Rattlesnake Museum & Gift Shop — Attraction in Albuquerque

This place is a unique little gem in the tourist haven that is ABQ's Old Town. Amidst the shops sporting the more typical merch that out of towners are looking for, Breaking Bad paraphernalia, chile and southwest flavored merch and good, the Rattlesnake museum is a little corner for snake and general reptile lovers, as well as those curious about the more deadly iconic inhabitants of the desert. A wide collection of the titular characters, including a handsome Eastern Diamondback as the first live greeter in the exhibits section, can be found here as well as other desert and some non desert inhabitants like the Gila monster and various pythons. An exhibit to the late, great reptile wrestler Steve Irwin is also included along with various snake and general reptile art and products. And of course, there is merch. Lots of merch. The merch shop is in the front of the museum so if you are not the biggest fan of snakes and reptiles, you can still step in and grab some fun items such as, the iconic Rattlesnake museum t-shirt, mugs, beautifully embroidered baseball caps with snakes and other critters on them, key chains, etc. Along with all the usual flare are a collection of handmade ceramic mugs and glasses made specially for the Rattlesnake Museum. These pieces are unique to each set and once they are gone, they are gone to be replaced with other one of a kind items, so if you like one, I'd suggest grabbing it before it's gone. I picked up a beautiful mug and beer glass myself and an really happy I did so. The owner, Bob, is really a nice, knowledgeable guy whose passion for reptiles and ABQ shines through when you talk with him. So, if you are looking to do something a little different, but still in the theme of the desert southwest, why not swing by the Rattlesnake museum, say hi to Bob, and grab a t-shirt while you are at it. I think you'll find it's...

I'm a huge fan of snakes and so I was incredibly excited to drop by and see so many rattlesnakes. Unfortunately I was incredibly saddened by what I saw. For those of you not tuned into keeping snakes, the general rule for snake enclosures is that they should be long enough for the snake to stretch out from end to end and then half again as deep. If a snake is arboreal (like the green tree python that is also on display here) should half as much vertical space with basking branches available. In addition, snakes should have two hides in their enclosures, one on the warm side and the other on the cold. From what I could see, only the smallest of the rattlesnakes on display had an adequate sized enclosure, and none of the snakes had hides either. In addition the affore mentioned green tree python did not have adequate climbing space and the hognose (a burrowing species) did not have enough substrate to dig in. The snakes who were active were engaging in pressing and glass surfing behaviors which indicate either stress or a lack of eneichment.Now, I don't know how much backstage space the museum has, maybe they are moved into a properly sized enclosure when the museum is closed. I also understand the impulse not to provide hides for the snakes, as this would obscure the viewing experience for customers, however the stress of being constantly exposed to human viewing without the option to hide cannot be in the animals best interests. I keep three snakes of my own with various needs and so have researched them obsessively. I don't claim to be a herpetology expert by any means. Only a passionate hobbiest. I don't think that this museum has ill intentions, but I hope that they can provide improved environments for the animals...

It was awesome but tiny. The owner and only employee at the time was amazing. Super helpful and a genuinely fantastic person. We got a bonus while there. We git to see a new tortoise as she was get accepted in the small family of free roaming turtles they already have. They are giant! This one was bigger. It's interesting to see their first reaction to each other. We just watched they play together for a while. Unique experience for sure. Bought a few things at the gift shop. Cool little place, especially since it is the largest collection of snakes in the US, I believe. Can't believe they fit it all in that small Old Town shop. Take your time to read about all the creatures they have and enjoy your experience, and learn while you are there. We had a great time and definitely worth the admission. Do yourself a favor and go see them at least once. I plan on going back to get some more trinkets from the gift shop. 5 stars for sure, and the owner made it even better, I wish I could remember his name. I'm sorry, but you did awesome. Wish more owners had passion and drive like you do for your business. The world would be a lot better off. He is truly doing what he loves. You can see it. It definitely shows. Plus, they had a soda I've never seen, and that was a cool, unexpected bonus. Thank you again, sir. we will be back for a...