The Bellagio Conservatory

When Chuck wants to do something nice for me, he takes me to my favorite free attraction on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio. To me it is a free glimpse into the world of the cultured and affluent.

First, the parking is graciously convenient, allowing you to park within yards of the conservatory. When you walk into the building, you are greeted with marble floors, and the unmistakable fragrance of flowers. You view the conservatory almost immediately   upon entering, with bursts of color, pattern, and movement. Beneath a 55 foot tall glass ceiling this atrium provides a feast for the eyes with sculptures and tableaus created with flowers, petals, seeds, plants, trees, water, fish, fountains, and much more. The presentation changes four times a year, with "shows" such as penguins or polar bears in the winter, butterflies and carousels in the spring, multihued leaves and wooden bridges in the fall, and lemonade stands and ladybugs in the summer. With each scene there is a magical quality that draws visitors from around the world. I love to watch the expressions of the guests, marveling at the splendor of the scene before them. People take their pictures in front of the blossoms, or the scenes with such delight it makes me smile. The sense of awe is pervasive.

Then, to make a great trip even more marvelous, we head outside to watch the fountains of Bellagio. Most people have seen the fountains on television, an impressive display of water and music. But like anything worthwhile, it is best seen in person.  It is difficult to describe the exhilaration you experience when you witness the perfect synchronization of music and sprays, jets, fountains, and mists of water, punctuated with lights and soothed with fog.

I average a visit to the Bellagio conservatory and fountains four to five times a year, welcoming each season with a trip to the hotel where the well-heeled stay. But as my mother likes to remind me, “even a cat can look at a king”.

To see a video of the changing of the “shows” visit http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/bellagioconservatory.html