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Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden
Rating Details »
Categories: Aquariums, Zoos, Amusement Parks
3400 S Las Vegas Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89136
(702) 791-7111
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
40 reviews for Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden
Only four stars because when we came the dolphins were being lame. BOOO!!!!
This is likely the only place (*that I'm aware of) in the world where you can get within about 10 feet of some of the deadliest animals in the world with only a chain link fence separating you from a very painful and bloody death.
I wonder how these animals are so chill when they are caged in incredibly small spaces? Perhaps they are sedated?
We saw a lion puking which was oddly interesting.
Most definitely worth the price. A once in a lifetime type of opportunity.
You probably have better where you live. This place is small and overpriced.
I LOVE animals and I really really appreciate that they do not train the animals to do tricks; that's the way it should be. I appreciate that the people there seem to really care about animal welfare. I like that they take the plastic tops off of all the bottles they sell for the animals safety (people like to toss them into the dolphin and big cat habitats).
Ok, so why 2 stars? I guess I've been spoiled, but I believe I only saw 3 dolphins. They were cute but their enclosures were very boring and they didn't have much to play with. Dolphins need lots of mental stimulation. The big cats were mostly sleeping, which I would expect on a sunny dessert day. Their habitats were nice (of course, they are never big enough but these are bigger than average).
For the price and location I expected more animals and more exhibits. There were some great sales going on in the gift shop (this was April and the economy was stressing everyone).
I loved the animals but it just isn't worth the money. There are so many other places in Las Vegas that cost less (or nothing) and are much more interesting... even to this animal lover.
I gave this place a 3 because my passes were free through a promotion at Mirage (which included 50 dollar credit at the buffet, 5stars)
There were no baby leopards like advertised. A very small display with a few animals, but you did see them pretty up close which was cool. The dolphins only just swam around but jumped a few times when the trainers came out.
I asked the staff if there was a show for the dolphins and they said they don't do shows, the place is for "education and research" even though there are bleachers to sit and watch one.
Save yourself the 15 bucks.
The coolest part of the Secret Garden was seeing the dolphins from under water. I was mesmerized watching this one dolphin circle round and round in the same pattern, passing by the window each time. It looked like it was "sleep-swimming". Pretty sweet!
The beef I have with the Secret Garden is the price--$15??? For this?? It's a *tiny* zoo with a couple of dolphin pools and a handful of cages for white tigers, leopards and alpacas. I'd pay $5, but for $15, I was expecting much more.
I went in the early afternoon and the animals were just lying there sleeping. It was pretty boring. I wouldn't come again, but I'm glad I at least got to see a dolphin up close from under water. If you do go, I'd go earlier so that the cats are more active.
*See pics*
Never actually visited this place after seeing the pictures posted here. $15 per person and the animals are behind chain link fences? No thank you!
I LOVED this! You walk into the area and are given a short introduction on the place, how the dolphins aren't trained but have feeding and play sessions instead. A few obvious and good rules are stated and you are off to explore on your own.
In the dolphin area they had two mothers with their calves. From above you are literally at water level and can watch as they swim or wait for a train to feed or play with them. The play is sooo cute and they do amazing flips. You can also go below ground level and see them swim from the bottom. They get right near the glass so it's fun.
The cats were amazing to look at. There were a few large cats all just sleeping together on a large log and their tails just swinging - so neat! The baby leopard though was sooooo cute. He was just laying around on his own patch of grass and was cute to see.
The area is large, nice to just watch, chat and stroll. It's clean, fairly quiet and the staff is friendly and informative. They also have two gift stores well stocked and a little snack hut with food, sodas and cheap beer.
It's great I think if you aren't looking for a show persay, like to just roam on your own and like dolphins and large cats obviously!
OVERPRICED...I mean $15 per person?? really?? I expected it to be bigger or at least have the animals awake...they were all sleeping...If I wanted to look at an animal sleep I would have stayed in the hotel room and watched my husband sleep. seriously.
If you have kids I guess this is a cool place to check out with them, better then them watching their daddy play all their college fund on the black jack table.lol.
I Doubt I will ever comeback....I rather go to MGM and check out the lions there....they are awake and its free....
We live and learn...Fool me once shame on you...Fool me twice.. damm I must be a dumb ass...lol..
There's something strangely forbidding about the idea of a secret garden - especially one seeded by those twin towers of Vegas iconography, Siegfried & Roy. Somehow it makes me want to dust off that old Quincy Jones LP where Barry White and Al B. Sure sonorously sing about finding a secret garden...come on, come on, come on. Is it getting hot in here?
Well, it's really a mini-combo park zoo and Marine World, and for $15, it actually provides a nice, budget-level respite from the casino in the Mirage. Given the hotel's recent multi-million-dollar losses, I wouldn't be surprised if the admission fee goes up. It really consists of three parts - the pool where dolphins frolic with their trainers (you can see them up close above the pool and from an underwater viewing gallery), the gift shop where the baby leopard Java plays with one of the staff in a glass room, and the more traditional areas where the big cats and alpacas sleep restfully in their spaces.
I enjoyed it - even though it only takes a half-hour to go through the entire compound. That's just enough time to assess your losses at the craps tables and give the dice one last blow 'cause baby needs a new pair of shoes. I'm not sure what the point of the hot dog stand is in the Secret Garden since you're just a few yards away from all the eateries in the Mirage. Perhaps eating weenies in Vegas are meant to be kept secret as well.
Another date in Vegas that loves dolphins. This place is just ok and to waste Vegas time here is a crime. Also the $15 entrance fee is a felony.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/18/2009
This place is ok but there is sooo much to do in Las Vegas. I have made the entire tour of the… Read more »
I was feeling like complete garbage when we went to go see this exhibit. I had already been once, in the early 2000's, so it was mainly for the boyfriend's benefit. I was feeling nauseous, weak with hunger but too nauseous to eat, and sunstroked.
I did manage to take note of a few things while struggling to not barf my breakfast from Bouchon Bakery into the dolphin pool... A.) This place is still a ripoff. Fifteen bucks for maybe five or six animal cages and three bored-looking dolphins? B.) They have misted walkways and plenty of places to sit, which the hungover, elderly and those burderned by screaming brats will appreciate. I know I did. C.) The dude who forced us to take a picture was a douche. D) Wtf... what are these, llamas? What the hell happened to the elephant?
and finally, E.) I was dehydrated as fuck, so I opted for a Slush, which I interpreted to be a Slurpee of some sort, as indicated by the Slurpee machine it was dispensed out of. Three dollars later, and the woman just hands me a tiny, McDonald's-sized-small styrofoam cup with red slurpee in it. I search and search, but no straws. I inquire where the straws are as she is serving someone else. "We don't have straws," she says rather sharply. "Um, how do I drink this, then?" I ask back in the same tone, annoyed. She sighs and jams her thumb in the direction of some little flat wooden spoons, the kind you'd eat a frosted malt with. Are you fucking kidding me, Secret Garden - I'm supposed to eat a half-melted red slurpee that I payed a fifth of the admission for with a flat wooden friggin spoon? SPRING FOR SOME STRAWS!!!
I'll be honest, this place was alright.
In a land of $10 table minimums on blackjack and other table games, this is hidden further back in the Mirage. It's $15 a person. Honestly, it should be $10 a person, but I guess it was worth going to. It provided me worth more than one hand of gambling entertainment that losing at blackjack would have.
The Leopard cub Java was pretty cool, fun to watch. As was the white tigers getting it on 69 style in the area next to him.
I'd stop through here again just to take a break from all the noise and bright lights and such. Vegas isn't ALL about gambling, drinking, drugs and sex.
This place is smaller than what many people expect. The dolphin exhibit is the first thing you'll see when you enter. There are no dolphin shows as this place is set up for research and training. But you might catch the dolphins doing some tricks with the trainers every once in a while. Beyond the dolphin exhibit you'll find alpacas, tigers and a couple other animals. The trainers were tossing around some balls with the tigers while we were there so it was kinda fun to watch that. Here's one tip: if you see a tiger backing up to the fence you might want to walk away. We saw a tiger pee through the fence and hit some poor tourist. Admission is $15, kids under 3 are free. No locals discount.
I liked the Secret Garden but I have to give it only three stars because of the price. It should be $10 a person and not $15. The baby cats are the coolest but at times they are hard to see if there are a lot of people in that area. The big lions are a little boring because they do what lions do when they are not eating.....SLEEP!!! So if you are not there when they are eating, prepare to see them....ASLEEP!!! At least the one big tiger I saw was walking around and making some blood curdling noises. It looked and sounded like he was really hungry. The dolphins were excellent but that area is out in the open and is very hot, especially in August. This is a really cool place and it seems like the amimals and dolphins are all well cared for. Three stars for being slightly overpriced.
Very cool place to go and chill out and get away from the lights and hustle and bustle of the strip and casinos.
After a very brief intro speech to the park you pretty much get to wander and see what you want when you want. You can sit on a small wall and be like a foot away from the dolphins that come up when the trainers are there. I'd like to do that "be a trainer for a day" but I'm not sure how much that'd cost - kinda scared to ask.
There was a 9 week old leopard cub that was there so we got to see him, "Java" (see pics link) and there were give younger tigers in one section too with a trainer inside answering questions. The guy was way cool and super helpful about all the questions people were throwing at him. Also white tigers, white lions, black panther, leopards, and out of left field was some alpaca's...
Going underneath the pool and watching the dolphins zip around is always cool to me at least. One of them just had a baby a few months back too so there was a little one (see pics link).
It's no zoo by any means for but $15 bucks it's totally worth it.
I've got our pictures up here: http://is.gd/hEl9
Hmm, I love dolphins! They're my favorite H20 animal :) No, not just because they're the only other mammal, aside from humans, that have sex for pleasure (not just to reproduce) and engage in orgies. They're so peaceful, beautiful, friendly, and always look like they're smiling the way their lips curve up.
I wish the Garden had baby tigers though. Oh, and I'm pretty sad that Seigfried and Roy don't perform anymore, so I guess this is the next best thing :(
5 stars for dolphins everywhere! I love dolphins!
I can imagine this being more of a 3 or 4 star exhibit for people that don't get much animal action, but I on the other hand get A LOT of action and it didnt stop with The Secret Garden.
Although most of the tigers were snoozing, we got here just in time for them to bring out the black panther...very sexy. The lions and tigers were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The striped tiger put on quite an entertaining show, such a Las Vegas Diva, by running around and redecorating her room. She is a classy gal with a style all her own and no one was going to tell her she needed a green grass carpet...she pulled it all up and stuck it right center in her wading pool.
Were able to enjoy our visit even more, on this 100 degree day, with a 32 oz beer and the background sounds of hip hop coming from the Bare Pool.
Yes, we succumbed and paid $15 each to see the Secret Garden (as cheesy as it sounds). But it was worth it.
Here you got to see dolphins in the dolphin pool way up close (unlike at other aquariums) and see a baby dolphin with its parents in the dolphin nurturing pool. Then in the tiger area you got to see the usual adult tigers but right now you can also see 4-5 tiger cubs and watch them all interacting playfully with each other.
Bottom line: Nice break to the typical Vegas madness and sounds of slot machines. Great place to bring someone who likes to see animals, esp baby tigers and dolphins.
This is a chill place to be away from the flashing lights and slots machines of Vegas.
The dolphins were alright but my favorite were the tiger cubs (they were 8 months when I was there )... I could of sat there all day watching those 5 cubs play.
they had a pretty good collection of cats but most were sleeping ... might of been because it was winter or because it was in the middle of the afternoon but all were passed out except for the male lion that paced back and forth like it had OCD and of course the cubs.
nothing can compare to the San Diego Zoo or Sea World but you are in Vegas and it was only $15 :)
This is a nice break from gambling on the Strip. The $15 price tag would have seemed a bit steep to me if not for the five baby tigers that were there! I normally do not gush about the critters but these six-week-old tigers? Adorable. Worth the price of admission. We were fortunate to see them as they had only been on display for four days when we were there. They were so fun!
The dolphins were fun to see, especially in the underground viewing area. It's not a huge dolphin pool and they don't perform or anything but dolphins are just cool and always fun.
The other animals were pretty cool, too, except that it was a super hot day and they all just wanted to lay around and sleep. And, I can totally understand that. But, it would have been a bit more exciting if the animals had been a bit more active. Still, it is always cool to see lions and tigers and leopards and panthers, etc.
This place is definitely worth a visit. It is one of the better non-gambling attractions on the Strip.
Another reviewer suggested that the animals might be drugged -- I don't think so!
When we were there we saw Tigers play-fighting and making whoopie. They were pretty dang active if you ask me. You must remember that all cats big and small sleep a lot. They may be sleeping when you go, but that's like their natural state! We saw baby White Tigers. The most adorable site ever. The enclosures for most of the animals were fairly spacious compared to what I've seen at Zoos. You must remember that cats are good jumpers so they are usually in something with a roof for safety.
The dolphins were awesome and you can get really close to them. The trainers will have them jump and do tricks if you wait at the first pool a few minutes. Also, you can watch them from underwater too.
I have been twice now and still enjoy it.
If you are an animal lover, this is well worth the money.
The dolphin habitat was nice, filled with coral, etc. And the dolphins don't do shows although one trainer was out when we were leaving and asked him to wave. They tell you up front, they are conservationists not performers. You may happen to be there when a trainer appears, but there are no shows.
It was indeed nice to see the animals frolicking around on their own.
The cats. Ahhhh, the cats. They looked so happy and healthy. They were really active when we were there. A small word of warning, the males are un-neutered so they spray - a lot. This wouldn't have deterred me I didn't see any humans get sprayed.
The white tigers were amazing, the lions were rolling around on their backs. The habitats were nice and they don't live there all the time, or so I gathered from talking to someone there.
Then as you're hitting your apex of cuteness with the tigers, there are a herd of alpaca's on the way out.
I was thoroughly impressed with the Secret Garden, which made me feel like I wasn't in Las Vegas for a few minutes. I was just sad that we went at 5 pm, it was closing time so we only got a half hour but if you go in earlier you can stay as long as you want.
i promised my gf i would take her here for her b-day so we went. its $15 a person and its worth it (id rather spend $30 and watch cool animals than lose $30 in blackjack to a multi billion dollar hotel). the first thing you see is dolphins doing jumps in the air and gliding around. then you go to another dolphin tank that has baby dolphins with their parents. they have beach volleyballs in the tank and the dolphins hit it out to the spectators and you throw it back in so that was really fun, especially for little kids.
Then you get to see the lions tigers black panthers etc. those animals are beautiful wow. the tiger is huge up close. it walked right by the fence and looked at me.... i got a little shook! lol only bad thing is is that there area is pretty small (especially the black panthers area) compared to an actual zoo... but nonetheless i REALLY enjoyed it and will probably come back.
Went here as part of our grand tour of non-gaming Vegas. I thought for the $15 admission it was a bit overpriced considering we paid the same for Shark Reef admission which we LOVED. This was smaller.
A few dolphins (5 or 6?) including a baby which was really neat to see. Also the world-famous white tigers and lions which was neat. A great one to take the kids to.
We're probably in the minority when we say that we visited all the aquariums on the Strip during our vacation but whatever.
I liked the S and R's Secret Garden mostly for two reasons.
1) The alpacas. I looooove alpacas, especially when they're moving and not hanging on a wall. These were really cute. I was particularly fond of the brown one.
2) The S and R cardboard cutout by the gift shop. I made my boyfriend pose with it all cheesy and whatnot. That's totally a picture you would look at years from now and laugh.
Oh, we liked the dolphins too but that's what everyone says they like about this place.
My boyfriend thought this place was a bit pricey for what you get to see, but it is LV.
BIG kitties! AND dolphins :) Love the secret garden. FYI cats are most active early in the morning so try to catch them when the exhibit opens or close to closing time. We got quite a show for our $15 tickets. Two of the white tigers were playing with each other. When cats play it usually goes something like "hiss hiss" *swat* "meow!" When tigers (300+lb cats) play it goes something more like "roar! roar!" *swipe(with big paw)*! There are also lions and orange tigers in the "kitty" area. There are three pools with dolphins and you can watch them swim from above or go down below and see them swimming around from an underwater perspective. One of the rare places in Vegas where its a good idea to bring the kids.
Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden is a great respite from the chaos that is Las Vegas. We were pleasantly surprised by the animals habitat. It is sort of a mini-zoo/marine world for about $15. You get to see dolphins and lions, leopards, tigers and llama like animals. It's relaxing, EXCEPT Bare, a clothing optional adult poolside lounge area, is near by and the music was kind of loud. Anyway, you get to see said animals in their "natural" surroundings and take pictures. It was nice to walk around, take some pictures and relax. Another interesting feature was that you walked down a snaking walkway sort of underneath the area where the dolphins swim so you could see them underwater. That was kind of cool.
I never knew this existed or how long it's been around!!! We had time to kill around the strip before our flight so we were just walking aimlessly... we took the tram from TI over to Mirage and we decided to go see the white tigers.... we saw the sign for the dolphin habitat so we decided to check it out... who knew it was a whole zoo back there.... lions, tigers, leopards, dolphins and more!! It is strictly education and they state that they do not make the pets do tricks... but if you catch them during feeding time, the dolphins jump in the air and do flips... and the white tigers even pose for you while the guy plays with them... a fun place to go as a family or if you want to get away from "Vegas" for a little bit.
This venture was definitely worth the $15 admission price. I'm a dolphin nut, so I rarely pass up the opportunity to see dolphins. it's kind of nice to see them just swimming around and not doing tricks or anything. I did wish there was more information about the dolphins to read or listen to or something. Instead there was, of all things, a snack stand, and a gift shop (of course).
The biggest pull at the time of our trip is that one of their dolphins has given birth.... and there's a baby dolphin! I've never seen a baby dolphin so that was awesome... I wish I'd gotten a better photo of it than I did, but it was cute.
Past the dolphins you enter the original Secret Garden. They have white lions, which is quite a rare sight, white tigers, regular tigers, some alpacas (wtf why?) and a leopard. I understand that behind the chain link fences are dangerous animals, but I wish they had some other type of barrier because the chain link fences were nearly impossible to take pictures through, but I tried.
On the way in to the big cat (and oddly placed alpaca) area, standard Vegas protocol dictates that they have some employees and a "photographer" hustling your party to pose in front of a green screen to take a photo (for sale in the gift shop!). As a side note, the number of green screen souvenir photo opportunities in Vegas was ASTOUNDING.
And as you leave, of course, you have to exit through the gift shop... and the only exit back into the Mirage walks you right past the dolphin gift shop.
Overall, it was worth it for me and my friend. And the kids that were everywhere were having what looked like fantastic times so I'd recommend it for families but, I wouldn't really go there again. One trip is enough.
Enjoy an upclose and personal experience with dolphins and the majestic white tigers in the Mirage's Secret Gardens. Trainers will take you through tricks and flips done by the dolphins. You're allowed to enjoy the rest of the park on your own, including the habitat of Siegfried and Roy's famous white tigers.
Word of advice here: while you are able to get fairly close to the fence , I would keep a respectful distance. The Secret Garden is home to a rather rude lion. This animal turned his rear to us and sprayed my daughter! It never occured to me that something like this could happen, I was shocked! We were standing a good 5 feet from the fence. I thought the lion was about to do something camera-worthy and as a fished in my bag for the camera, my daughter screamed, "The lion peed on me!" She wasn't drenched by any means but, I did have to buy her a new shirt in the gift shop. The staff in there was very unsympathetic. In fact they said, "Well, that happens!" right over the head of my crying child. Seems to me a warning sign is in order at the least!
Still these animals are beautiful and my kids thought it was a treat to see them nonetheless.
Worth every penny. As an animal lover, I couldn't believe how close we were able to get to the white tigers and white lions. I had first seen the lions as cubs in the Siegfried and Roy show - and now there they were, all grown up. Beautiful. Snow white fur with big blue eyes. Amazing.
The dolphins are always a joy to watch as well. They love attention and really put on an impromptu show for the passersby at the underground windows. Schools often do educational tours of this exhibit.
I feel good that the money spent getting in is used towards the preservation of these animals. I've always admired the efforts Siegfried and Roy have shown for these rare animals, and if I can contribute in even this small part - it just feels right.
Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden was something my wife and I stumbled upon while wandering around the Mirage. Initially I think we were going to skip it but we both like dolphins so we figured $30 was a good price to see some swimming around and also take a look at some big cats. The price turned out to be a big bargain for what we saw!
Let me start off by telling you what they will say first thing when you get in: this is not a show or guided tour, it's simply a research area you get to walk through. Having said that, this was so much better than a show or tour in that there was no time limit, no impetus to move along and the animals seemed much more natural without a performance to contend with.
The Garden starts off at the Dolphin pools, where there were two adult and two juvenile dolphins that we saw being VERY active. The lifeguards at each pool periodically come on the loudspeaker and remind everyone that while there are no shows or scheduled events, the trainers frequently interact with the dolphins and this provides many chances to see them in various ways. This was very accurate, and we ended up spending a good hour or so just hanging out around the pools. The trainers would come out and feed the animals, do some medical checks on them and their presence always got the dolphins in a playful mood. They would jump out of the water, dart around and occasionally do a slide along the lip of the enclosure. In addition, there was a young woman who had paid to have the "trainer experience" and so there was even more interactivity to see. In my opinion, this was a far better experience because the animals were acting naturally, instead of a choreographed show. Very cool and the highlight (for us) of the Garden.
The big cats were a bit more subdued, mostly because almost all of the animals are nocturnal. This meant most of the cats were asleep, although the youngest ones were very active, playfighting with each other and ripping a cardboard box to shreds. Overall, very cool to see these large animals even sleeping, just not quite as dynamic as the dolphins.
In summary, this is a fantastic inexpensive thing to do for anyone who likes animals or has small children. The kids present when we went loved the dolphins, and really anyone who even mildly likes animals will get a big kick out of the Garden. Highly recommended for price, entertainment and the complete freedom to stay as long as you want and enjoy the animals. I only held back on 5 stars because there isn't much beyond the dolphins, big cats and some alpacas. Not a complaint, just a note that the range of animals to see is limited.
I really liked this place. You can get really close to the animals. Closet than one would at something like a zoo. (The closest I've been to a wild animal was at Disney's animal kingdom, but that's a moot point.) Here was where I've actually gotten close to a dolphin, so that was pretty cool. I haven't seen a llama before either so that was a nice experience. They had all types of facts about the animals and a variety of wild animals including white tigers, lions, panthers, etc. This place was really cool. It would be better if they talk about some the problems that these animals faced in their introduction.
Siegfried and Roy's secret garden , where do i start. I guess it was pretty okay .. ish. Dolphins were cool , untrained but cool. I wouldnt have minded seeing a backflip or something. I did form a kinship with one of them , he had banished himself to the corner and i named him echo. Okay so it wasnt a kinship it was me staring at a dolphin in a corner calling him echo. Other then that its an incredibly small place as far as habitats go, this could be why its a secret garden. White tigers and lions are very cool to see no matter where they are with the possible exception of my house. Alpaca's???? they must have filled a shipping bill out incorrectly, how these sheep / goats that do absolutaly nothing wormed their way into the habbitat i will never know. Either way as i said a little dissapointed in the size of the place and diversity of animals but realistically i got what i came to see, including overpriced photos of the girlfriend kissing a cgi lion ....yay.
Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden is a difficult place to review.
The stars it gets depends on what the animals are doing during your visit.
It is definitely a three star attraction in Las Vegas.
It is located out behind the Mirage pool area ( next to BARE )
You enter after a mandantory welcome explanation of the area by one of the hosts.
The dolphin pools are what you see first and then you go back to the white tiger and white lion area.
If you are there when the trainers are working with the dolphins it isa four star show.
You get very close to the action with the dolphins. Very exciting and you can watch for what seems like a few minutes and is actually over an hour.
Cats mostly sleep, but on our visit the majority were up and about making for an enjoyable visit.
Once again you are able to be very close to the animals and you can really determine how large the tigers really are.
There are two underwater viewing areas for the dolphin pools.
All in all an excellent visit - a great place to bring out of town visitors.
The white tigers keep the S&R name going.
- Siegfried and Roy was still the best show I have ever seen in Las Vegas.
The secret garden nestled within The Mirage is a real treasure. It deserves probably 3.5 stars. This isn't the size of a zoo so don't expect to see tons of animals but you will see a couple tigers, an elephant, a couple other animals, and of course the dolphins. The whole place is really about the dolphins. I saw a pretty cool show with at least 3 dolphins performing and it was very cool to see. All the animals here (including the dolphins) have a very small habitat so if you're the kind of animal lover who gets ticked when you see someone in a small studio apartment in the city who owns a golden retriever you may get a little annoyed at this place. Regardless the place is beautiful and they have some great wildlife here.
Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Experience was nice! Although we haven't been to the zoo in Las Vegas, this gave us just what we wanted...up close encounters with dolphins, rare lions and tigers. A highlight here was a baby dolphin, Bella, swimming around with her mom and baby leopard, Java, who we were fortunate enough to see playing with her trainer! One of the white tigers we especially enjoyed slowly wandered into the pool of water and waterfall in his area for a bath and soak. It was a great experience! We loved the underwater viewing area for the dolphins and watching their amazing tricks! I would definitely do this again and highly recommend it. Skip the souvenier store...go to Walmart if you must have the white tiger and get the same one for $4 instead of $14.
I was actually surprised about this place. When you go to the pool. there's another entrance to the Secret Garden. I can't exactly tell you where it is - but it's a secret. There's Lions, and tigers, leopards, etc.....The dolphins were really cool too! I watched one poo. They actually had the wands and it was very..."zoolike" I was hoping it would be like a "when animals attack tourists" show on fox.....Grrr stupid fence.....
To tell you the truth, I was kinda bummed that this was actually an exhibit. The dolphins were cool...I think there were actually 6 dolphins...3 in each pool area. But I was sad to see them in such a small place.
Ditto on the Secret Garden.
There were two sides to this place. The left side had alpacas and lions. The alpacas seemed to have more room than the lions. And the lions pretty much slept the whole time I was there. But I guess that's normal since they really are nocturnal animals. I thought it was kinda wierd there were 2 male lions in the same habitat. The right side of the garden had 4 more habitats. The first had 3 female lions, the second had 2 leopards (not sure if African or snow leopards). The third exhibit had 1 white tiger, and the fourth had 1 golden tiger. AND...just when you thought you saw it all, there is a small enclosed house with plexiglass. There was an employee/handler inside with 3 cubs. A golden tiger, a lion and a white tiger. They were super adorable, and very active. I'm sure they are treated very well. But I was still a bit concerned that all the animals (except the alpacas seemed to be confined to the limited space.
I really was hoping that the Secret Garden was at the least a 4 star experience but my trip there fell a little short. I dont mind paying the $15 admission but the place was a lot smaller than I was expecting. It's cool that they give a lot of information on the animals and you can tell that they are taken good care of. The first thing you come upon are the dolphins. The dolphins are left to do what they want to do naturally and are not trained to perform just to amuse the tourists. It's nice that the animals are not forced to do things. That being said, if you go to see dolphins flip out of the water and put on a show like you would see at Sea World or a similar venue, be prepared to sit back and hope for some luck. It is kind of hard to sit for a long time hoping to see something more than just dolphins swimming around in circles when there is so much more to explore in Vegas. Past the dolphins are the rest of the animals. They are absolutely beautiful and obviously well taken care of. The trainers are more than willing to answer any questions you have. It is fun to watch the babies play around in the nursery. Maybe I went in hoping for too much but it was just too small of a facility. I dont regret going but I seriously doubt it is somewhere I would take time out of another Vegas trip to visit again.
Your initial response to the Secret Garden will be very positive. The dolphins are very cool and it's very convenient to see them both above and below water. The lions will initially amaze you with their size and to be so close to them. However, as you look at the animals closer (lions, tigers, panthers), your heart will begin to break. These animals have very tiny spaces for their size....and I truly feel they were all drugged to remain calm. They all seem very, very lethargic. It is very touristy of course, and it really comes across thick where you recognize it not as a refuge or educational exhibit on the animals, but more reminiscent of those highway side novelties advertising wild animals where the owners are just trying to make a buck.
