Reptile Gardens

Founded 70 years ago in 1937, and still under ownership of the same family, the Black Hills’ Reptile Gardens has steadily grown to one of the leading tourist attractions in the Midwest.

Reptile Gardens’ founder Earl Brockelsby discovered people's innate interest in snakes early in life. Growing up in the small town of Kadoka, South Dakota, Earl kept snakes as pets. Often his yard would be filled with friends and neighbors eager to observe these interesting creatures and admire Earl's courage to handle them.



In 1935, at age 19, Earl worked at a Rapid City tourist attraction where he would sometimes end his tours by removing his hat and revealing a live rattlesnake coiled on top of his head! Earl took special note of the visitors' reactions - they were always excited and thrilled to see a live rattlesnake close-up.

Reptile Gardens houses more species of reptiles and amphibians than any other zoo or park in the world. One of our missions is to educate the public on important environmental issues, while working closely with many major zoos worldwide to promote species survival.

Since its beginning, Reptile Gardens has been a source of entertainment , as well as an unforgettable learning experience for millions of visitors by providing them the rare opportunity to observe these exotic animals up close.

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