Reptile Gardens, Rapid City

I just visited this place and found it to be nicely maintained, the gardens and rocks were wonderful. The reptiles were amazing to see and I am not a reptile fan. The gators all in one pen... dozens of them was just freaking amazing to see. The bird show and snake show were also great. Fun 3D black hole that was unexpected fun bonus. Seeing a 129 year old tortoise and petting it on the neck was priceless. The dome needs some updating but ok. The staff was top notch and sorry to say, one top notch gift shop. If you are a rock hound, some awesome specimens are to be found. All in all, we found it to be a worthwhile place to visit.

DO NOT VISIT THIS PLACE IN THE OFF SEASON! My husband and I visited in September and there was nothing to see. The shows were done for the season and the animals were sent away from the park. However returned with our children in July and found the experience to be really enjoyable. Loved the shows and seeing the animals. The cafe offers standard food but it was lunch. Would recomend to familes with young children and the young at heart.

My family loved the variety of reptiles and the many exciting shows. This is a 'must see' on any Black Hills vacation! We will be back.

I disagree with the previous post. Reptile was a surprise stop on our trip and my young family absolutely loved the shows and the value. We are planning on visiting again next year. Crazy Horse was great too.

It was a little hokey and run down. My 3 year old boy loved it but my 8 year old girl did not enjoy it one bit. The hype did not live up to the reality, kind of like Crazy Horse.

The kids went nuts at this place. I was amazed at the amount of reptiles. I thought the claim was a bit exaggerated of them having the largest collection of reptiles in the world - but not after being there. They take that claim seriously and have a great presentation of snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, and many other non-reptile animals. The trainers were accessible and were more than happy to answer questions. We could easily have spent all day here. Plan at least a half day here and a half day at Bear Country up the road. There was more to do here than we expected, and the shows were fantastic. Oh, they also have the fattest prairie dogs you'll ever see, and give you the closest look you'll ever get to them.

The kids loved the animals and I loved the history. The man who created Reptile Gardens is quite a character and there are interesting facts about him posted throughout the facility, There were all kinds of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and a few mammals: snakes, alligators, turtles, frogs, etc. My favs were the Kimono Dragon, the American Eagle and the prairie dogs. A great learning experience for adults and kids alike.

Great place!! Hate my children are grown. Very educational and interesting shows and exhibits. Gift shop was one of the best in the area, not just tourist stuff, interesting things (learning tools for kids). The ticket lasts the whole season, so if you don't see it all in one day, ask to come back the next too.......GREAT BUY!!

More than we expected. Very informative shows. Great and knowledgeable staff. Could have spent an entire day here if I only had known how great it would be(not enough time budgeted and had to get somewhere else the same day). Highly recommend.

Great place for a snake lover. The exhibits are well done and there are lots of reptiles and birds. However, if I had the trip to plan over again, I would not include this stop. We could have taken the Presidents Slide a few more rides if we hadn't stopped here.