Vivarium — homeVivarium

Est. Black Rock DesertPopulation 25 max21+

A Desert Habitat for Curious Creatures

Feral but Friendly Creatures Sharing One Desert Home.

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Vivarium

Come in, Cool Down, Evolve…

01 · Specimen intro

What is Vivarium?

Annual · since 3SP

Every year a small population of curious creatures migrates to Nevada's Black Rock Desert and builds a temporary habitat out of shade cloth, serendipity and snark. Inside it: connection, creativity, participation, questionable decisions, and a lot of figuring shit out together.

Note 01

Small on purpose

Twenty-five is the whole camp. Everybody learns everybody's name.

Note 02

Built, not booked

The habitat exists because campers put it up and take it down.

Note 03

Open to the city

Our programming is for Black Rock City, not just for us.

Field record

Population
25 max
Locale
Black Rock Desert
Frequency
Annual
Admission
21+
Status
Active
Specimen no. 01

02 · The habitat

What we build out there

Vivarium campers gathered behind the 3SP flag under shade cloth, 2025
Plate IThe population, assembled. We build this, too.2025

Shade, a communal kitchen, a shower, some solar power, a place to sit down when the wind is being rude, and a front porch that can also double as a bar when its feeding time. None of it arrives finished — it gets built, patched and rebuilt.

  • Shade structure
  • Communal kitchen
  • Shower
  • Solar power
  • Front porch
  • Strike crew

Behind the scenes

Structure, labor and the people who make both happen

  • Shade cloth stretched over the Vivarium container and camp gear on the open playa
    Step 01 · Shade
  • Bare metal shade frame going up beside the camp container
    Step 02 · Frame
  • A camper in a cowboy hat holding a power drill at the build site
    Step 03 · Labor
  • A camper on a ladder building the roof of a wooden shower stall
    Step 04 · Shower
  • Water tanks and a pump system installed under shade cloth
    Step 05 · Water
  • Build crew cheering with tools raised at the finished frame
    Step 06 · Celebrate
  • A camper truing a bicycle wheel outside a canvas tent
    Step 07 · Bikes
  • Campers standing around the camp kitchen table with coffee and water coolers
    Step 08 · Coffee

The container comes out of storage, the frame goes up, the water and grey water tanks get delivered, the bikes get tuned up, and by the time the city arrives there is coffee. Every one of those steps is a camper who took their turn.

03 · Camp culture

Who these creatures are

Kind, capable critters who genuinely like each other, feed each other's bodies and souls, and will hold your bike upright while you cry laughing.

Vivarium campers gathered together out at the Man, 2025
Plate IIUnleashed, out in the city.2025

Observed behaviors

  • Occassional communal dinners that start at sunset.
  • Someone fixing something they did not break.
  • Traditions we likely made up on the spot.
  • Genuine care and always consent.

Goal: you should want to know these people.

Selected specimens

Catalogue 2025

  • A camper cheering at sunset in a white fur vest and blue scarf
    Sp. 01 · Cheer
  • Two of the founders of 3SP, Les and SOLA, smiling together in camp
    Sp. 02 · Smiles
  • Campers relaxing and playing guitar under the shade structure
    Sp. 03 · Song
  • Three campers in colorful outfits and rainbow goggles posing with a large rainbow fan
    Sp. 04 · Plumage
  • Two campers posing in front of the camp banners at golden hour
    Sp. 05 · Pair bond
  • Four campers in blankets and coats at sunset by the CHOIR sign
    Sp. 06 · Dusk flock

03a · Field observation

Love in the Vivarium

In 2025, two pairs of creatures got married on playa. Naturally, the habitat celebrated this native mating ritual.

Dillon and Sideshow in ornate purple wedding attire standing together on the open playa
Plate V · Dillon and Sideshow
Close portrait of the married couple, bride in a birdcage veil
Plate VI · Lesley and TNKR
The married couple standing together on the open playa
Plate VII · Til Dust Do Us Part(y)'
Two couples married on playa, surrounded by Vivarium campers, 2025
Film IBurning Man Weddings 2025 · 2 min 58 s.

04 · Participation

A community you help build

The Vivarium is something campers make together, not a service anyone buys. Dues cover infrastructure. Everything else is people showing up.

Obs. 01

You are the labor

Campers cook, haul, build, host and clean. If you're waiting to be asked, this paragraph is the ask.

Obs. 02

Radical self-reliance

Shared shade, kitchen, and water are camp's. Your personal snacks, shelter and survival stay yours.

Obs. 03

Care and consent

Ask before touching anything or anyone, look after each other, tap glass responsibly.

Observed under adverse conditions

Whiteout series · 2025

  • Vehicles and camp structures barely visible through a thick dust storm
    Fig. a · Visibility, none
  • Campers huddled on a couch in goggles and masks during a dust storm
    Fig. b · Shelter in place
  • A group of campers in goggles under green shade cloth during a storm
    Fig. c · Containment Zone

Exit protocol · Plate V

  • A camper raking the playa for MOOP in the afternoon sun
    V.a · Rake the grid
  • A camper crouched down picking debris out of the playa by hand
    V.b · By hand
  • A camper bagging collected MOOP next to a rake on the open playa
    V.c · Bagged and out

Leave No Trace · the last chore of the year, and the only one nobody skips.

Exit protocol

MOOP Free Habitat.

When it's over, the camp comes apart and the desert gets inspected line by line — on foot, on hands and knees, until there is nothing left of us but a flat patch of dust.

It is the least glamorous thing we do and the clearest test of whether someone belongs here.

05 · Public interactivity

Habitat Happenings

2026 programme · subject to weather and whiskey

  • Tuesday

    2–3 pm

    Vanilla Conversational Spanish Vibes

    Useful phrases, casual conversation, and help saying whatever you've always wanted to say in Spanish.

    All ages welcome

  • Thursday

    1–2 pm

    Spanish with Naughty Boarders

    Cursing, slang and creative profanity from across the Spanish-speaking world.

    Adults only

  • Friday

    1–3 pm

    Whiskey & Bad Advice

    Bring us your problems. Receive whiskey and deeply questionable guidance.

    21+ with ID

  • Saturday

    After the Burn

    Grilled Cheese After the Man Burn

    A restorative feeding for body and soul: hot grilled cheese and a soft place to land.

    Until it's gone

Unscheduled human enrichment

Mini pressure-point massages

A quick reset for your face, hands or neck. No schedule, no sign-ups. If Kiki Kay is around, just ask.

Playa portraits

If Gadget is around with a camera, ask about a portrait. Delivered digitally after the Burn.

A large group gathered under the Vivarium shade structure for a camp talk
Plate IVThe habitat filling up for a scheduled happening.2025

06 · Camp wisdom

Things we say a lot

Survival advice, delivered with affection

"It's not your job, it's just your turn."

Dishes, ice runs, shade repair, shower water — they rotate. Take your turn and somebody takes the next one for you.

"Figure it out."

Said with love. The desert breaks things. Ask, improvise, borrow a wrench. Competence optional; willingness to attempt is not.

Two campers smiling together under the shade structure, one wrapped in a white fur coat
ArchiveTwo of the founders of 3SP, Les and SOLA, still on site.2025

07 · Provenance

From 3SP to Vivarium

The Vivarium grew out of 3SP (Third Space Place).

08 · Admission

So you want to live in the Vivarium?

We look for creatures who participate rather than consume, contribute without waiting to be asked, respect consent and the playa, and can handle things going sideways — because they will — with reasonably good humor.

Request Admission
Camp size
25 maximum
Age
21+ only
Dues
$550
Refunds
None
Participation
Expected
Vivarium camp structures lit blue and green after dark
Plate VIII · Our Nocturnal Habitat