emd - Yes, you are right, LV is the polar opposite to "natural". We did bring our 12 and 14 yo knowing what LV is like. I think that they will see that stuff in life and it is better if they experience it first with us to talk with them about it. They hated the strip and the casinos but loved hiking in Red Rocks and Zion and attending Mystere. So I think you have to evaluate LV in the context of your family's value system and weigh the pros with the cons.

Loved the comment about grandma, Weasel. Of course we all stay home to babysit and put rollers in our hair and get to bed before 9pm with the grandkids as well.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

You never catch this one at home just baby-sitting, ever. I'm either doing things WITH them, or out there myself.

That's what a lot of grandma's are like now. We don't all have blue hair either.

While I never took my daughter on my adult Vegas trips, as a SoCal native there were plenty of times that we found ourselves in Vegas as she was growing up. Hey, most of them were school trips. Marching band and high school sports regional and national finals are in Vegas all the time. Amazingly the school organizers were always able to find sufficient activities for the kids that did not involve casinos. I mean, sheesh, people, you do realize that actual families live in Las Vegas? I had been to Las Vegas maybe twenty times as a young 'un before I ever set foot inside a casino.

I am really tiring of the judgemental tone on this board at times.

It is amazing to me how a bunch of strangers are able to intuit enough about an anonymous poster, about whom they know nothing, to tell how to raise their children. I personally subscribe to the non-coddling theory of child-rearing, and I believe that it is best to actually show them the world and teach them the skills necessary for decision making. You can raise your child however you like, but you have no business telling me or anyone else how to do it. My poor, abused child was taught to behave in public, allowed to suffer from making her own, sometimes wrong, decisions, and, yes, was even in a casino in a stroller. Thank God she was able to overcome all the corruption from my poor parenting skills, and has just completed her masters at age 22, while holding down a job and managing her life on her own 2100 miles away from mom.

Axelbobo's question was a legitimate one, and in answer to it, yes, in most of the casino's you can find other entrances. You can stroll through New York or the streets of Paris or visit other commercial areas of the hotels with your children, usually without having to pass through the gaming area. In those hotels where you have to go through the faming area, just stay on the path on the carpeting and go around.

I did not know that Wynn was stroller free, but when Bellagio first opened IT was stroller free, so I was surprised to see (from someones post here) that they now allow them....perhaps it is Wynn himself that likes the stroller free atmosphere, and now that he no longer owns the Bellagio they have changed that rule.
I think the no strollers allowed is for a couple of reasons, it looks bad (now don't start with the nasty emails...I have young kids and I own AND use strollers) but it does look a little tacky, AND many people are annoyed by strollers (those that don't have little kids), they think they take up to much of the walking space. I had heard that "strollers" is one of Disneylands biggest complaints (don't know how true this is), but many would like the parks to ban the strollers because there are just too many of them.

first, thank you "here_today_gone_2Maui"...REAL families fo live here so please try to be curtious to those that have been born and raised here and are now raising our own families. I think the majority of people that say negative things about Vegas or say it is artifical (emd) probably never left the Strip...just to let everyone know the Strip IS NOT LAS VEGAS, it is IN Las Vegas, it is only an area, and guess what it is an area for TOURISTS...come on people, let it go...ok have to get the kiddies to their blackjack lessons now!!!!

Although I've never seen this actually enforced, this is directly from Bellagio's website:

"You must be 18 years of age or a registered hotel guest to enter Bellagio.

The following exceptions apply to minors who are at least 5 years of age and accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age:

Restaurant reservations for Michael Mina, FIX, Sensi, Circo, Jasmine, Le Cirque, Picasso, Shintaro or Prime
Attending a wedding in our Wedding Chapels
Attending a convention function
Attending a performance of "O"
Gallery of Fine Art
Children of hotel guests and non-hotel guests are allowed if accompanied by an adult. Non-hotel guests with children must have their tickets in hand prior to arriving to Bellagio.
Visiting a Via Bellagio shop by appointment only
Strollers are allowed for hotel guests only."

Well, although you haven't really asked for anyones' opinion, I thought I'd throw mine in anyway. I'm somewhere between vegasLocal and TheWeasel.

You have every right to enjoy your vacation with your children, and there is truly a lot to do with kids now out in Vegas, however, nothing bothers people more than seeing 4 & 5 year olds running around a casino acting like...well...children.

capxxx got it right. Walk through all you want, but don't pause at a slot or even cut through the slot machine area with your kids in tow. I saw this happen once and when the adult paused to find his way, it took about two seconds for the kid to break loose and hit his head on a slot machine. The paramedics attended to him among mutters of "what was a kid doing in here anyway" and "what kind of parent lets their kid run around in a casino".

The gambling area of a casino is an "adult zone" and as adorable as I'm sure your children are, they will not be welcome.

Good post, jendirt. My DH is from Vegas and we have taken his daughter, when she was young, to see the family there. We naturally spent an evening or two on the strip enjoying all there is to see, but stayed away from the gaming areas, other than just passing thru on our way to somewhere else. There is honsetly so much to see just walking up and down the strip, or in old downtown, that you don't really have to venture inside of all that many hotels or gaming areas. Just watch for those that hand out the "not so nice" material to everyone walking around at night.

IMO, Vegas can be very entertaining for children, as well, if you want a family trip. Just be sure not to invade on the "adult time" that people are also trying to enjoy.

It is fascinating to me that children are allowed to empty their parents' pockets into video and other games that reward with tickets redeemable for worthless baubles, but they cannot play the slots for real money! Why not have slot machines that pay out into junior's 529 account? The children's games have a 100% house advantage and therefore are more profitable than letting junior spin the roulette wheel. The only other reasons to keep the children moving through the casinos are the alcoholic drinks being served and the thick smoke permeating young lungs.

It's been a long time since my kids were 3 and 4 years old, but I can't imagine that they would have been very interested in seeing the insides of hotels, no matter how fantasic they were. Surely there is something to do in that area that they would enjoy more.

However, I can certainly see the point in seeing all those places for myself. Therefore, I would make it easy for ME and get a double stroller for the both of them and push them through the casinos as fast as possible.

Such an interesting debate...I agree that, with all due respect to the talents of tourism promoters, casinos are not an environment for minors- nor, certainly, is most of the Vegas underbelly. The Strip becomes a destination for so, so many reasons. My guess would be that the least of these reasons is the entertainment value for children. Certainly there exist a number of very entertaining shows that hold some value for families- Mystere, O, etc. However, to tip-toe around the town with the babies is, at the very least, a waste of time and frankly, ludicrous. It's not worth it, Mom and Dad. Sure, I once, some years ago, almost bought into the "Family Destination" initiative. Never jumped in though. And we all eventually figured it out anyway, didn't we? I love Vegas. There, I admit it. I often find myself there for business and take the opportunity to minimally indulge in gaming and dining. I also find it an exciting distraction from the habits of suburbia with DW on rare occassions.
Now for the editorial commentary...I'm not above it all enough to think that my extremely conservative parenting techniques will protect my children from the dark, dangerous, destructive and often perverse side of Vegas. Most of us parents do the best we can to prepare our children and pray for the best. I know that at some point it becomes less about us and more about their peers and social pressures. We equip them the best we that we can. The fact that Vegas exists at all is precisely because of the fact that we, our parents and our children are born predisposed to individual interests, intellects and aptitudes. We, as humans, often can't help ourselves. Those of us who have been to Vegas have seen those of us who fit this description. I am grateful for the genes that allow me to avoid the worst of it and hope that my children are also able to.
Which brings me to this...here_today, I will commend you on an outstanding job of stepping up on this forum to present your superior parenting skills. You've done a very fine job of creating a comfortable and successful environment and future for your daughter. Yes, indeed, real families do live in Vegas. Real families live everywhere. Real parenting successes and failures exist everywhere as well. A shame that we find ourselves crediting Vegas, of all places, with providing the stage upon which to debate parenting versus biological dispositions and social pressures. There are parents around the world that try their very best and yet Vegas attracts our children, again, for so many reasons. It matters not that we do or do not stroll with kids in tow through the casinos when they are young. It matters how we glorify or despise the culture when talking with our children. What they do with it from there...I pray for their protection.
The aisles dissecting most casinos allow for a family of four, maybe more. Enjoy the lights, action, dining and excitement of the city and keep moving. The kids will figure it out eventually.

There's no bigger buzz kill than seeing a kid in a casino.

...and wondering where and what that kid's
parents are doing.

If you reread the OP she is from the UK, probably not a weekend jaunt to LV while kids stay at grammie's house (although I think that is an excellent choice for most of us who travel to Vegas). I doubt if LV is her sole destination, more like one of many. And she isn't a gambler. Just someone who wants to get from point A to point B in the hotels.

Thankyou amwosu. She is a he by the way . You're actually the first to either understand, or actuallly read my post brfore jumping to your answer. Im travelling from the U>K for nine days in the USA. 1 night L.A, 3 nights Vegas, 1 Grand Canyon and 4 back in L.A. As you can see lots of driving and lots of things to see. Myself my wife and two children 3&4. My niece 11, and my parents. Quite a mixture im sure you'd agree. We'are here to see the highlights that all these destinations have to offer. Note that we are also visiting Red Rock and Valley of Fire amongst others. I've already mentioned we will not be gambling but do wish to see inside the marvels of these hotels just as well as seeing them outside. If you posters are regulars or residents of Vegas, then i'm sure you must be bored of what these hotels have to offer by now, but to our family its probably first and last time that we will visit. Im sure anyone who sets sights on these hotels for the first time would like to see what they offer inside as well as out. Hope you get the idea of my post now. I just needed to check that we could enter through the casino (front of most) to get to other areas if i had my children. Thanks.

Have a ball Axelbobo. I think that many of the posters are just frustrated by the number of kids who are taken to Vegas for their parents' vacations.

I enjoyed walking through the shopping areas of Aladdin, Bellagio, the Venetian and Caesar's Palace on my first trip to the strip.

Hi Axelbobo. I did understand your post, and that's why I gave you the info from Bellagio's website. You said your kids would be in strollers, and they directly address this issue.

Of course, as I mentioned, I've never actually seen this rule enforced. I think it's more that they're trying to promote an "image" and thereby discourage young children, especially in strollers. I guess they could approach you and ask to see a room key, and then ask you to leave if you don't have one, but again, I think it's a highly unlikely scenario. Also, to the best of my knowledge, Bellagio is the only stip hotel with this stated policy, so you should be fine.

Have a wonderful trip and be sure to come back and tell us all about it upon your return home.

Make sure you take your family to see the Fountains at The Bellagio. It is one of the 'must do' things in Vegas. I think it is more spectacular at night.

I have seen the Bellagio policy being enforced on several occasions. It is not that they are always there, but I have seen them turn people away.

Axel - Have a wonderful time!

JRP - agree with most of what you say, but beleive it or not, parents are the biggest influence on their kids, not peers!