food and such.

The senior rate was $23 per person & we found this expensive as we only spent about 2 hours there.

This attraction is more geared to kids & was packed with kids.

We thought it was just OK but would skip it if we ever came to SD again.

I’m sure it costs a lot to feed the animals though hence the expensive admission.

The grounds were beautiful & well taken care of.

The 2 shows on snakes & alligators were great although very crowded in early June.

Small exhibits with prairie dogs & tortoises were very excellent.

Lots of different snakes in glass cages that we enjoyed seeing.

If you like my review, I hope you’ll click the “helpful” button; those of us who write reviews live for those and it motivates us to do more.

Reptile Gardens was so much fun! My goodness there are a lot of reptiles! Turtles, snakes, gators you name it! By far the best experience was watching Conor handle the snakes during the show. His stage presence was hilarious and I learned all about the different types of venomous serpents. The gator show was equally amazing. Before we left, we took a look at the gift shop, which had a large assortment of merchandise. And I mean large! We ended our time there with a brief conversation with Sandy, who greeted us with a smile and gave us excellent advise on where to eat. Overall, wide range of animals, entertaining shows, and exceptional staff. 10/10

My family gets a season pass every year. You play once up front and never pay again all summer long and it’s very cheap anyways. We go non stop all summer long and could never get tired of seeing the shows and animals over and over again! My kids love it and it’s a great place to play and run around and see amazing animals and the display of flowers is always stunning! Their gift shop is full of great things for every age and the food court provides a really good line up of food and snacks. Even healthy fruits like fresh cut water Mellon and bananas. We love reptile gardens! I will always recommend it to anyone!

We love Reptile Gardens and visit it whenever we are in the area. The exhibitions are fun and interesting...the variety of reptiles is like no where else. Just viewing the beautiful gardens is worth the admission price. Lovely afternoon spent there!

I was expecting a roadside attraction with so-so exhibits. I was wrong. It is small but it is apparent that it is run by professionals and the animals are well cared for. They do a snake show and an alligator/ crocodile show. Both were entertaining and a bit educational. They have one of the verifiably largest crocodiles in the the world.

This is a good place to spend a couple of hours.There are so many snakes and alligators here.They actually have the biggest alligator I've ever seen here weigh-in at 1250 pounds.The place is clean and plenty of walking room.Lots to see and do, although due to covid-19,there are no live animal shows.We highly recommend.

They family really enjoyed looking at all the reptiles here. Saw so many different snake, got to touch the huge tortoises, watch them feed the alligators etc. Well worth the stop.

This was one of our highlights on our Black Hills vacation. The facility was well maintained and the animals were clearly well cared for. The shows we took in were short and informative. There were activities and displays for multiple ages. You can take a family with different aged children and all will find something of interest. In our group my teenage daughter who loves reptiles loved her visit, and also her grandmother, who loves animals and the many flowers on display and around the grounds. Of special note was the staff members. The staff we encountered were engaging, pleasant and knowledgeable about their areas. They knew the animals they were displaying, and answered questions and chatted happily with us. We had a wonderful experience of note in the gift shop with the staff member who assisted my daughter in making a purchase. Although the purchase was not large, it was important to my daughter and the staff member clearly understood and supported her throughout the lengthy decision making process. I would highly recommend a visit.

We had a great time! Huge variety of snakes, lizards, alligators, tortoises and turtles! The animals looked healthy which obviously is a huge priority!

We went to Reptile Gardens and it was okay. If you have smaller kids, you will be lifting them up constantly in the snake house. Plus, due to snakes being snakes, they really don’t show themselves much. My kids hated this part of the place. There were people crammed together in COVID world. It’s almost impossible to keep a few feet apart. The gator exhibit was more interesting. The reason we give this place three stars at all was the tortoise area. The person in this exhibit was a superstar who all my kids questions with patience and good humor. Plus, she was informative. If you have small kids, the turtles are a hit.

One of the best stops on our trip! The Snake Show and Gator Show were fantastic, and the park is very well maintained. All the staff were knowledgeable and super friendly.

Reptile Gardens did not meet our expectations. It was smaller than we thought it would be and was not as good as other similar places we have visited.

We visited here as part of a two-week-long road trip from our home in southeastern PA to the Dakotas in the summer of 2023. This is a fun place for people of all ages. The grounds here are beautiful, with very colorful and creative gardens throughout; plants and beautiful display rocks are labeled like you would find at a botanical garden. We really enjoyed the indoor rainforest habitat Skydome pavilion as well as the various animals on display outdoors. There were two great shows presented, featuring alligators and snakes; both were entertaining and informative. There is a small café here, a very large gift store with beautiful decorative items for sale, and plentiful free parking. We spent two hours here in all and really enjoyed our visit.

Beautiful place! The animals seemed very well cared for and the staff was kind and knowledgeable. We liked that it was a small group of people working and everyone seemed close with the animals and the guests. The gardens were breathtaking!

Took my family to spend a morning at Reptile Gardens. Prices were reasonable and my family and I enjoyed our time here. We arrived before the first show, were able to watch each of the shows in the morning and spent time into the early afternoon walking through the other exhibits.

We spent the most time of our trip here, as far as locations go! Kids loved and so did adults. There's such a variety of things to see. One piece of advice, make sure you get to the seating areas EARLY for shows -fills up fast.

The shows were our favorite part! They guy that presented the snakes and gators on 9-2-19 was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He’s great at what he does! We got to pet a baby alligator, named Fluffy. :)

We had a good time here. There were a ton of snakes which our boys loved. The grounds are beautiful with different flowers and plants that added to the experience. The boys loved being able to pet the old tortoises. It is expensive to get in but you can go back again for free during your trip.

After you visit gator show which is exciting, make sure to visit Maniac the saltwater crocodile. That guy is HUGE. The tortoises were super interesting and you can pet them. All of the staff were excited to talk about the animals. A gem of a little zoo. The gardens also were gorgeous.

I have been coming here since I was kid and I love it more everytime I visit. I was excited to see Emily take it all in for the first time. When Mount Rushmore was completed, US highway 16 between Rapid City and the national monument became prime real estate for tourist attractions. A few of those attractions have stood the test of time and for generations has reserved a place in the hearts of visitors. We visited on the morning of Emily’s birthday in mid July. We would recommend visiting early in the day because the crowd is smaller and the temps are cooler. Remember that this place is more than just reptiles, the gardens and birds are worth your time and appreciation as well. The collection is unique, comprehensive, and beautiful. The enclosures in the park feature educational plaques and the staff members know their stuff and are eager to share their knowledge.

Top five things you need to see when you you visit Reptile Gardens:

1. The giant tortoises- They are in a large outdoor area and you can interact with them. They love to be pet on the neck. Be sure to look over the fence and see the large collection of Sulcata tortoises. A lot of these guys are rescue tortoises and have significant shell deformities. It is good to see them have a great place to live now.

2. The prairie dogs- Hillarous and full of energy, the prairie dogs are the most entertaining animals in the park. You can walk down a staircase to a bubble that extends into the enclosure enabling you to get right in the middle of the action.

3. The SkyDome - This iconic structure houses the largest menagerie of reptiles in the world. The building is split into two levels. The lower level features a hall that circles around the building. There are glass viewing areas that exhibit a variety of snakes, turtles, insects, alligators and crocodiles, including “Maniac”, the largest crocodile in captivity. He's a big un. The center of the lower level is an open-air space in which the animals are uncaged, so watch your step! You will see a wide variety of lizards, turtles, and birds in this area as well as the most beautiful parts of the garden. The top level features the most exotic reptiles in the park including the two deadliest snakes in the world.

4. Gift Shop- Normally we would not recommend a gift shop as a must-see but the back of the Reptile Gardens gift shop features authentic New Guinea tribal artifacts and artwork created by the animals in the park. So save your souvenir money for some unique items you can purchase here.

5. Zen Garden- In the back corner of the park is a zen garden that features a waterfall, turtle pond, and some of the most beautiful foliage in the park. Take some time here, it's a great place for reflection.

Reptile Gardens has great walkways, wide entries, and an elevator so strollers and wheelchairs can easily be accommodated.

We had an unusual experience in the lower level of the skydome. Some baby snake neck turtles had hatched and we're climbing into a large pond where they were being attacked by the adult turtles. I jumped over the concrete side and started grabbing the baby turtles. The staff was upset until they realized what was going on.

We highly recommend Reptile Gardens, a true Black Hills jem!

Explore your world, travel fuels the soul.

A reptile exhibit is not my idea of a great time, but the Reptile Gardens was an unexpected pleasant afternoon. Beautiful gardens and entertaining shows. This is a good outing for all ages. The food was good to.

Loved all the variety and interactions available! It is a gorgeous area and very well maintained. Lots to and informational shows for the family

My kids LOVE reptiles so we had to stop whether I wanted to or not. When we paid our admission, we asked for a week vacation pass. It's no additional cost, you just need to ask. We loved the giant tortoises, you could pet them and they had a keeper with them constantly for questions and their protection too, I'm sure. There's plenty to see outside but we ventured inside. The dome is a gorgeous rainforest like area with birds and all sorts of little animals hidden. You just have to look around! Upstairs was an impressive collection of snakes, many in cages with beautiful rocks.
We watched the snake show and it was educational and entertaining. Logan knew his stuff and kept us laughing. The kids were very impressed!

loved this place. tortoises were my fav, they loved neck n leg rubs. i wanted to take one home lol. snake show was great the guy was awesome n funny. i am not a fan of caged animals but these guys are well cared for, clean n plenty of space.

Even though we didn’t get to see the outdoor shoes it was a wonderful addition to our vacation! The entire family throughly enjoyed it

This is a well maintained lovely place. The kids enjoyed it due to the snakes of course! The flowers are beautiful, the information is exciting. We will be back.

Really special Reptile displays!! Well worth the cost of admission. Took our grandson, age 5 and he was very impressed. Everything from giant tortoises that you can pet to giant alligators and crocks that you CAN'T pet. Komodo Dragons, Anacondas, a super large King Cobra....and the list goes on. We were all very surprised and glad we stopped. The also had the largest reptile theme gift store I have ever seen!

We were last here 5 years ago on our first trip out to the area. We actually built in special time to visit again on our way back from Yellowstone this year and part of me questioned this decision until I was once again sitting in the audience of the snake show laughing and having a great time.
This is so much more than a zoo. It's so clean and the landscaping is gorgeous. They specialize in reptiles (and birds) and because they do, they do it really well.
The shows are fabulous. This year, the same guy that did the snake show was also doing the alligator show and he was fabulous. So good at working the crowd!
If you go, plan to see all the shows as they are all great and you can easily fit them into your day.

We enjoyed our time there. The gardens are so beautiful and colourful. We saw the snake show and there are giant tortoises that you can touch. Great attraction to visit just outside of Rapid City.

Very nice place to visit. I hate snakes but grandson loved them. Nice, well kept place. Pretty setting. They do a good job

Unfortunately I didn’t have my young niece and nephew along with me for this visit but it was still enjoyable and informative.

The first exhibit recommended by staff is the center building. In here you’ll see plenty of alligators, snakes, spiders and so much more. You’ll get a schedule with your ticket showing times for the alligator and snake shows. The alligator show was fun. The young man jumping between the alligators had fun with the show and he gave some good information. I missed the snake show. The Avian area had only a few birds, but they were interesting and impressive. There is a giant turtle section to walk through. The Bald Eagle is in a caged area that’s sad to see due to the size, but I guess with a damaged wing, it doesn’t need a huge area.

It’s fun to walk through all of this and some parts are more exciting than others. A bit pricey for everything on offer though. And it’s gets more expensive as they exit, of course, passes through the gift shop. There’s plenty to spend your money on in the gift shop.

This is a good option, especially with kids. Just know that it will be a bit pricier than other activities in the area.

Adult admission was $26.50.

My 17 year old daughter picked this as her must see on this trip and my 11 year old son also enjoyed it too!
I thought the entry fee was a little high, but we enjoyed the facility and spent well over two hours there. It is a fantastic facility with beautiful gardens and an area to grab lunch. There are several areas to sit in the shade and a play area for the littles.

The snake show is a must see! Our presenter was both knowledgeable and funny! The presentation of the 5 different snakes was informative and entertaining. At the end, he lets people touch the albino constrictor!

There is also a tortoise area and you can pet them! It is incredible to see how big they are and one is even 116 years old!

There is a good sized gift shop there as well.
Definitely need to set at least 1 1/2 hours to do this.

Four star because it only took about two hours for $100! Eek! Family of ten- snakes are in small cages. Could only pet one at the end of the snake show. That was entertaining! It was ok. If you absolutely love snakes it’s a must see. The birds were entertaining too! ESP the parrots. Sad to see some birds tied down though.

This is an awesome place to visit especially if you enjoy reptiles or want to learn more about them. There is a lot of alligator and crocodile information. We even touched a snake. The people are awesome and informative. The large turtles are also interesting. The grounds are truly beautiful and landscaped.

We visited with our grandkids (7, 10, 12) and had a great time. We were told to plan for 90 minutes and we were there well over 2 hours! The kids especially enjoyed being up close and personal with the snakes and alligators. We all enjoyed our time and would highly recommend it.

I love all the animals here, but best of all are all the wonderful exotic plants. Go at Christmas for a beautiful lit up visit!

We weren't sure what to expect at Reptile Gardens. It has an old-school, roadside attraction feel, so we were hoping it wasn't just a tourist trap. It isn't. We ended up having a great visit!

We went to the main building first--the Sky Dome. The lower level has a giant crocodile, alligators, various reptiles, amphibians, and insects. There is an open area called the Safari Room with birds, lizards, frogs, and tropical plants. The upper level has a large collection of venomous snakes. It was all very impressive with informational signs at each exhibit.

The rest of the grounds include some beautiful gardens, giant tortoises, a prairie dog farm. an alligator show area, bird displays, and at least one playground. There was also a snack bar and a large gift shop.

I highly recommend a visit to Reptile Gardens. The animals and gardens are great, and the staff members were all friendly.

My husband and I had limited time on our morning visit. In less than 90 minutes we saw two animal shows: Birds and Alligators/Crocodiles. Fascinating facts plus mind boggling large tortoises 30-100 years old and mammoth flower gardens. A very pleasant and informative morning.

Very clean, very professional, history of the place is outstanding, staff is super friendly, Hugh and Kenny (?) are quite the pair, but the feed-a-croc attraction was slightly disturbing, all in all, it was an middlin'experience.

Such a fun place. From the alligator show to the snake show to the birds, all were fantastic. The animal experts were young and full of fun facts. They had the birds talking. Hubby’s favorite was petting the turtles. The gardens are lush and it smelled so good out there. Everything was moderately priced.
My fav was Dane the snake and alligator showman. I highly recommend this for absolutely all ages!

Amazing animals and the shows (crocodile and snake) were both top notch. Also a surprising number of flowers and even beautiful rock crystals make this a delight for the eyes. Pet a 100+ year old tortoise and a baby crocodile!

Had a lot of fun. Got to meet several animals up close. The people were very knowledgeable about each animal. Gift shop had a very big variety of items.

What a fun place!!!! Outside there are large birds, tortoises, alligators, prairie dogs, and more. Inside the dome is a beautiful tropical jungle, but be on the lookout! We spotted several small lizards roaming the vegetation! In addition, there are many snakes and lizards in tanks for your viewing pleasure. I really enjoyed the large sea turtle fossil.
I would recommend this to anyone in the area!

Seemed a bit pricey, but only place that had a senior price! $23 -seniors, $25 -adults, $21 11-15, $19-4-10 Military-$23
Very clean. Well organized, trainers put on great shows. Snack bar or sit down eateries. The dome was fascinating. The food was good. I had not been here since 1964...they had pieces from then and the tortoise trainer knew all about the tortoise we were allowed to ride in 64! Wonder place. Gift shop was great too. Good 3 hours spent! Even have small sandy play area for littles!

Easy to find off of 16A. Snake and Alligator shows included in admission! Was fun popping my head up into the prairie dog dome! Tortoises are over 135 years old and amazing, my son loved being able to touch them. Enclosed bird and lizard biome is awesome, parrots and lizards all around you! Silly mirrors were a riot! Best bang for your buck in the hills (trust me, there isn’t any activity we didn’t do!) Plan to spend minimum of 2-3 hours. Shooting gallery, kids playground, photo ops etc were great! Cafe could use improvement as ‘cafe’ staff was slow and made mistakes. Rest of employees were very kind and knowledgable. Great family fun. Would definitely return!

Good trip. We arrived at approximately 8:30 am and made our way inside to buy our tickets. Once inside, we went into the main building which housed the majority of the reptiles. The first floor of the reptile garden housed animals such as spiders, scorpions, roaches, turtles, frogs, chameleons, Komodo dragons, crocodiles and alligators. In front of each exhibit was an informational plaque that detailed several fun facts about the animal that we were seeing in front of us. Inside the main building as well was a small garden passageway. We walked the loop around, and were surrounded by plants and flowers, with various animals sitting in the branches such as snakes and parrots. The second floor of the main building housed the snakes. We were able to view various types of snakes through the glass and even got to see the skeletal remains of the largest giant sea turtle ever to exist. There were two main shows scheduled at various times throughout the day- the snake show and the alligator show. The presenter did a great job providing multiple facts about the animals that we were seeing in front of us as well as demonstrating how to mount an alligator. Scattered throughout the grounds as well were several different fun exhibits. The prairie dog town allowed us to get an up close glimpse into the prairie dogs and their tunnels. The aviary gardens allowed us to see several different species of birds, including a king vulture. We were also able to see a bald eagle exhibit, and walk through a tortoise town with the ability to pet them if we wanted. We were shocked to find out that some of them were over 100 years old. The entire park was clean and nicely spaced out.

Tip: I recommend spending 3.5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.

Our family had a great time at reptile gardens. The young people doing the gator, snake and bird shows were funny and informative. Well worth it.

We were due to leave Rapid City the next day and just finished a tour at Minuteman. The Air and Space Museum was closed so we decided to come here. I'm glad we did. We enjoyed meeting Orville the giant tortoise. The outdoor grounds are well kept and the indoor area is nice as well.

Beautiful flower gardens outside and alot to see inside and outside. Cages were well kept and animals seemed to be well taken care of. Never knew there were so many different types of snakes. We spent a couple hours there and was definitely worth the time and money.

Expensive for seeing some things in dark cages and waiting out the crowds. The snake show was OK. My boyfriend really enjoyed it, but I could have skipped it. The giant crocodile was cool, and the giant turtles but a lot of stuff got old fast.

In this family trip we included the Reptile Garden. The Grandkids enjoy all the variety of animals they have. The Safari Room was nice and when they saw Maniac the faces were 😳😳. Was a Gator or a Crocodile? We forgot. But the experience for them was great. The facility are in very good condition and clean. The gator Show was good .

It was ok. It was too early in the season for some of the shows etc.. but just the general feel of the animal enclosures was sketchy. Then of course feeding time. Hard ons over live rats used for feed. This place is not worth the time at all. I was here as a kid 35 years aga and it really is still as dirty as I remember it.

This place is absolutely wonderful! We went in March and our kids had a blast (even though it was the off season and the animals weren’t outside) - there was still so much to see. We came back in July because we were in the area again and it was even better! They had a gator show and a snake show - Connor who did both shows was hilarious/ entertaining/ very good with the kids. The tortoises were outside in the tortoise garden, which was the highlight of the trip for the kids. They have an abundance of reptiles to see. We planned on only being there and hour or so but we were most of the day. Great place! Very clean and family friendly. The flower gardens are beautiful also! Highly recommend for families with younger or older kids! We will definitely be back!

A guest in our hotel told us about and we took the grandkids they just loved this place. They are the largest reptile zoo in the world. Saw a alligator and snake show given by Connor was great at teaching us about them. Even let the kids touch and feel them. The grandkids got to get to see and touch a 550 LB tortoise. This place has been in business since 1937 so much too see