A long-teased indoor rainforest attraction that Valley families have bought lifetime passes for looks a bit closer to breaking ground after years of delays. Paradise Earth, billed by its backers as a tropics-style boardwalk filled with free-flying birds and sloths, appears to have taken a formal step with tribal planners inside the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Locals who purchased memberships have been waiting for details since the project was first marketed in 2018, and some remain skeptical after earlier animal-attraction controversies in the area.
Documents reviewed by the Phoenix Business Journal identify the proposed attraction at 8450 N. Dobson Road on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and show materials filed with tribal planners as the project seeks approvals. If the community grants permits, the project would sit inside the Arizona Boardwalk/Talking Stick Entertainment District near other tourist draws.
What backers are promising
According to Paradise Earth's website, the attraction is being pitched as "the largest indoor rainforest in North America" and would feature hundreds of free-flying birds, sloths, poisonous dart frogs and exotic plants along climate-controlled trails. The site says Paradise Earth will join the Arizona Boardwalk complex adjacent to OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland, positioning it as a major new draw for the district.
The Arizona Boardwalk and project backers told ABC15 that development began in 2018, paused during the pandemic and restarted in 2022, and that developers have submitted a conditional-use application to the tribal review process. ABC15 reports the team laid out a multi-stage permit path and said refunds are available for lifetime members who request them. The outlet also noted the proposal involves permissions tied to live animals and water systems as part of the review.
Neighbors and why some are wary
The planned site sits among established attractions in the Talking Stick Entertainment District, a stretch already known for OdySea Aquarium and other family draws. "Dolphinaris Arizona closed after the deaths of four of its eight dolphins," ABC15 reported, a history that has left some residents and activists cautious about large live-animal exhibits. Those questions about animal welfare, water use and the logistics of a tropical habitat in the desert are likely to shape public comment and tribal review.
Next steps
Tribal planners will now review the submitted materials and could require design review and construction permits before any groundbreaking; there is no public schedule yet for hearings or approvals. The development page on Paradise Earth lists the team behind the proposal and provides contact information for updates and investor inquiries, and the backers say they will keep lifetime members informed as the review proceeds.
