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Natural Mojave Gallery

The Flash Flood exhibit exhilarates even as it
teaches about the power and impact of flash
floods in the desert.

The Natural Mojave gallery features exhibits that explore the geological and biological history of the Mojave Desert, including the formation of the Las Vegas Valley and the Springs.

From a simulated flash flood and reconstructed spring mound to interactive tools and live animal habitats, the Natural Mojave exhibits provide a fully immersive experience.

The Natural Mojave gallery begins inside the ORIGEN building and moves outdoors, connecting with the other areas of the ORIGEN Experience. Take your time, wander and discover the wonders of the Mojave. Some of the highlights to be found in the Natural Mojave gallery include:

Flash Flood

One of the Preserve's most popular exhibits, this theater space recreates a desert ravine, emulating the beauty and tranquility of the desert, until a thundering storm erupts. Suddenly, more than 5,000 gallons of recycled water rushes through the simulated canyon, crashing around and below your feet. Both exhilarating and educational, the Flash Flood exhibit will leave you with an appreciation for the awesome power of desert flash floods and their impact.

Spring Mound

The reconstructed spring mound, complete with patches of vegetation and animal replicas, provides a background for many of the gallery’s exhibits, including a simulated excavation site on its side. Artifacts set into the wall show what's inside a typical spring mound and how archeologists interpret what they find. A theater space features an audiovisual presentation about the spring mound and how we can learn from the past by examining what has been left behind.

Geological Formation

A variety of engaging exhibits allows guests of all ages to explore the geologic history of the Las Vegas Valley, including an animated, 3D visualization, an interactive, touch screen map and display, and a topographic map of the valley using mechanical elements to illustrate tectonic concepts and specific fault movements.

Erosion and Deposition

Explore the phenomena of erosion in the Las Vegas Valley through the use of an erosion table, where you can release water onto a bed of sand, the results mimicking erosion that created the landforms seen in the Mojave Desert.

Adaptation Tales

Aspiring paleontologists can roll up their sleeves and dig into this sandbox to uncover cast fossil fragments. Using special scanning equipment, young learners discover more about the fragment's origins in a video narrative.

Desert Survival Walk

Learn how plants and animals adapt to survive in the Mojave Desert through a number of different exhibits covering topics such as pollination, seed dispersal, microflora and fauna, locomotion and storing techniques.