Hot Springs, Arkansas, a town of just 37,000 most famous for its namesake hot springs, is getting an unusual new attraction: a 28,000 square-foot indoor reptile garden. The habitat, the brainchild of local business owner Dennis Magee, will feature a snake house with local non-venomous and venomous snakes, as well as, according to the local Arkansas Democrat Gazette, “examples of the larger and more interesting snakes that are found around the world.” It will also feature all variety of lizards, crocodiles, alligators, and turtles, curated by a herpetologist with the Little Rock Zoo and another from the United Kingdom. It will also have various birds, to be overseen by a retired lawyer and the former president of the Arkansas Falconer’s Club.
The expansive indoor zoo, designed by Rico Harris of Harris Architects, will also feature a “Boa Bar,” “Gator Lounge,” and, of course, a gift shop.
The date for breaking ground is still unannounced.