Bellagio Hotel Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

What a beautiful trip each season, walking through the Bellagio hotel Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (also referred to as the atrium). The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is on the corner of Flamingo Rd. and Las Vegas Blvd. right on the world-famous Las Vegas strip. Inside the hotel is one of the most popular shows in Vegas, and it's FREE! It has a cast and crew of thousands who work tirelessly to transform it into the wonderland of beauty that it becomes five times a year.

Every year, more than 5 MILLION people stroll through these aromatic gardens and breathe in the beautiful scent of fresh flowers, see the beautiful greenery and they are awed by spectacular seasonal displays. To give you an idea of how many 5 MILLION is, that's about 15,000 to 18,000 visitors per DAY! But, when you walk through the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, it usually does not seem to be that crowded.

The Conservatory is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and the flow of people walking through the gardens are so spread out over time, that it is always a very enjoyable trip strolling through the Bellagio gardens. The interesting thing about Las Vegas is that you will see people from every country and nationality imaginable. I told my husband once, Las Vegas is kind of like a smaller version of the United Nations. Visitors come here from every corner of the world to enjoy the city.

The Bellagio Conservatory is a must-see destination in Las Vegas. It was the first place I visited the first time I arrived here last fall for a fun visit with my husband. He had taken a job here, while I remained in Wisconsin for nearly a year to try to downsize our possessions. We also had our home up for sale in Wisconsin.

I would fly down to Las Vegas to visit him every two months, and was able to see how the Conservatory and Botanical Garden would change over each season. The views there are breathtaking! I remember feeling a magical feeling walking through there, and the fountains outside of the hotel are spectacular as well.

Bellagio should definitely be on anyone's agenda when visiting Las Vegas. Visitors can expect a spectacular show put on by the hotel's Horticulture department. In fact, whenever an opening comes up to be a part of the Horticulture department team that is assigned to work on these displays, the hotel is inundated with applications! They have a hard time picking employee's, and end up choosing the most passionate applicants. You can see the results of this extraordinary passion for their craft just by strolling through these fascinating gardens.

Beginning in January with Chinese New Year, the decorations are changed out five times a year. Different designs are featured for Chinese New Year, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Christmas/Winter. Every new season is decorated with what amounts to a theatrical production of creativity! Like any good show, it takes a "cast" of people to pull off each seasonal display.

I was here last Christmas season, and one of the neatest things about last years display was the HUGE Christmas tree, surrounded by a train that circled it constantly. Now, what made it truly memorable was a CAMERA that was mounted on the train, that constantly filmed visitors. You could see people watching the monitors mounted at various spots around the display and the excitement they felt when they would SEE themselves on these monitors. What a brilliantly creative touch to an already awe inspiring display!

First, it begins with ideas... there are about 120 people who work on the horticultural staff, and they not only develop the ideas, they fully plan out how they are to become reality. Then, the staff works 24 hours a day over a course of seven days to change out the gardens for each season. The logistics alone are mind-boggling!

It takes more than 10,000 potted plants and flowers, brought in from Southern California, which are housed temporarily in a 40,000 square foot off-site greenhouse. Props for each season are housed in a 24,000 square foot warehouse and trucked to the hotel separately. Cranes are used to lift larger pieces (like the 40 foot tall, 1922 Ferris Wheel that was just used in this summer's exhibit). And there are tunnels that run underneath the floor of the Conservatory to allow for easier access.

Even after the Conservatory is completed and ready for visitors, the work does not end. The flowers are watered by hand, and every two weeks about 10,000 flowers are changed out so they are always fresh. The old plants are then used as mulch all over the grounds of Bellagio, so over 90% of the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden display is recycled. Not only is it beautiful, but everything is accomplished in a "green" way!

I remember walking through the conservatory last Fall and watching some of the hotel workers watering the flowers and telling my husband, now THAT would be a NEAT job to have! The sheer numbers of people it takes to create this glorious exhibition is staggering, but what you can really SEE when you walk through it is the passion with which it was created.

Another huge draw to the Bellagio hotel is the gorgeous fountain display located outside of the hotel. The fountains go off either every hour, 1/2 hour or 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. They are timed to music, and are a cannot miss part of your visit to Bellagio. The music is beautiful and the magic of the dancing, swaying fountains will take your breath away. Not only is it beautiful during the day, but it's even more beautiful at night!

So, next time you visit Las Vegas, take some time out from gambling, people watching on the strip, clubbing, shopping and eating at the fine restaurants here to visit the Bellagio and take in the wonder and spectacular beauty of the seasonal displays of the Conservatory and Botanical gardens, as well as the Fountains Of Bellagio... you'll be glad you did!