Developers Seek Approval for Massive Indoor Rainforest on Arizona Desert Land

A four-story, climate-controlled rainforest called Paradise Earth is proposed on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land near Scottsdale, but tribal council members have delayed the permit vote.

Paradise Earth, a proposed four-story indoor rainforest covering roughly 93,000 sq ft, would be built on 10.5 acres of Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land close to Scottsdale, Arizona. The attraction aims to host free-flying birds, two-toed sloths, snakes, amphibians, fish and a Victorian-style restaurant called Roost, with visitor pathways at floor, understory and canopy levels. Design work is being handled by the Los Angeles entertainment arm of Gensler and the LA-based Entertainment Design Corporation, while the broader development is part of the Arizona Boardwalk complex that already includes OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland.

After an initial timeline that targeted a 2020 opening, the project halted during COVID-19 and only re-entered the permitting process in 2022; some locals purchased lifetime passes before construction began. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Council unanimously postponed its July 29 vote, demanding more detail on water consumption, waste management, animal sourcing and the feasibility of maintaining a rainforest climate in extreme summer heat.

Councilmember Deanna Scabby likened the proposal to “Jurassic Park.” Developers maintain the facility would be fully climate-controlled, but the permit decision and subsequent design and construction approvals remain pending, with no groundbreaking or opening date announced.