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West Side
Those who love hi-tech art served with a Burning Man or Electric Daisy Carnival vibe—and with the addition of air-conditioning—will gravitate to this indoor amusement park inside a giant warehouse next to Interstate 15 (the name is a play on both the highway and the mysterious Area 51). The very fluorescent interior (the black-light averse may feel like they are trapped in a giant Spencer Gifts) even features two big Burning Man art installations: a giant skull covered in video graphics and the fantasy hot rod known as Flux Capacitor. No one in the target demographic will remember when Disneyland had free admission and separate tickets for the rides, but that's the business plan here. Each of the three big attractions is a separate admission: Omega Mart is an otherworldly convenience store, which leads into a walk-through funhouse full of immersive art from the Santa Fe--based arts collective Meow Wolf; Winkworld is full of art and tech surprises courtesy of Chris Wink, a co-founder and original member of the Blue Man Group; Museum Fiasco is an immersive, disorienting clublike bombardment of light and sound. Peripheral attractions include axe-throwing and rides on ski-lift chairs suspended from a ceiling track. Chill out with a cocktail in the "Digital Forest" or maximize this new era of carnival midway with a Korean Corn Dog from the Todd English restaurant The Beast. The complex also has both indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces. The Portal is a 7,000-square-foot indoor venue where projection mapping augments everything from a Van Gogh exhibit to drag shows. The outdoor A-Lot hosts electronic music masters such as Paul Oakenfold. Admission is free, but online reservations let you skip lines out front and may be required on busy nights.
3215 S. Rancho Dr., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89102, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Entry free; Omegaworld $45, Winkworld $15, Museum Fiasco $17
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Center Strip
The flowers, trees, and other plants in Bellagio's soaring atrium are fresh and alive, many of them grown in a 5-acre greenhouse. The artistic floral arrangements and ornamental landscaping here is breathtaking and in some cases monumental in scale. Displays change each season, and the holiday displays in December (for Christmas) and January (for Chinese New Year) are particularly dramatic.
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 24 hrs
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South Strip
There are two reasons to ride the Coney Island–style New York–New York roller coaster (aka Manhattan Express): first, with a 144-foot dive and a 360-degree somersault, it's a real scream; and second, it whisks you around the amazing replica of the New York City skyline, giving you fabulous views of the Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building, and, at night, the Las Vegas lights—you climb to peak heights around 200 feet above the Strip. Get ready to go 67 mph over a dizzying succession of high-banked turns and camelback hills, twirl through a "heartline twist" (like a jet doing a barrel roll), and finally rocket along a 540-degree spiral before pulling back into the station.
3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: From $19, Sun.–Thurs. 11–11, Fri. and Sat. 10:30 am–midnight, weather permitting
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Downtown
Consider this Downtown museum the afterlife for old neon signs. The facility, which displays more than 150 signs that date back to the 1930s, opened to the public in 2012. The old La Concha motel's iconic lobby was renovated and now serves as the museum's entry point. The sign collection includes the original signs from the Stardust, the Horseshoe, and other properties. To get up close, visitors must take an educational and informative one-hour guided tour. Daytime tours, especially in summer, can be scorching. For an alternative, try one of the nighttime tours, where you can see four of the signs illuminated the way they were intended to be. In 2018 the museum added "Brilliant," a separate experience in the North Gallery where a laser-light show set to music appears to reanimate some of the signs. The result is, well, illuminating.
770 Las Vegas Blvd. N, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: From $20, Reservations essential, Daily 10–8:30
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Summerlin South
Red sandstone cliffs and dramatic desert landscapes await day-trippers and outdoors enthusiasts at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Operated by the BLM, the 195,819-acre national conservation area features narrow canyons, fantastic rock formations, seasonal waterfalls, desert wildlife, and rock-art sites. The elevated Red Rock Overlook provides a fabulous view of the cream-and-red sandstone cliffs. For a closer look at the stunning scenery, take the 13-mile, one-way scenic drive through the canyon, open from dawn to dusk. Other activities including hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering, picnicking, and wildlife-watching. A developed campground, 2 miles from the visitor center, has 66 campsites (including RV and group sites), pit toilets, and drinking water for visitors wanting to extend their stay. A modest visitor center, operated by the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association and open on weekdays, contains an informative history of the region, as well as a number of exhibits on local flora and fauna.
1000 Scenic Loop Dr., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89161, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $15 per car, $10 per motorcycle, $5 per individual on bicycle or foot
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Downtown
An intriguing concentration of antiques shops and galleries is found on East Charleston Boulevard and Casino Center Drive, anchored by the Arts Factory. This former warehouse with a colorful mural on the front houses studios and galleries for art of all types, including painting, photography, and sculpture. There's also a bistro on-site and a drop-in yoga studio. The Arts Factory comes alive on "First Friday" with gallery openings, exhibits, receptions, and special events. "Preview Thursday," the day before First Friday, offers the same artwork with fewer crowds. Guided tours are available on request (and with a reservation).
107 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89104, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 9–6; First Fridays 5–11 pm
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North Strip
If the sun is blazing, the kids are antsy, and you need a place to while away a few hours, make for the big pink dome behind Circus Circus. The 5-acre amusement park has more than 25 rides and attractions for all age levels, and is kept at a constant 72°F. The newest attraction is a roller-skating rink, with skate rentals available. The El Loco roller coaster includes a barrel roll and a number of G-force drops. Also check out the Canyon Blaster, the world's only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster, a huge swinging pirate ship, bumper cars, several kiddie rides, a minigolf course, two Bank Heist Laser Challenges, a rock-climbing wall, and much more. There are even attractions with computer-generated iterations of the Angry Birds and SpongeBob SquarePants. And Neon Nights on Friday and Saturday give everything a whole new glow.
2880 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: From $6 per ride, all-day pass $34 for those 48 inches and taller, $20 for under 48 inches, Hrs vary; call or look online
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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.
1830 Boulder Hwy. S, Henderson, Nevada, 89002, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $2, Daily 9–4:30
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Downtown
The DISCOVERY Children's Museum is one of the most technologically sophisticated children's museums in the entire country. The facility comprises nine theme exhibition halls, all of which are designed to inspire visitors—both children and adults—to learn through play. The star of the show: a 12-story exhibit dubbed "The Summit," with education stations on every level and a lookout that peeks through the building's roof. Parents of the smallest visitors will also love "Toddler Town," an area designed for those who are still crawling or just learning how to walk. And since this particular author has been in the news lately, stop in at "Young at Art," which asks: "Have you wondered what it would be like walking into a Dr. Seuss book?" While you're at an institution of both fun and learning, remember the good doc's immortal words: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
360 Promenade Pl., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89106, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $15 for nonlocals; $13 for locals with valid Nevada ID, Closed Mon. Aug.--May, Tues.–Fri. 9–4, Sat. 10–5, Sun. noon–5
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Downtown
It turns out shipping containers—the same kinds you see on cargo ships and tractor trailers—can be pretty versatile. At this open-air mall, for instance, on the outskirts of the Fremont East neighborhood, the structures have been repurposed into food stalls, boutiques (38 of them), offices, and even a three-story "tree house" complete with grown-up-friendly slides. The place also has an amphitheater stage fronted by real grass. Although the tree house is fun (especially with young kids), the highlight of the attraction is the large, fire-spewing praying mantis, which was originally constructed for use at the Burning Man festival in northern Nevada.
707 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 11–11
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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.
2 Cactus Garden Dr., Henderson, Nevada, 89014, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Sat. and Sun. 8–8
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Center Strip
Just next to the pool area at Flamingo Las Vegas, a flamboyance of live Chilean flamingos lives on islands and in streams surrounded by sparkling waterfalls and lush foliage. Other animals on-site include swans, ducks, koi, goldfish, pelicans, hummingbirds, and turtles. The small habitat makes for a fun, brief stroll. Be sure not to miss the daily pelican feedings at 11:30 and 2.
3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 8–dusk
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This enclosed mall in northwest Henderson boasts dozens of stores and boutiques, a large food court, sit-down restaurants such as Rodizio Grill the Brazilian Steakhouse and Gen Korean BBQ House, and seasonal carnivals. There's also a children's play area and a kiddie train to keep the little ones entertained.
1300 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson, Nevada, 89014, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Mon.–Sat. 10–9, Sun. 11–6
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North Strip
Let a gondolier "o sole mio" you down Vegas's rendition of Venice's Grand Canal. We love this attraction because it's done so well—owner Sheldon Adelson was obsessed with getting the canals just right: he had them drained and repainted three times before he was satisfied with the hue, and the colossal reproduction of St. Mark's Square at the end of the canal is authentic right down to the colors of the facades. The gondoliers who ply the waterway are professional entertainers and train for two weeks to maneuver the canals. It all makes for a rather entertaining way to while away an hour on the Strip. Outdoor gondola rides along the resort's exterior waterway are also available, weather permitting. Photo packages are available with all rides.
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: From $29; photo packages from $22, Sun.–Thurs. 10 am–11 pm, Fri. and Sat. 10 am–midnight; outdoor gondolas daily 11–10
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More than 200 bird species have been spotted among the system of nine ponds at the 140-acre Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. The preserve's ponds, at the Kurt R. Segler Water Reclamation Facility, are a stop along the Pacific flyway for migratory waterbirds, and the best viewing times are winter and early spring. The earlier you get there, the better if you want to fill your bird checklist. The ponds also harbor hummingbirds, raptors, peregrine falcons, tundra swans, cormorants, ducks, hawks, and herons. The office will lend out a pair of binoculars if you ask. Keep the bags of bread crumbs at home; the preserve doesn't allow the feeding of wildlife, and bikes and domestic pets are not allowed.
350 E. Galleria Dr., Henderson, Nevada, 89011, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily, hrs vary according to season
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South Strip
Chocoholics rejoiced in 2014 when the two-story, West Coast flagship of Hershey's Chocolate opened as part of the streetscape fronting New York–New York. The attraction includes an 800-pound Statue of Liberty made of chocolate, a retail store, a café, and a tester area where visitors can sample some of Hershey's newest confections. Visitors also can personalize Hershey's chocolate bar wrappers, star in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ad, or put together a bag of different-flavored Hershey's Kisses (almond, mint, and so on) chocolates wrapped in a variety of different colors.
3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 9 am–11 pm
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This 320-acre, man-made lake outside of 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.
29 Grand Mediterra Blvd., Henderson, Nevada, 89011, USA
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Downtown
If your kids are into animals (or taxidermy), they'll love this museum, where every continent and geological age is represented. You're greeted by a 35-foot-tall roaring T. rex in the dinosaur gallery that features Shonisaurus, Nevada's state fossil. From there, you can enjoy rooms full of sharks (including live ones, swimming in a 3,000-gallon reef tank), birds, cavemen, and scenes from the African savanna. Kids especially enjoy the various hands-on exhibits; the Young Scientist Center offers youngsters the opportunity to investigate fossils and animal tracks up close. After that, tour the Wild Nevada Gallery, where kids can see, smell, and even touch Nevada wildlife. Two-for-one ticket coupons are available online.
900 Las Vegas Blvd. N, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Daily 9–4
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Center Strip
Yes, the name is confusing, but the LINQ Promenade, the shopping, dining, and entertainment complex between the Flamingo and the LINQ Hotel, is worth the trip. Some of the notable attractions include the two-story I Love Sugar, complete with "candy martini bar"; Purple Zebra, a bar devoted solely to frozen daiquiris; a namesake comedy club for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel (who grew up in Las Vegas); and Brooklyn Bowl, which is one-part bowling alley, one-part live music venue. Of course, there's also a new iteration of O'Shea's, the Irish-theme casino that was razed to create the new streetcape. The big draw, however, is the High Roller, a 550-foot-tall observation wheel with spectacular views of the city.
3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
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North Strip
Audition in front of Simon Cowell or stand toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali as you explore the open showroom filled with uncanny celebrity wax portrayals of people from the worlds of show business, sports, politics, and everywhere in between. Crowd-pleasers include Khloe Kardashian, Will Smith, Steve Aoki, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and The Hangover Bar. An interactive segment lets you play golf with Tiger Woods or shoot baskets with Shaquille O'Neill. The new Virtual Room even gives you a chance to save the world. Discount tickets are available online.
3377 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Sight Details
Rate Includes: From $37, Sun.–Thurs. 10–9; Fri. and Sat. 10–10 (with some seasonal variances)
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