6 Best Sights in Henderson and Lake Las Vegas, Las Vegas

Step into the past (quite literally) at this modest museum, a 30-acre site that features a small exhibit hall with a time-line exhibit about southern Nevada from prehistoric to modern times. The facility also offers a collection of restored historic buildings that depict daily life from different decades in Las Vegas, Boulder City, Henderson, and Goldfield. Other attractions include a replica of a 19th-century frontier print shop and a 1960s wedding chapel that once stood on the Las Vegas Strip. There are also buildings and machinery dating from the turn of the 20th century, a nature trail, and a small ghost town. The museum also hosts a memorial to the 58 people killed in the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting. If you can't get to the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, west of the Strip, this is a worthwhile substitute.

Ethel M celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2016 and renovated its Henderson factory to commemorate the occasion. Today, watching gourmet chocolates being made on one of the daily tours will make your mouth water; fortunately the self-guided tour is brief, and there are free samples at the end. You can buy more of your favorites in the store. There are also chocolate tasting experiences beginning at $20, where you will learn about how chocolate is sourced and produced and become an honorary chocolatier complete with certificate afterward. Randomly, the factory also happens to be home to the largest cactus garden in the southwestern United States, and hosts spectacular light displays at Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.

This 320-acre, man-made lake outside Henderson is regarded for its golf courses, boating, fishing, and hotels. Two resorts sit on the lake shore: Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The lake was created by an earthen dam in 1991.

This 6,000-seat arena serves as the practice facility of the Henderson Silver Knights, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. When the home team isn’t on the ice, there are adult and youth hockey leagues and clinics and camps to keep the puck moving. Open skate sessions and skating classes are offered as well. To keep energy levels up, visit the Public Works Coffee Bar in the northeast corner of the arena. On the building’s second floor, there’s MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill & Pub for bar bites and brews.

Stretching 36 miles around the River Mountains, this multiuse paved trail is perfect for hiking, biking, running, jogging, and horseback riding. For a stretch, the trail parallels the shores of Lake Mead, and it connects with a historic spur that leads from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to a parking lot just north of Hoover Dam. The route runs through Boulder City, Henderson, and Lake Las Vegas. You can rent bikes at All Mountain Cyclery ( www.allmountaincyclery.com) in Boulder City. The most popular trailheads are at the Alan Bible Visitor Center inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Bootleg Canyon Park, at the north end of Yucca Street in Boulder City. But you can also reach the trail from the eastern end of Equestrian Drive and from the Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino, both in Henderson.

See three different sports franchises under one roof at The Dollar Loan Center, the home of the Henderson Silver Knights, the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League, and the NBA G League Ignite. The arena also houses the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and the Craggy Range Sports Bar & Grill, which is open daily regardless of whether there's an event at the venue. Try their ghost pepper–enhanced, 23-ounce Flaming Bloody Mary if you want to get a taste of what swallowing fire feels like.