133 Best Sights in Nevada, USA

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.

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"; Sweet Sin, which specializes in gelato and macarons; 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 streetscape. The big draw, however, is the High Roller, a 550-foot-tall observation wheel with spectacular views of the city.

The Hoover Dam now has sightseer competition from the spectacular bridge that was built to bypass it. The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (named for the popular Nevada governor and the Arizona football star who was killed in Afghanistan) is the western hemisphere's longest single-span concrete arch bridge. It runs 1,905 feet long, and towers nearly 900 feet above the river and 280 feet above Hoover Dam. You don't see much by driving over it—scarcely anything from a sedan—but walking it is quite a thrill. A pedestrian walkway is well separated from the driving lanes, the access path to the bridge has informational signage, and ramps offer an alternative to the steps. There are restrooms in the parking lot (labeled "Memorial Bridge Plaza"), where it can be hard to find a parking space on weekends. (If you can't get a spot, drive a few yards past the parking lot entrance and turn left into the lot for a trailhead on the other side of the road.) Bring water and sunscreen for the walk, and be prepared for broiling summer temperatures; there is no shade.

Remember to take Exit 2 if you want to go to the dam instead of the bypass bridge, or you will have to drive across it and turn back to visit the dam.

The Palazzo certainly feels palatial. Wide, cavernous corridors give way to an expansive casino, which, in turn, fronts escalators to Grand Canal Shoppes, a mall with nearly 200 stores. Just off the hotel lobby is an array of public art that's changed frequently. Music lovers flock to The Palazzo Theater to experience the Tony Award--winning SIX: The Musical or for short-term residencies by other artists. With a top-quality energy conservation program and other green amenities, The Palazzo has received LEED Gold distinction from the U.S. Green Building Council.

"Fat Mike" Burkett of NOFX is behind this two-story, 12,000 square-foot tribute and repository of in-your-face rock. The artifacts come to life if you opt for guided tours from a rotating list of veteran punks, representing bands such as Bad Religion, The Vandals, and Less Than Jake. In true Las Vegas tradition, there's also a wedding chapel and a bar called The Triple Down (a spin-off of the punk-enough Double Down near the UNLV campus).

This theme hotel re-creates Italy's most romantic city with meticulous reproductions of Venetian landmarks. As such, this gilded resort is a hit with foodies, shoppers, and high rollers alike. From the Strip you enter through the Doge's Palace, which stands on a walkway over a large lagoon. Inside, Renaissance characters roam the public areas, singing opera and performing mime. Walking from the hotel lobby into the casino is one of the great experiences in Las Vegas: overhead, reproductions of famous frescoes adorn the ceiling; underfoot, the geometric design of the flat marble floor provides an Escher-like optical illusion of climbing stairs. On a lagoon in front of the resort visitors can take gondola rides and look out on the Strip; gondola rides also are available in the canals that thread through Grand Canal Shoppes upstairs. The Venetian is known for its restaurant scene and the heralded bar project, Electra Cocktail Club, has gotten rave reviews for its rum, agricole, and mezcal specialty cocktails.

Travel down to the bottom of the North Atlantic where the "ship of dreams" rests after grazing an iceberg in 1912. The 25,000-square-foot exhibit inside Luxor Las Vegas includes a replica of guest compartments, the grand staircase, and a promenade deck that movie fans will recognize from a little film by James Cameron. Among the 350 emotionally arresting artifacts: luggage, clothing, a bottle of unopened champagne, and pieces of the ship, including a massive section of the iron hull, complete with bulging rivets and portholes.

The 68 miles between the park and Ely make a beautiful drive with diverse views of Nevada's paradoxical geography: dry deserts and lush mountains. You'll catch an occasional glimpse of a snake, perhaps a rattler, slithering on the road's shoulder, or a lizard sunning on a rock. Watch for deer. A straight drive to Ely takes a little more than an hour; if you have the time to take a dirt-road adventure, don't miss the Ward Charcoal Ovens or a peek at Cave Lake.

There is a handful of places here where you can sit down for a bite and a breather. A group picnic site requires advance reservations, but areas near the host site and amphitheater are first come, first served. Water is available.

The 50-foot-tall neon cowboy outside the Pioneer Club has been waving to Las Vegas visitors since 1947 (though, truth be told, he was actually replaced by a newer version in 1951). His neon sidekick, Vegas Vicki, went up across the street in 1980, was retired in 2017, then unretired—complete with her own lounge—in Downtown's new Circa Resort & Casino.

An endless variety of wedding themes and add-on shtick is available, ranging from elegant to casual to camp. You can say your vows in the presence of Elvis, the Blues Brothers, or Liberace. Live webcams stream nuptials on the chapel's website in real time. Of the four chapels, one has a Doo-Wop Diner theme.

In the quiet desert south of Ely, this row of six beehive-shaped, 30-foot-tall ovens used to process 35 cords of wood at once. From 1876 to 1879, the ovens turned vast forests of pinyon, juniper, and mountain mahogany into charcoal, which was used for refining local silver and copper ore. It's a well-preserved piece of unique mining history, and the park includes a campground, hiking trails, and a creek good for fishing.