The Las Vegas Springs Preserve is an interactive environment that introduces visitors to the cultural heritage of the site and the surrounding Mojave Desert region. Owned and operated by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the site has been preserved for the last several decades due to its significant cultural treasures and the ongoing archaeological studies being conducted there.
Completed in Summer 2007, the Visitor Center consists of two separate buildings, each housing distinct visitor amenities. A 53,000-square-foot exhibit building features three galleries and a theater clustered around a rotunda that showcases the unique natural occurrence of water emanating from the earth below. A 24,500-square-foot retail / restaurant building houses a souvenir and book shop on the first level, as well as a second-level café with a large exterior balcony to provide views of the entire site.
The LEED Platinum Certified Visitor Center features sustainable, regional, durable, recyclable, and low-maintenance materials, including weathered steel, energy efficient glass, recycled composite plastic and wood products, and drought tolerant landscaping. Just as the construction materials harmonize with the environment, the basic forms of the buildings seek sensitivity with the land. Long elevations of vertical board-formed concrete walls lead visitors’ eyes through the site, to building entrances and eventually to the landscape of the Springs Preserve.
