I first read about this in Uptake Blog: Explore the Natural Side of Las Vegas, and I'm sure glad I did!  It's a wonderful place - better than I had anticipated.

Did you know that Las Vegas is Spanish for "the meadows"?  You sure wouldn't guess it looking around today at this concrete city in the desert - it doesn't look much like meadow territory!  But until the mid-20th century, a natural spring here created a little oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert.  Various native tribes lived here or camped here over many centuries, and in the late 1800s other people started arriving too.  The spring became a regular stop for anybody crossing the desert.  Eventually, as people started moving in, drilling wills and tapping the underground aquifer, the spring ran dry.

From the geology of how the mountains and springs were formed, through the animals, plants, and people who lived here at different times, the Springs Preserve takes you all the way to today's desert life, with its water and sustainability issues.  There are displays, movies, interactive exhibits, and games, and it's done in an imaginative and interesting way.

On the train to Las Vegas, early 1900s

One part I thought was fun was an old train car from the early 1900s.  You enter, and there are life-size statues of people on some train seats, and there's also a seat you can sit on, to take your place on the train.  As the train "leaves the station", the scenery outside the train windows starts to move, and the sound effects make it seem like you're really riding the rails.  The "people" on the other seats start talking to each other about traveling to Las Vegas, and details of their plans there.  It's so much more engaging than a simple display would have been - it puts you right in the middle of the history.

There's also an area of trails through the desert, that visit a few ruins along the way, like the old spring house that was built to cover and protect the spring.  It's unusual to be walking through the desert of mojave yucca, creosote bush, and prickly pear cactus, with the high-rise towers of modern Las Vegas right behind.

Desert trails in the middle of Las Vegas

Next time you're in Las Vegas and want to escape the sound of slot machines for a couple of hours, I highly recommend the Springs Preserve.

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You can find some great deals right now on Las Vegas hotels, especially if you're able to do weeknights.  I'm staying at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, and have a lovely view of the lights of the Vegas strip from an 18th floor room.  Best of all?  Sunday night stay is just $25!  You can't get a Motel 6 in a dumpy section of Phoenix for that price.
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Related posts:

1. Ancient Anasazi motel maps?
2. Dreaming of Santa Fe spring rolls
3. So there I was... sniffing creosote