Step into a kinda freaky story at the Bellagio Gardens. (Image courtesy of Bellagio)

Some of the best free entertainment in Las Vegas happens to be at a high-dollar casino-resort. 

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a quarterly delight. My beloved and I went on Black Friday and caught the fall presentation two days before it was to be dismantled. 

As noted before, I’m no professional photographer. But the gardens at Bellagio are so photogenic that even an amateur can’t help but capture something visually impressive.

There are lots of photos way better than mine online. But here’s a glimpse of what I saw … and one of the reasons that Vegas, for all the craziness it throws your way, is still a special destination full of unique experiences away from the gaming tables. 

Pretty flowers capturing people’s attention.

Horticultural Surrealism

The Conservatory is both cozy and massive. At 14,000 square feet, you can see one end to the other, but not without being led visually astray by whimsical surrealism and overdone grandeur that is sooo Vegas. 

We’re talkin’ beautiful, delicate flowers, but 10,000 of them, arranged into massive towering structures, with characters telling a fairytale story. The flowers are changed every two weeks. The exhibit changes every season, with a fifth display thrown in the mix for lunar new year. 

We saw “Harvest,” which featured Smurf-house-looking mushrooms, flying fairies, a book of spells and a giant sewing machine. It didn’t all make sense on first pass-through, and I’m not so sure if it’s supposed to feel more like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan or just some horticuluralist’s hallucination. 

But it sure does smell pretty, and provides a nice little escape from the buzzing casino just on the other side of the giant sewing machine.

The space is currently blocked off all week, while 120 engineers, designers and florists assemble the winter holiday exhibit, which opens on Saturday. 

(Images by Dan Michalski / akfxoqsd.shop)

A couple football fans captivated by a small flying fairy operating a century-old sewing machine making dresses for a larger-than-lifesize mannequin.

The fairy feet in this one were a little confusing to me. But you can see the human crowds gleefully getting lost in the fairytale.



The uber-exclusive Garden Table allows for just one small group to have their brunch or dinner in the middle of the conservatory show. But this dining option won't be available again until the Lunar New Year 2024 exhibit in February.

Are we sure the fairy on the left isn’t in trouble? The owl on the moon says not to worry.

The gardens at Bellagio always make for a popular selfie spot.

Finding just the right shot.

Floral paparazzi.

Siri, show me a cute middle-aged couple at a casino in Las Vegas not gambling.