Reptile Adventure Zoo opens this week

Get ready to get up close with hundreds of reptiles.

Reptile Adventure Zoo is scheduled to open Friday, Dec. 12, at 2501 W. Russell St.

“It’s like what I saw in my head months ago,” said owner Andrew Adam, who has a degree in zoology and began his career in real estate before taking on his dream project.

“It’s coming together.”

The building, which used to be a state driver license exam station, has been converted into a zoo holding about 100 exhibits, as well as a pet shop focused on replies and the home for Adam’s nonprofit, Sioux Falls Area Reptile Rescue & Rehoming, along with the Sioux Falls Herpetological Society.

His wife, Stacey, also has her CPA firm’s office in the building.

The zoo is an immersive experience. For a $10 admission, visitors are led through a cave-like arch to find a large water feature with a tank of swimming turtles that can be touched.

Giant tortoises will roam the space, and Adam regularly will bring out animals for more interactive experiences.

“They can pay extra to hold an alligator and sit on a reptile-themed statue,” he said.

There are 13 alligators on loan from Abby Normal’s Museum of the Strange near Harrisburg, as well as the world’s second and third largest snakes, the world’s second-largest lizard — “they’re not fully grown yet” — and the world’s largest chameleon.

“It’s a baby now, and we hope to breed them, as well as other species,” Adam said.

“We are putting things in enclosures that are larger than some of them need so they can grow into them.”

The center of the space is an amphibian island “with lots of amphibians and cool frogs,” including axolotls, “and all kinds of stuff people haven’t seen before or heard about,” he said.

Every day, he estimates he gets 10 inquires about working at the zoo.

“We are full,” he said. “I have about 30 resumes in my inbox, so if anyone does leave, I can fill, but we have a really, really great staff. Some are good with snakes, some are good with frogs, some with turtles, so it’s a really good group.”

The pet shop is filled with reptile supplies as well as some animals to purchase, “and we can special order and have consignment from local distributors,” Adam said. “Our staff is very, very educated on the reptiles as far as helping troubleshoot, and we have several animals available for adoption.”

There are almost 200 animals in the zoo and almost 400 in the building when the education room, rescue room and pet shop are included.

A membership option and opportunities for special events are available.

“It is kind of a smaller venue, but people can host birthday parties, and we can do zoo camps,” Adam said, adding that there’s a chance for some evening-only events that will feature the nocturnal animals.

“We could have a night walk or adult evening — we could do a lot of cool stuff throughout the year,” he said. “We’re also going to have a sponsorship opportunity, so if someone wants to sponsor an exhibit, they can have a shout-out.”

The zoo is the only one of its kind in the area, he said.

“The Omaha Zoo is the best in the nation, and there’s Reptile Gardens five hours west … but within four to five hours, this is it,” he said. “We have gone to all those places quite a few times and got ideas and made some stuff our own.”

Hours for both the zoo and pet shop will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Knowing opening day is finally arriving “is very cool,” Adam said. “It keeps me going. It’s a lot of work … but to hear someone say, ‘I’m so excited,’ it keeps me going. I’m providing a venue for people to make memories as well as what we can do for breeding and education and getting people excited about this cool part of nature. Reptiles can be overlooked.”

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