Las Vegas Feature

Wildlife

This may be Sin City, but there are plenty of great family-oriented activities. There's wildlife galore, starting with exotic birds at Flamingo and the fish and reptiles at Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Next, head to the Mirage to see the white tigers of the Secret Garden and the eponymous mammals of the Dolphin Habitat.

Fast Times

If your family prefers adrenaline-based bonding, scream your way up the strip, starting at the Roller Coaster at New York-New York. Next, head to the multifaceted entertainment complex GameWorks in the Showcase Mall (next to MGM Grand). Continue north along the Strip, stopping at Circus Circus's indoor theme park Adventuredome on your way to the Stratosphere Tower. Here the Big Shot, XScream, and Insanity-The Ride fly high above the Strip at 1,149 feet. Can't decide between wild animals and wild rides? Go Downtown for both at The Tank at Golden Nugget, where a three-story waterslide includes a ride through a glass tube into the heart of a 200,000-gallon shark tank.

Downtime

For a mellower afternoon, head to the Venetian's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. After posing next to Denzel and J-Lo, check out the exploding volcano at the Mirage. Since you're at the Mirage, grab last-minute tickets for ventriloquist Terry Fator's one-of-a-kind musical puppet act. You can minimize your kids' sinful intake by staying at the Trump Hotel Las Vegas, a posh accommodation unusual for being smoke- and casino-free.