4 Best Sights in Paradise Road and the East Side, Las Vegas

As Las Vegas grew, so did the amount of treated water released by its wastewater treatment plant. Recycled water making its way back to Lake Mead carved out a "wash" that needed to be constrained by a series of porous dams (known as weirs). The resulting wetlands eventually hosted so much plant- and wildlife, the county turned it into a 2,900-acre refuge in 1999. No one would consider Wetlands an essential Las Vegas visit compared to the marvels of Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon, but the park saw a big jump in popularity during the pandemic, when locals gravitated to its wide-open spaces and the unique charm of being able to see the Strip one minute, then be completely disoriented as you descend down winding paths surrounded by tall grass. All sorts of birds and critters call the place home, from great blue herons to beavers. There's an impressive Nature Center complete with a small museum and children's area. But plan to picnic or eat later—there's no restaurant or food service beyond a few bags of chips in the gift shop. Dogs and bicycles are allowed on the outer loop trail, but not in the inner core of the preserve.

This museum on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus has a growing collection of works by artists with ties to Southern Nevada. The exhibits are largely held in one cavernous space, with an adjacent auditorium hosting lectures focused on art. The Xeric Garden in front of the museum, which dates to 1988, was the first xeriscape demonstration garden in town. It usually doesn't take too long to see the museum, but the free attraction provides a good reason to stroll the campus grounds and see the nearby Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery or visit the student union. The Barrick Museum closes completely for several weeks at a time when new exhibits are installed, two or three times a year.

Today's Las Vegas is lighted by neon and LED, but during the Cold War, uranium and plutonium illuminated the area from time to time as well in the form of a roiling mushroom cloud in the distance. This museum, in association with the Smithsonian, commemorates southern Nevada's long and fascinating history of nuclear weapons research and testing with film footage and photographs of mushroom clouds; testimonials; and artifacts (including a deactivated bomb, twisted chunks of steel, and bomb-testing machinery from the Nevada Test Site). The museum also pays homage to the sometimes frightening, sometimes comical treatment of "the bomb" in pop culture, and occasionally hosts guest speakers and special events.

The museum has virtual tours of the 1,375-square-mile Nevada National Security Site (larger than the state of Rhode Island) and is the starting point for occasional group tours of the area, which used to be the spot in the desert where the government tested atomic bombs. The site is 65 miles northwest of Downtown. There are plenty of restrictions, and live tours book as much as a year ahead, with museum donors getting first pass.

Opened in 1988, The Gun Store puts you on the range with a machine gun of your choice. When you walk in, you're greeted with a wall full of weapons, most of which are available to rent. Pick your era: Hose the target a steady diet of lead Cagney-style with a Thompson. World War II buffs might go for an MP40 Schmeisser. Have a flair for the international? Grab an Uzi or Sten. They've got handguns, rifles, and shotguns, too.