Bowling Las Vegas is one of the favorite cities in the world for bowlers of all levels, with several huge alleys offering everything from regular bowling to rock-‘n’-roll style action. The Strip got its first serious bowling alley in 2014 at Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S.…
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Las Vegas Attractions
You aren’t going to lack for things to do in Las Vegas. More than likely, you’ve come here for the gambling, which should keep you pretty busy. But you can’t sit at a slot machine forever. After all, you’re going to have to get up to go to the bathroom at some point! When you do, maybe you should look around at ...
You aren’t going to lack for things to do in Las Vegas. More than likely, you’ve come here for the gambling, which should keep you pretty busy. But you can’t sit at a slot machine forever. After all, you’re going to have to get up to go to the bathroom at some point! When you do, maybe you should look around at some of the other things here that can keep you entertained.
Just walking on the Strip and gazing at the gaudy, garish, absurd wonder of it all can occupy quite a lot of time. This is the number-one activity we recommend in Vegas; at night, it is a mind-boggling sight. Beyond that there are options galore, from popular bits of Vegas silliness like volcanoes and crooning gondoliers, to museums, thrill rides, spas, recreation, and beyond. And, of course, you can engage in those most iconic Vegas traditions, getting married and gambling.
Don’t forget there are shows and plenty of other nighttime entertainment. There are also out-of-town sightseeing options, such as Hoover Dam (a major tourist destination), Red Rock Canyon, and excursions to the Grand Canyon.
The Resurgence of Downtown Las Vegas
For decades, the bulk of the attention, and development dollars, in Las Vegas has gone to the Strip, while the original part of Sin City, the Downtown area, languished and seemed on the verge of extinction.
Credit, at least in part, online retailer Zappos.com for changing all that. Its plan to move its headquarters and a couple of thousand employees into the former city hall building spurred a resurgence in Downtown Las Vegas, with major revamps to old hotels, new restaurants, fun and funky bars, attractions, street festivals, and more, all lending a new sense of life to the area.
The bulk of the action happens on the Fremont Street Experience, the pedestrian-only mall on Fremont Street between Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard. That’s where you’ll find most of the casinos, shopping, and restaurants.
The Fremont East Entertainment District takes up several blocks of Fremont Street just east of Las Vegas Boulevard and has several bars, lounges, and clubs all within a few feet of each other, so no matter how much you may be stumbling, you can probably still make it to the next one in your all-night pub crawl.
This is the area where you’ll find the Downtown Container Park, a shopping and dining complex made out of recycled shipping containers and prefabricated metal cubes. In addition to the retail and food options, there are a giant treehouse-style jungle gym inside for the kids and a fire-breathing praying mantis sculpture out front for kids of all ages.
The 18b Arts District is a few blocks south of Fremont Street, bounded, more or less, by Las Vegas Boulevard to the east, Commerce Street to the west, Hoover Avenue on the north, and Colorado Avenue on the south. Art galleries, antique and collectible stores, and more than a few pawn shops and bail bonds offices (to give it color, we suppose) are scattered about the neighborhood, giving it a refreshingly bohemian feeling as it sits in the shadow of the overprocessed Strip.
The monthly First Friday Las Vegas street festival happens in the heart of the 18b Arts District on the blocks surrounding the intersection of Casino Center Drive and Colorado Avenue. Local artists hawk their wares while live bands and DJs keep the crowds moving, play areas (complete with a video game truck) keep the kids entertained, and a sea of food vendors and food trucks keep everyone fat and happy. It’s one of the few places where there is a true sense of community in Vegas. It happens, appropriately enough, on the first Friday of every month from 5 until 11pm. For more information, visit www.firstfridaylasvegas.com.
The area has even qualified for its own big-time music, arts, and food event with the Life is Beautiful Festival, held each October. The inaugural event in 2013 drew more than 65,000 people and featured stages with Beck, the Killers, Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons, and more while food tents had eats from Cat Cora, Hubert Keller, Todd English, and Paul Bartolotta, among others. For more information, visit www.lifeisbeautifulfestival.com.
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Religious Site
A Special Memory Wedding Chapel
This is absolutely the place to go if you want a traditional, big-production wedding; you won’t feel it the least bit tacky. It’s a New England church–style building, complete with steeple. The interior looks like a proper church (well, a plain one—don’t think ornate Gothic… -
Theme Park
Adventuredome
his is a more than okay place to spend a hot afternoon, especially since it’s one of the few family-friendly attractions in town. Plus, unlike most theme parks, it’s indoors! The glass dome that towers overhead lets in natural light so you get the best of both worlds—sunlight and… -
Activity
Angel Park Golf Club
This 36-hole, par-70/71 public course is a local favorite. Arnold Palmer originally designed the Mountain and Palm courses. (The Palm Course was redesigned several years later by Bob Cupp.) Players call this a great escape from the casinos, claiming that no matter how many times they… -
Gym/Spa
Aquae Sulis Spa
The centerpiece here is the “Ritual,” a series of dunks and soaks in cold, warm, hydrotherapy, and floating pools, some of which are outside in a gorgeously landscaped grotto. It’s totally unique and worth the 20-minute drive from the Strip. -
Museum
Aria Fine Art Collection
Art in outdoor public spaces is a relatively new phenomenon to Las Vegas, mostly because the only time people spend outside is by the pool or hustling to get to another casino. But Aria wisely (I think) decided not to confine its works by 15 major artists to a stuffy museum within… -
Activity
Arroyo Golf Club
Also designed by Arnold Palmer, this 18-hole, par-72 course is one of the more scenic in town owing to its location nestled along Red Rock Canyon. Stunning mountains on one side and Las Vegas in the distance on the other side; what more could you want? Well, you get a challenging… -
Activity
Bali Hai Golf Club
One of the most exclusive golf addresses belongs to this multimillion-dollar course on the Strip, just south of Mandalay Bay. Done in a wild South Seas theme, the par-72 course has over 7 acres of water features, including an island green, palm trees, and tropical foliage everywhere… -
Activity
Bear's Best Las Vegas
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has designed hundreds of courses around the world, but here he has taken 18 of his favorite holes and put them all together in one delightfully challenging package. From courses in Mexico to Montana and back again, the bunkers, water features, and traps have… -
Activity
Bear’s Best Las Vegas
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has designed hundreds of courses around the world, but here he has taken 18 of his favorite holes and put them all together in one delightfully challenging package. From courses in Mexico to Montana and back again, the bunkers, water features, and traps have… -
Museum
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
As if there wasn’t enough to look at in the rest of the resort! Should you tire of the thousands of glass flowers on the lobby ceiling or the real ones in the Conservatory, head here for actual art…in Las Vegas. The exhibits are small (alas, the price of admission isn’t), but the… -
Ride
Big Apple Coaster & Arcade
As if the outside of New York-New York wasn’t busy enough, someone decided to knock it up a few notches by having a roller coaster wind around the whole thing. The whimsically designed cars evoke Manhattan taxi cabs and run at speeds up to 67 mph while going through drops of as much… -
Sports Venue
Black Mountain Golf & Country Club
Two new greens have recently been added to this 27-hole, par-72 semiprivate course, which requires reservations 4 days in advance. It's considered a great old course, with lots of wildlife, including roadrunners. However, unpredictable winds may affect your game. Yardage: 6,550… -
Museum
Bodies . . . The Exhibition
A stunning and controversial exhibit featuring real live dead bodies (over 200 full and partial specimens, some possibly executed Chinese prisoners who may never have given permission for their bodies to be used in this way—hence the controversy). Utilizing a patented freeze-dry…$ -
Activity
CSI: The Experience
Although spinoffs have moved the sleuthing to Miami and New York, the original CSI television show takes place in Las Vegas, so how apropos is this major attraction, which allows visitors to work a crime scene right on the Strip? Three different crimes have occurred—a car has crashed… -
Museum
Cannabition Cannabis Museum
My tour guide’s name is Blaze, and yes, that is his real name, along with his favorite pastime. A trip to the only interactive cannabis museum (not that kind of interactive, though) is full of these kinds of quirks and nods to Nevada’s latest vice addition: recreational marijuana.…$$Downtown
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Gym/Spa
Canyon Ranch SpaClub
The largest spa in Las Vegas has more than 130,000-square-feet worth of treatment rooms, workout facilities, and even a rock climbing wall. Although they do a good job of keeping things relatively peaceful, the sheer size of the place and the number of people who visit may inhibit… -
Religious Site
Chapel of the Bells
Sporting the largest and gaudiest wedding chapel sign on the Strip, this is one of the longest-running chapels, operating since 1957. This combination of classic Vegas “style” and “tradition” is most of what this place has going for it. The chapel is pretty, garnished with swaths of… -
Religious Site
Chapel of the Flowers
This chapel’s claim to fame is that Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra exchanged their short-lived vows here—but don’t hold it against the place. They offer full services from photos to flowers, and more, with three chapels to choose from. The La Capella Chapel fits 50 and has a rustic… -
Activity
Circus Circus Midway
First inaugurated in 1968, the big-top action at this family-friendly hotel is billed as the largest permanent circus in the world. High-wire, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, and more fill the top of the “tent” daily from 11am until late at night, while more than 200 carnival-style… -
The Performing Arts
Cirque du Soleil's KÀ
KÀ subverts expectations by largely eschewing the usual Cirque format -- wide-eyed innocent is taken on surreal adventure, beautiful but aimless, complete with acrobats and clowns and lots of weird floaty things -- in favor of an actual plot, as a brother and sister from some… -
The Performing Arts
Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis
It's logical, really: Marry the biggest Vegas icon with the biggest producer of Vegas shows. It's Elvis Presley meets Cirque du Soleil, and we're actually a little surprised it took this long. Unlike the underwhelming Love, which is more Beatles and not enough Cirque, this production… -
Museum
Clark County Museum
It’s telling, I think, that the history of a doomed ocean liner is center stage on the Strip, but a history museum that actually details the story of Sin City itself is relegated to the side of the highway, about 10 miles southeast of the center. (This is a city after all with a… -
Museum
DISCOVERY Children's Museum
Bringing your little ones to Vegas isn’t as taboo as it used to be, but it can be a drag for them to be dragged around to a bunch of over-stimulating places where they can’t do a thing. Thankfully, there’s this lifesaver, located near the Smith Center of the Performing Arts. It’s… -
Sports Venue
Desert Rose Golf Club
This is an 18-hole, par-71 public course built in 1963 and designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee. Narrow fairways feature Bermuda turf. You can reserve tee times up to 7 days in advance. Yardage: 6,511 championship; 6,135 regular; and 5,458 ladies. Facilities: Pro shop, driving range,… -
Activity
Dig This!
Did you have a sandbox that you used to play in when you were a kid? Well, then you’re going to love this: a big kid’s sandbox where you get to play with real bulldozers and excavators. The program starts with classroom instruction where you get the overview on how to operate the big… -
Activity
Eiffel Tower Experience
Whether this is worth the dough depends on how much you like views. The “ride” portion is a glass-enclosed elevator to the top as a guide delivers a few facts (“this is a half-size exact replica, down to the paint color of the original” and more). At the uppermost platform, viewers… -
Attraction
Emergency Arts
The artists in residence here rescued a derelict downtown building that was once a medical clinic and turned it into a funky, fun, bohemian space dedicated to the creation and conservation of all things art. The first floor has a small cafe (perfect for having a coffee while… -
Tour
Ethel M Chocolates
Ethel Mars began making fine chocolates in a little candy kitchen in the early 20th century. Her small enterprise evolved to produce not only dozens of varieties of superb boxed chocolates, but also some of the world’s most famous candies: M&Ms, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Snickers,… -
Activity
Fast Lap Indoor Kart Racing
When NASCAR pro Kurt Busch is in Las Vegas, this is the place he comes to play. Tucked away on a dead-end street in a mostly industrial part of town near the Strip, this is a no-frills go-kart experience, with a short track filling a former warehouse space that still looks like a… -
Activity
Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience is a five-block, open-air, landscaped strip of outdoor snack shops, vendor carts, and colorful kiosks purveying food and merchandise. Overhead is a 90-foot-high steel-mesh “celestial vault” that at night becomes Viva Vision, a high-tech video-and-sound… -
Activity
Fremont Street Flightline
If jumping off the top of The Stratosphere Tower with their Skyjump feature is a little too, well, insane for you, then consider zipping down the Fremont Street Experience instead. Instead of starting from 100 stories up, you launch from a platform about 65 feet above the street and… -
Activity
GameWorks
This is not just a kids' game arcade anymore. Need proof? They have a happy hour with half-priced well drinks, house wine, and domestic beer weekdays from 3 to 7pm. Presumably young Billy is not allowed to participate in between races on Sega Rally 3. Beer notwithstanding, the basic… -
Religious Site
Graceland Wedding Chapel
Housed in a landmark building that’s one of the oldest wedding chapels in Vegas, the Graceland bills itself as “the proverbial mom and pop outfit.” No, Elvis never slept here, but one of the owners was friends with Elvis and asked his permission to use the name. This is a tiny New… -
Gym/Spa
Hibiscus Spa
Westin’s spa may not be as opulent as some of the other spas on the Strip, but it is just as indulgent. Plus, services such as deep tissue massages and facials are even more relaxing when you knowing your wallet won’t take a beating. Before or after your treatment feel free to spend… -
The Performing Arts
JabbaWockeeZ: Mus.I.C.
With the proliferation of dance shows on TV it's actually surprising that it took so long for a pure, dance-centric show to hit the Las Vegas Strip. Now that JabbaWockeeZ has arrived, there is no looking back. The hip-hop dance group gained fame by winning MTV's America's Best Dance… -
Activity
KISS by Monster Mini Golf
If they had stopped at the indoor, glow-in-the-dark, 18-hole miniature golf course themed to the classic rock band KISS, it probably would’ve been just mildly amusing. But then they went and added a gift shop, a cafe, a wedding chapel (where KISS impersonators will marry you), arcade… -
Activity
Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix
Finally, after all our yammering about how Vegas isn’t for families and how most of the kid-friendly options are really overpriced tourist traps, we can wholeheartedly recommend an actual family-appropriate entertainment option. Part arcade, part go-kart racetrack, this is exactly… -
Activity
Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix
Finally, after all our yammering about how Vegas isn't for families and how most of the kid-friendly options are really overprice tourist traps, we can wholeheartedly recommend an actual family-appropriate entertainment option. Part arcade, part go-kart racetrack, this is exactly… -
Sports Venue
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
This impressive facility is widely considered to be the premiere racing venue in the Southwest United States, and rivals fabled speedways in Talladega, Charlotte, and Daytona for its scope and the deep catalogue of year-round events. The main oval hosts a major NASCAR race weekend in… -
Activity
Las Vegas National Golf Club
This 18-hole, par-71 public course is one of the most historic in town. Built in 1961, it was at various times associated with, or run by, the Stardust, Sahara, and the Las Vegas Hilton. Yes, the Rat Pack played here, and you can, too. The course itself is classically designed (not… -
Museum
Las Vegas Natural History Museum
Like most natural history museums, this one has its share of stuffed-and-posed animals. It’s an often dusty, mangy collection of taxidermy, so I suggest breezing past it quickly to get to the museum’s star attraction: its dinosaur exhibit. It showcases 35-foot long Jurassic… -
Zoo/Aquarium
Lion Habitat Ranch
Longtime Vegas visitors roared with displeasure when the MGM Grand closed their signature lion habitat after nearly 20 years of amusing tourists. The big secret, however, was that populating those casino-facing digs was merely the lions’ day job, and their “main office” is now open… -
Religious Site
Little Church of the West
Built in 1942 on the grounds of the Frontier, this gorgeous traditional chapel has been moved three times in its history and has hosted weddings for everyone from Judy Garland to Angelina Jolie. Elvis even got married here, at least on film—the building played the backdrop for his… -
Religious Site
Little White Wedding Chapel
This is arguably the most famous of the chapels on the Strip, maybe because there is a big sign saying Michael Jordan and Joan Collins were married here (again, not to each other), maybe because they were the first to do the drive-up window, or maybe because this is where Britney and… -
Museum
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
Madame T’s has outposts in nearly every major tourist city, and for two centuries it has been the best (borderline creepy) way to get close to celebrities. The figures themselves are quite impressive, both for their meticulous attention to detail and the eerie way they (often)… -
Religious Site
Mon Bel Ami Wedding Chapel
Formerly the Silver Bells chapel, this got a spanking new redo a few years back that is holding up well; a pretty little churchlike building complete with a big gold- and flower-bedecked chapel room (maybe the taller peaked ceiling gives that effect) fitted with surround-sound… -
Museum
National Atomic Testing Museum
No thrill ride on the Strip will scare the wits out of you as effectively as the Atomic Testing Museum. That’s not its purpose, of course. This is a science and history museum (an affiliate museum of the mighty Smithsonian Institution) covering the 50 years of atomic testing, from… -
Museum
Nevada State Museum
Part nature museum, part Native American museum, part Las Vegas museum, there’s certainly a lot of history jam packed into 13,000 square feet; too bad none of it is particularly in-depth. But it’s worth a stop if you want to learn about the entire Silver State from soup to nuts,… -
Museum
Pinball Hall of Fame & Museum
And you thought only children’s museums could be interactive. Arguably the most fun museum in Las Vegas, this is 10,000 square feet of hands-on entertainment and history for a bargain. A nice departure from the slot machines in casinos, there are more than 150 pinball machines lined… -
Activity
Pole Position Raceway
Similar in concept to the Fast Lap facility (p. ###), Pole Position is a more polished go-kart racing venue owing to its sleek, modern facility, and electric-powered racers. The indoor course is short but satisfying, and the lack of gas-powered engines doesn’t mean you sacrifice any… -
Gym/Spa
Qua Baths & Spa
Check out the Environment rooms at this lavishly designed spa, which include the Arctic Ice room complete with snow showers and a Roman Baths section that would make Caesar proud. Treatments and massages are not cheap, but the spa faithful say this is one of the best in town. -
Gym/Spa
Red Rock Resort Adventure Spa
The facility has the requisite spa accoutrement—a Zen-like space, massages, facials, sauna, and so on—but it’s the “Adventure” part of the program that makes it truly unique. Capitalizing on the hotel’s location on the edge of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservancy Area, the spa… -
Activity
Rio Secco Golf Club
You don’t have to be staying at the Rio Suites (or another Caesars Entertainment property) to play this gorgeous 18-hole course, but you get preferred tee times and discounts if you do. Set in the foothills of the mountains overlooking Las Vegas, the views are incredible and the… -
Activity
Score!
Most people watch sports in Vegas because they have wagers on the outcome of the game. But true sports fanatics should step away from the betting window and check out this cool facility that gives you a chance to become a sports star by conquering various challenges. Navigate a puck… -
Zoo/Aquarium
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
Given that watching fish can lower your blood pressure, it’s practically a public service for Mandalay Bay to provide this facility in a city where craps tables and other gaming areas can bring excitement levels to dangerous heights. Although I admire the style (it’s built to look… -
Museum
Shelby American Heritage Center
That’s Shelby as in Carroll Shelby, who in the 1960s helped shape the American muscle car as we know it. Now that the museum has moved from its original location near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to across from Town Square on Las Vegas Boulevard, gear heads don’t have to go as far to… -
Zoo/Aquarium
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat
After more than 20 years, this engaging animal habitat remains one of the best antidotes to Las Vegas stress. Spend an hour watching dolphins and tigers and you won’t care how much money you lost on the slots. The bulk of your time will most likely be spent in the well-regarded… -
Activity
SkyZone
So you brought the kids to Vegas and they’re bouncing off the walls with boredom. How about giving them a chance to bounce off the walls with glee instead? This indoor facility features several trampoline arenas; some are used for organized games and activities such as dodgeball, and… -
Ride
SlotZilla
Here it is, the newest Vegas attraction that deserves to take a place in the Pantheon of iconic Sin City silliness alongside the Bellagio Fountains and the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Billed as, and shaped like, the world’s tallest slot machine, it’s really a launching… -
Gym/Spa
Spa Aquae
The centerpiece here is the “Ritual,” a series of dunks and soaks in cold, warm, hydrotherapy, and floating pools, some of which are outside in a gorgeously landscaped grotto. It’s totally unique and worth the 20-minute drive from the Strip. -
Gym/Spa
Spa at Bellagio
The surroundings are luxe and the staff is so soothingly attentive that you just know it’s going to cost you a fortune to get worked on here—but it’s totally worth it. Few other spas in town will make you feel so richly pampered. -
Gym/Spa
Spa at Encore
By far the most beautifully designed spa in Las Vegas, the Moroccan garden decor is at once breathtaking and calming. Your bill can get shocking really fast, but one walk down the lantern-lit treatment room hallway will make all your cares melt away. -
Ride/Activity
SpeedVegas
Those who feel the need for speed don’t necessarily need to haul themselves all the way out to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway anymore. The latest fast and furious addition to the Strip is located 10 minutes from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, with a full arsenal of exotic muscle and… -
Park/Garden
Springs Preserve
By now, perhaps you’ve learned that Las Vegas is Spanish for “the meadows.” This facility is set on the 180-acre site of the original springs that fed Las Vegas until it dried in the 1960s (told you that Hoover Dam comes in handy). These days, Las Vegas is an environmental nightmare,… -
Activity
TPC Las Vegas
Justin Timberlake has held his charity golf tournament at this course, so if it’s good enough for him, it should be good enough for you, right? Luckily the sexy-back guy has good taste, as this scenic course, which follows the arroyos and plateaus of the terrain, is also a favorite… -
Attraction
The Arts Factory
Believe it or not, Las Vegas has a pretty decent art scene (what some would consider soul-crushing is what others consider inspirational), and this complex, located in the 18b Arts District, is the place to find proof. It features several galleries, boutiques, and a number of… -
View/Landmark
The High Roller Observation Wheel
The if bigger is better, then biggest is best ethos that Las Vegas loves so much continues here with the world’s tallest observation wheel. Standing at nearly 550 feet high, the massive structure has fundamentally changed the skyline and provides some of the best views of the Strip…Mid-Strip
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Activity
The Las Vegas Mob Experience
Although there are plenty of Mafia artifacts on display (Bugsy's Packard, Lucky's desk, and so on), this is much more than just a dry museum chronicling the rise and fall of the mob in Vegas. It's a high-tech, 27,000 square-foot immersive experience that assigns you a character name… -
Museum
The Mob Museum
This three-story former courthouse contains the actual courtroom where Senator Estes Kefauver held his famous syndicated crime hearings in 1950 and 1951. Watched by 30 million people, the most for any televised event of the time, the trials made it incontrovertibly clear that…$$ -
Museum
The Neon Museum
This is where old Las Vegas signs go to retire. Enter through the former La Concha Motel lobby, which was transplanted, then transformed, into a visitor’s center, then follow your guide out to the yard which is crammed full of fabulous old neon signs. But this experience isn’t just… -
Park
The Park
The space between Monte Carlo and New York-New York has been developed into the very first outdoor gathering space on the Strip . . . that has nothing to do with a resort pool. There’s certainly water though, thanks to two welcoming 100-footlong waterfalls near the Las Vegas…Mid-strip
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Performing Arts Venue
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Although Las Vegas has been synonymous with entertainment for decades, filled with showrooms and theaters galore, the one thing the city never had was a true performing arts venue—the kind of place where symphonies and true Broadway shows (not the cut-down versions that happen on the… -
Gym/Spa
The Spa at Park MGM
With its clean lines and stark white tiles, this spa may seem a bit minimalist if you’re used to the ornate baths at other resorts, but it’s an oasis nonetheless. The Welcome Home package makes you feel just that, with an 80-minute full-body massage that works in another aesthetician…$$$Mid-Strip
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Ride
The Strat Observation Deck and Thrill Rides
Whether you come for the views or the scary rides, the Strat's SkyPod is a uniquely Vegas experience. Indoor and outdoor decks provide remarkable views of the city, southern Nevada, and perhaps even California on a clear day from the more than 1,100-foot-tall tower. The thrill rides… -
Neighborhood
The Strip
You haven't really seen Las Vegas until you've seen The Strip at night. This neon wonderland is the world's greatest sound-and-light show. Begin at Luxor and work your way past the incredible hotels and their attractions. You'll pass the gotta-see-it-to-believe-it New York-New York… -
Museum
Titanic: The Exhibition
It’s too easy to say “you’ve seen the movie, now see the exhibit.” But that is sort of the case; if you were captivated by the Oscar-winning epic, you will definitely want to take in this exhibit on the unsinkable luxury liner that sank on its maiden voyage. While it’s a can’t-miss… -
Activity
Topgolf
Some days you just want to hit a few balls, but a trip to Topgolf is a far cry from a day at the driving range. Opened in May 2016, the four-level, 105,000-square-foot venue not only holds 102 hitting bays, but also a live performance stage, multiple kitchens and bars and VIP areas… -
Religious Site
Viva Las Vegas Weddings
Yes, you could come to Las Vegas and have a traditional wedding in a tasteful chapel where you walk down the aisle to a kindly minister. But wouldn’t you rather literally ride into the chapel in the back of a pink Cadillac and get married by Elvis? Or wade in through dry ice fog… -
Religious Site
Wee Kirk O’ the Heather
The oldest wedding chapel in Las Vegas (it’s been here since 1940; ah, Vegas, and its mixed-up view of age) it’s the one at the very end of the Strip, right before Downtown (and thus close to the license bureau). It was originally built as a house in 1925 for a local minister, but… -
Attraction
Wet 'n Wild
This is the city’s only (for now) water amusement park. A descendant of the Wet ’n Wild that was on the Strip for 2 decades, this state-of-the-art facility is located on the far west side of town at the foothills of the famous Red Rock National Conservancy Area. It has more than 20…
Las Vegas Shopping
The Strip is the hot spot for retail bliss with the over-the-top, Roman-themed The Forum Shops at Caesars and, if your credit limit allows, the pricey Cartier to Ferrari selections at the Esplanade at Wynn Las Vegas. Get a piece of Sin City at Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shops or Gambler's General Store and fin ...
The Strip is the hot spot for retail bliss with the over-the-top, Roman-themed The Forum Shops at Caesars and, if your credit limit allows, the pricey Cartier to Ferrari selections at the Esplanade at Wynn Las Vegas. Get a piece of Sin City at Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shops or Gambler's General Store and find bargains galore at Las Vegas Premium Outlets. Most stores are open daily 10am until 8pm or even later.
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Souvenirs
Bonanza Gift and Souvenir Shop
Even though it says it’s the “World’s Largest Gift Shop” outside, it isn’t, and we don’t care! It’s 36,000 square feet of pure Vegas-oriented kitsch, from T-shirts to tchotchkes, Native American crafts and jewelry, casino accoutrement like retired dice and decks of playing cards,…North Strip
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Downtown Container Park
]In an attempt to revitalize Downtown Las Vegas into an urban counterpart to the Strip, it wasn’t enough to add loft apartments, trendy restaurants and mixology bars. The area needed a playground; a communal space for locals and visitors to gather, and Downtown Container Park has…Downtown
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Malls & Shopping Centers
Fashion Show
That saucer-looking thing hovering over the exterior may make you wonder when it will return to the mothership, but it’s actually the front for probably the best mall on the Strip. The 250 stores here are comprehensive, covering the basics of a mall you’re already familiar with (Gap,…North Strip
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Gamblers General Store/Gambler’s Book Club
If you can’t bear to leave the gambling in Las Vegas, this is your ultimate resource. Everything you need to furnish your own casino at home is here, and not just dice and decks of cards. We’re talking full-size blackjack and craps tables, slot machines, and roulette wheels too. Need…Downtown
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Malls & Shopping Centers
Grand Bazaar Shops
Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard is one of the busiest intersections on the Las Vegas Strip, with millions of pedestrians strolling past it on a daily basis. The Grand Bazaar Shops seeks to corral these people, hoping they’ll spend their casino winnings (cough!) at this…Mid-Strip
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Food
Hershey's Chocolate World
Heaven forbid that when the apocalypse happens, this and M&M’s World across the street lose power at the same time, resulting in Wonka-proportion rivers of chocolate spilling onto Las Vegas Boulevard. A fantasy, for sure, but one that’s welcome at the flagship at New York–New…South Strip
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Discount Shopping
Las Vegas Premium Outlets North
The good news: this shopping emporium is situated between the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas, so it’s more convenient to get to than its counterpart, Outlets South (see below). The bad news: it’s outdoors. So on summer days, despite the water misters and misguided attempts at shade,…Downtown
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Discount Shopping
Las Vegas Premium Outlets South
The sister location at the north end of the Strip might have fancier brands, but this one has the real bargains. There are a few shared names between the two outposts, like the BCBGMaxAzria, DKNY and Calvin Klein. For the most part the rest on the south side are old familiar faces…South & East of the Strip
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Food
M&M’s World
The four stories dedicated solely to the chocolate that melts in your mouth, but not in your hand, is a great place to get the kids all hepped up on sugar before passing out from the crash. Part of a bright, frenetic facade for the Showcase Mall (that includes a giant Coca-Cola…South Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
The retail outlets here are just prettier, Vegas-ier versions of the stores at the nice mall in your hometown, like White House Black Market, Lucky Brand, Guess, H&M, and a giant Urban Outfitters that looms over the Strip. But there are some one-off boutiques, such as an Original…Mid-Strip
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Antiques
Retro Vegas
Though it’s got Vegas in its name, this little boutique has so much more than vintage Vegas design in its selection. There’s a good chunk of beautiful Danish and midcentury modern furniture that many collectors would love to get their hands on. And for those who want to take home a…Downtown
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Malls & Shopping Centers
The Boulevard
Las Vegans off the Strip; they’re just like you! They need large appliances and new backpacks for the kids for school and sensible shoes, and they get them at malls like this one. The selection of stores here are of the everyday kind: Foot Locker, Lane Bryant, Macy's. They come in…Just Off The Strip
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Shopping
The Cosmopolitan
There are few real boutique shopping options on the Strip, but most of them can be found on the second floor of the Cosmopolitan. Local kicks shop CRSVR is a destination for sneaker-heads, and you can complete your hipster look with threads from AllSaints. The art-driven resort also…Mid-Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace
A shopping spree at the Forum Shops is one of those events you’d see in the movies, after the hero has beat the house and wants to spend his casino winnings. He steps off the carpeted casino floor through the 48-foot Roman archway and onto the bright, cold, marble floor, surrounded…Mid-Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
The Grand Canal Shoppes
The 160 shops and restaurants of this meandering mall are divided between the Venetian and Palazzo, though one side is definitely more ornate than the other. Wander through the Venetian part and you’ll see that the meticulous attention to detail given to the hotel’s recreation of an…Mid-Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
The LINQ Promenade
The ongoing trend in Las Vegas has been to capture the visitors while they’re walking elsewhere. You turn into this unexpected gap between the Flamingo and the LINQ and boom, you’re no longer on the Strip. Suddenly, you’re on a long, narrow urban thoroughfare, complete with palm…Mid-Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
The Shops at Crystals
The jagged, sparkly facade that is front and center on Las Vegas Boulevard is a dramatic come hither for the high end shops within: Fendi, Gucci, and Tiffany & Co. The Shops at Crystals has often been called the jewel (see what they did there?) of Las Vegas retail for the one…South Strip
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Toys
The Toy Shack
Probably the only reason to visit Neonopolis (besides parking), The Toy Shack is where Jimmy Jiminez, a toy expert who makes frequent appearance on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars, actually works. The story carries everything from pristine collectibles to new-fangled toys, dolls,…Downtown
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Malls & Shopping Centers
Town Square
This is the closest shopping center to the Strip where you’ll see actual Las Vegans spending time, thanks to its town-like design. The 150-or-so stores and restaurants are along tree-lined streets that are set up in a grid like city blocks. You can even park in front of the stores…South & East of the Strip
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Malls & Shopping Centers
Via Bellagio
There are only about a dozen boutiques in this well-lit corridor of the Bellagio, and like most everything else at this hotel, they’ll cost you a pretty penny. On the clothing side, that means Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Armani; sparkly, pretty things are on sale…Mid-Strip
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Zia Record Exchange
Record stores? They still have these? Yes, and this is actually a very good one. Okay, so there are more CDs than vinyl on the shelves (but still way more vinyl than we’ve seen in quite some time), and the selection is vast. Hunting through the crates you might find anything from…Just off the Strip
Las Vegas Nightlife
The hottest nightlife can be found on The Strip, with celebrity hangout nightclubs such as Tao and Pure and world-class entertainment at Cirque du Soleil's Mystère. You can also try your luck at the tables and slots at casinos ranging from the high-end Bellagio Casino to the beginner-friendly Golden Nugget. Bar ...
The hottest nightlife can be found on The Strip, with celebrity hangout nightclubs such as Tao and Pure and world-class entertainment at Cirque du Soleil's Mystère. You can also try your luck at the tables and slots at casinos ranging from the high-end Bellagio Casino to the beginner-friendly Golden Nugget. Bars and clubs are usually open evenings until the early hours of the morning, shows are mainly performed at night, and casinos run 24 hours.
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Dance Clubs
1 OAK
In a town where celebrities are often paid to make appearances (read: they get paid stupid money to hang out in a private booth and drink free booze), this is one of the few clubs where the celebrities actually go of their own free will. The New York transplant opened with a bang:… -
Production Shows
Absinthe
Like the supposedly hallucinatory drink it is named after, this Cirque du Soleil–style revue may leave you reeling. But, boy, will that hangover be worth it. The show is performed in the round in a small tent-like structure in front of Caesars Palace, with a tiny circular stage and… -
Bar
Alibi
Set right in the center of Aria’s casino floor, this opulent, back-lit gem of a bar has a lovely, vintage vibe. I especially like the crystal decanters on display and the ornate wooden and faux mother-of-pearl accents (though don’t mistake the large, round objet d’art above the bar… -
Dance Clubs
Artifice
While not a nightclub per se, this multi-purpose space is one of the few places in town where you’ll hear decent local DJs who aren’t bumping only mainstream electronic pop music. Fitting in with its Arts District locale, Artifice also features a gallery space with work from… -
Bars & Pubs
Atomic Liquors
Las Vegas history is on glorious display in this reinvention of a classic watering hole. The building dates back to 1945 and is the oldest freestanding bar in the city. It got its name in 1952 when people used to go up on the roof to watch the aboveground nuclear blasts from the… -
Bars & Pubs
Backstage Bar & Billiards
Intended to be the actual backstage area for Fremont Country Club, local producers and musicians transformed it into an intimate, cool hang out space, complete with rock paraphernalia, band equipment crates from Anvil Cases as furnishings, and 8 decades worth of DJ and turntable… -
Production Shows
Baz: Star Crossed Love
With a tagline that says “a little party never hurt nobody,” Baz is the perfect combination of Vegas show plus party experience. For the true romantics, the show is a mash-up of director Baz Luhrmann films The Great Gatsby, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge into one wild, immersive… -
Bars & Pubs
Beauty Bar
Take a vintage beauty parlor and add cocktails: that’s the formula that’s been so popular it’s turned into a hipster chain with outlets in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. At Las Vegas’ Downtown version, you get a lot of diversity thanks to its location near Fremont Street… -
Beer Gardens
Beer Park
Based on the name, you’d think that this second beer garden to open on the Strip this year would be at The Park, but surprise! This one is on the rooftop of the Paris hotel, and produced by the king of beers itself, Budweiser. There’s way more than just the classic red label beer… -
Bars & Pubs
Beerhaus
The stretch of real estate between the new T-Mobile Arena and Las Vegas Boulevard is intended to coax pedestrians to pause from traipsing up and down the Strip. And there’s no better way to keep tourists in one spot than giving them somewhere to drink, preferably outdoors and with… -
Gambling
Binion's
Despite the soap opera of the last few decades (multiple owners, loss of the World Series of Poker, a brief closure), Binion's is still a must-visit for the serious gambler, especially those who like their casinos dark, smoky, and full of a classic "Vegas, Baby!" vibe. A remodel a…Downtown
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Production Shows
Blue Man Group
Are they blue? Indeed they are—three bald, nonspeaking men dipped in azure paint, doing decidedly odd stunts with marshmallows, art supplies, smoke-ring blowing cannons, giant inflatable balls, commenting on the use of technology and social media without saying a word, and an amazing… -
Dance Clubs
Body English
In some ways, the first incarnation of Body English helped draft the blueprint from which many of the clubs that followed it were created. Dark and moody (it’s in a basement, after all) and infectiously high-energy, the club was one of the most popular in Vegas until it was shuttered… -
Bars & Pubs
Bond
t’s hard to know just where to look first at Bond, the glam lounge that combines video poker screens with chandeliers of downy feathers. Those who aren’t gazing down at the Strip below through the floor-to-ceiling windows are staring up at the go-go dancers, shimmying in boxes above… -
Bar
Bound
This lobby bar at The Cromwell features a drink list created by famed mixologist Salvatore Calabrese. Located near registration, it’s a sophisticated oasis before you enter into the madness of the casino floor, done up in lots of gold, with plush seating and a cabinet full of rare… -
Comedy Clubs
Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club
Set off a walkway between the MGM Grand parking garage and the casino, this comedy club isn’t the easiest to find. But for Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett’s self-deprecating-style of stand-up, this underground lair, with its cabaret-style stage and intimate seating, has just… -
Bars & Pubs
Carnaval Court
If partying front and center right on the Las Vegas Strip is on your bucket list, you can cross it off here. This open-air party blares music day and night, luring in passers-by, and the party just gets bigger and bigger as the night goes on. Lounge bands channeling the ’70s and ’80s… -
Dance Clubs
Chateau
This is definitely not a Paris, France nightclub. Chateau may sport some lovely French touches in the decor, but the club is all high-energy, high-rent Las Vegas. Three distinct spaces offer three different nightlife experiences. Head up the spiral staircase from the casino floor to… -
Strip Clubs
Cheetah’s
The club that was featured in Showgirls employs 500 women in a 24-hour period on the weekends, quite possibly outnumbering the number of men who are there at the same time. This is a good thing, as variety is the spice of life in a lively club like this. Mirrored walls around the… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ
KÀ overturns expectations by largely ignoring the usual Cirque format—acrobatic-style acts and ethereal performance art trappings with a tenuous-at-best connective tissue—in favor of an actual plot, as a sister and brother from some mythical Asian kingdom are separated by enemy… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE
A collaboration between the Beatles (by way of Sir George Martin’s son, who re-configured and remixed the music with a free hand that may distress purists) and Cirque du Soleil, this is the usual Cirque triumph of imaginative design, but it also feels surprisingly hollow. Yes,… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE
Unlike LOVE, Cirque’s Beatle-themed show, Michael Jackson ONE works like gangbusters. Its blend of the brilliantly conceived pop music (and pop culture touchstones) created by Michael Jackson and the pop-art interpretive lens of Cirque du Soleil is a perfect union. Massive walls of… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère
It's been more than 25 years, Mystere will always be fondly known as the first (and many say the best) of Cirque du Soleil’s multiple Las Vegas productions. Although there have been some tweaks here and there and a few new acts were added in 2012, the show is pretty much the same as… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s O
ranco Dragone, the director, gave Cirque’s next smash hit its one-letter-name because it’s a symbol for infinity; moreover, “O” is the phonetic pronunciation of “eau,” the French word for water. Go to see O, and turn your attention from the stage for a moment and you’ll find another… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana
Replacing the underperforming but crowd-pleasing Elvis-themed show that played here at Aria Las Vegas with this more generic production may have made good business sense for Cirque du Soleil, but it is disappointing to loyalists looking for something fresh and new from the group.… -
Production Shows
Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity
Most controversial among Cirque’s offerings, Zumanity is an erotic circus that celebrates sexuality in all its myriad incarnations: men with women, women with women, men with men, senior citizens with other seniors or with young folks, little people with Amazon-sized women, group… -
Dance Clubs
Coyote Ugly
You’ve seen the movie, now go have some of that prepackaged fun for yourself. Oh, come on—you don’t think those bartender girls really dance on the bar and hose down the crowd just because they are so full of spontaneous rowdy high spirits, now do you? Not when the original locale… -
Production Shows
David Copperfield
Illusionists don’t come any more illustrious than David Copperfield, who has been in the business for decades and has done everything from making the Statue of Liberty disappear to walking through the Great Wall of China. He has played semi-regular sets at the MGM Grand for years,… -
Bar
Dino's
This dive bar on Las Vegas Boulevard marks the divide between the glitzy part of the Strip and grittier Downtown, and chances are you’ve breezed right past it. Which, if you ask the locals perched on stools at the bar, is just fine with them. The family-run watering hole has been an… -
Production Shows
Divas Las Vegas
Star impersonator Frank Marino hosted the similar La Cage for more than 2 decades up the street at the Riviera. This show at The LINQ isn’t really all that different, in that it still features Marino as Joan Rivers in a series of Bob Mackie–esque gowns telling groan-worthy jokes and… -
Production Shows
Donny and Marie
Proving that a good fainting spell on Dancing with the Stars is worth a lot more than you’d expect, the wholesome brother-sister duo of Donny and Marie has made a comeback on the stages of Las Vegas, performing their personal blend of music, comedy, and variety at the Flamingo. The… -
Bars & Pubs
Don’t Tell Mama
This piano bar, named again for a New York City classic, is less group sing-along (like the Bar at Times Square, above), and more live karaoke. Audience members get up to sing standards with the crack pianists (they can play anything) and, while in other towns this would lead to… -
Bars & Pubs
Double Down Saloon
Leave the multiple-ingredient cocktails to the Strip. Here you’re going to be listening to live punk, rock, or blues bands while pounding PBR and shots of Ass Juice, a fruity, if not unappealing-looking mystery concoction that the bar has been selling for 2 decades. If the idea of… -
Bars & Pubs
Downtown Cocktail Room
This intimate mixology bar is a go-to joint for those who want a chill evening without all the craziness that comes with other bars, both on and off-Strip. Its entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard, across from the Fremont Street Experience, hides in plain sight; a big metal sheet that… -
Dance Clubs
Drai's
Nightlife impresario Victor Drai ruled the underground—literally—in Las Vegas. His after-hours club (which still exists in the underbelly of The Cromwell) was around for nearly 2 decades as one of the only house-music-fueled after-parties, with attendees who often spilled back on to… -
Production Shows
Frankie Moreno
Singer and pianist Moreno got his first big break as a kid on the talent show Star Search. That he never reached “stardom” levels of fame shouldn’t deter you from catching his high-energy show that mostly features original tunes. It’s a little bit Elvis and Jerry Lee–era rock and… -
Bar
Franklin
Just like the hotel, this bar is named for the 32nd president of the United States, and it’s a welcome watering hole in this casino-free venue. (Having it here means you don’t have to walk all the way over and through the casino of adjoining Mandalay Bay to get a drink.) It has a… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
Funhog Ranch
Forget lines, high cover charges, and overpriced drinks, this is not the place for those things. Funhog Ranch is the dive bar of Vegas’ gay bars, which isn’t a bad thing; it’s tiresome to be surrounded by so much manufactured opulence all the time. This is a relaxed, casual… -
Dance Clubs
Gilley’s
One of the few Country & Western spots on the Strip, Treasure Island inherited Gilley’s from the Frontier after it closed. The mechanical bull gets a workout all night (as do those trying to test their ability to hang on for 8 seconds), while live honky-tonk bands and country… -
Strip Clubs
Glitter Gulch
Right there in the middle of the Fremont Street Experience, Glitter Gulch is either an eyesore or the last bastion of Old Las Vegas, depending on your point of view. One of the most venerable strip clubs in town, it has a contemporary bordello theme with lots of red decor and… -
Dance Clubs
Hakkasan Las Vegas
At the biggest nightclub in the world, you’ll have to navigate through five levels in the course of an evening. These include an elegant modern Chinese restaurant, an ultralounge, tables with exorbitantly-priced bottle service and a booth where a roster of world-famous EDM DJs spin… -
Dance Clubs
Haze
From the same people who brought you Light at Mandalay Bay comes this place that has all the ingredients that seem to make Las Vegas nightclubs popular these days. It’s crowded, dark, insanely expensive, loud, attitudinal, at times downright obnoxious, and yet somehow it all works.… -
Bar
Herbs & Rye
Want to hang out where all the Las Vegas bartenders—er, “mixologists” —hang out? The local watering hole is where you’ll find the city’s best drink slingers, as well as other industry folk, when they want someone else to make a drink for them. Owner and head bartender Nectaly Mendoza… -
Bars & Pubs
Hogs & Heifers Saloon
Hot, midriff-revealing chicks dancing on the bars, screaming at you with bullhorns, cold cans of PBR, all with a collection of bras hanging above your head: that’s the scene at Hogs & Heifers and it’s not my idea of a good time, but I may be in the minority. This outlet is part… -
Bars & Pubs
Holly Madison’s 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque
Taking over the space (and the general concept) from the long-closed Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce, this prohibition-style speakeasy features more than just great cocktails, a kick-back vibe, and some terrific retro/new music (sampling artists like Gloria Estefan and C+C Music Factory with… -
Production Shows
Human Nature: Jukebox
t might have been crooning Motown hits that put Australian quartet Human Nature on the map, but after a long run on the Strip, the other guys from Down Under have expanded their repertoire with Jukebox (which also happens to be the name of their platinum-selling album). Their tight… -
Bars & Pubs
Hyde Bellagio
Get there early enough, and Hyde Bellagio is the perfect perch from which to watch a couple of rounds of the Fountains of Bellagio show while sipping on well-executed cocktails. Head over later, and that’s when the party gets started (and you may forget all about the fountains).… -
Bars & Pubs
Insert Coin(s)
The pinnacle of Fremont East entertainment district has to be this wildly original bar and nightclub that features dozens of restored classic video games right alongside the drinking and dancing. Grab a moderately priced beer and start chewing your way through Ms. Pac Man, or sidle… -
Dance Clubs
Intrigue
Occupying the space formerly known as Tryst, Intrigue opened to much fanfare, but mixed reviews. Tryst was a groundbreaking club for its time (that time being the mid ’00s), one of the first to fully capitalize on the growing EDM scene, and creating what we know as bottle service… -
Production Shows
Jabbawockeez
The shtick here is that each of the crew of hip-hop dancers is totally covered with clothes and serene blank masks, so issues of race, gender, and physical perfection are left at the door. It’s interesting and sporadically amusing as they use their bodies to communicate everything… -
Comedy Clubs
Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club
Somewhere while hosting his successful late-night talk show, Las Vegas native Jimmy Kimmel found the time to create his own comedy club in 2019. He designed a two-story, 300-person, 8,000-square-foot showroom, accented with memorabilia from his career, across from the Brooklyn Bowl…$$Mid-Strip
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Production Shows
Jubilee!
This showgirl classic had become a bit of a relic, with silly 1970s-era variety show songs and choreography, goofy revue acts, and big set pieces involving the legend of Samson and Delilah and the sinking of the Titanic told with pretty girls and the occasional bare breast. In an… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
Krave
What a long, strange trip it’s been for this, the premiere gay nightclub in Vegas now finally back on the Strip after an unfortunate detour into Downtown. After years as a mainstay at Planet Hollywood, the club tried to take over a former movie theater complex on Fremont Street to… -
Strip Clubs
Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club
Comparable in size to the “World’s Largest Strip Club” Sapphire, the interior of porn king Larry Flynt’s joint is just as gaudy as its “you can’t miss it from the highway” exterior, with three floors of entertainment, featuring spaces with names like the “Beaver Stage” and “Honey… -
Production Shows
Le Rêve
Challenged from the get-go, thanks to a decision to base this Cirque-like show around a stage of water, thus prompting inevitable comparisons with O down the street, this production has received major revamps, both in staging and choreography. By and large, the choices—particularly… -
Production Shows
Legends in Concert
After more than 25 years as a nighttime show at hotels like the Imperial Palace and Harrah’s, this parade of faux celebrities made the move to afternoons at the Flamingo in 2013. The only real difference is that it is daylight when you walk out of the showroom. Performers vary… -
Dance Clubs
Light
While once upon a time Cirque du Soleil “powered” this nightclub at Mandalay Bay, that is no longer the case; Cirque pulled out of the venture in late 2015. So while periodic performances by acrobats, dancers, and other artists have gone away, the light show is still spectacular.… -
Production Shows
Mac King
The best daytime show, in fact one of the most exceptional shows in Vegas period, the Mac King Show is that rare breed of entertainment that’s not only appropriate for all ages, it’s actually a show that junior, grandma, and the hot date you met in Vegas will enjoy. A comedian with a… -
Production Shows
Mamma Mia!
Well, thank goodness! Vegas without the premiere ABBA musical just wasn’t the same. After playing for more than five years at Mandalay Bay, the hit show took a hiatus, but is back in a new incarnation at the Trop. The recently redone showroom is nice enough, but you don’t care about… -
Dance Clubs
Marquee
At more than 60,000 square feet and containing three different party atmospheres within, the mega club at Cosmopolitan is here to say: size matters. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Vegas club: massive main floor, huge LED wall behind the DJ booth that projects an amazing laser… -
Bars & Pubs
Mizuya Lounge
his Japanese-themed lounge serves sushi, but also happens to be an incredibly chill place to take a break from the casino floor. Nightly entertainment is usually provided by local cover bands, who play classic rock and some pop. While there’s no cover, there is a two-drink minimum… -
Bars & Pubs
Mob Bar
Formerly located in a tiny slip of a joint, this prohibition speakeasy–themed place moved to a premiere location directly across the street from the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. The new space is bigger, fancier, and brighter thanks to large windows and a lighter design scheme,… -
Dance Clubs
Omnia
Now occupying the space of former mega club Pure, the new mega club Omnia was created by the same people who did Hakkasan at MGM Grand. The 75,000-square-foot space underwent a $100-million renovation, which ditched the white, airy, 1990s vibe of Pure, replacing it with a dark,… -
Nightclub
On the Record
The newly minted Park MGM adds to its off-the-beaten-path experience with this spot from Los Angeles nightlife kings Mark and Jonnie Houston. Moving the trend away from the massive, one-room club where everyone’s focused on the DJ, On the Record instead has a more nostalgic vibe.…$$Mid-Strip
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Bars & Pubs
O’Sheas
With its beer pong and omnipresent host Mr. Lucky, O’Sheas is like a fraternity bar that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day year-round. When its home, the stretch between the former Imperial Palace and Flamingo, was imploded to make way for The LINQ promenade, many wondered if that was the… -
Bars & Pubs
Park on Fremont
While Commonwealth, Vanguard, and Downtown Cocktail Room are more sophisticated drinking establishments, Griffin and this spot are casual watering holes, which is perfect considering its proximity to the Fremont Street Experience. Rest assured, there are fine cocktails on the menu at… -
Production Shows
Penn & Teller
The most intelligent show in Vegas, as these two—magicians? illusionists? truth-tellers? BS artists? geniuses?—put on 90 minutes of, yes, magic and juggling, but also acerbic comedy, mean stunts, and quiet beauty. Looking like two characters out of Dr. Seuss, big, loud Penn and… -
Bars & Pubs
Peppermill Fireside Lounge
Austin Powers would be in his element at the Peppermill Fireside Lounge. With its bubbling fire pool, mirrored walls, circular booths, neon tubes of blue and pink, and cocktail servers dressed in elegant black gowns, it harkens back to a groovier era, baby. Voted one of “America’s 10… -
Bars & Pubs
Petrossian Bar
Vodka? Caviar? Live piano? Afternoon tea? This one spot serves many needs. Under the garden of Dale Chihuly flowers on the lobby ceiling, Petrossian is one of the most beautiful, if underrated, places to have a drink on the Strip. The bartenders here are seasoned professionals who… -
Production Shows
Piff The Magic Dragon
If a grown man in a dinosaur costume doesn’t make you laugh, just wait until he starts doing magic. A finalist on America’s Got Talent, Piff (and his sidekick, Mr. Piffles, The World’s Only Magic Performing Chihuahua) lets a dry sense of humor and blasé attitude take audiences… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
Piranha Las Vegas
The jewel of the Fruit Loop—the small “boystown” of Las Vegas—is this see-and-be-seen club for the city’s gay elite. The brick facade makes the building look unassuming from the outside, but once you enter, it’s a whole new world. The small, but banging, blue-lit nightclub is… -
Production Shows
RockTellz & Cocktails
This live stage show invites various performers (Meat Loaf, the Jacksons) on stage to do their hits and tell stories about their lives, careers, and music. Your mileage will vary depending on who is doing the singing and the storytelling, but the acts they have booked so far have… -
Dance Clubs
Rose.Rabbit.Lie
You really should experience this as a full package, from dinner through the show Vegas Nocturne to the part where the whole facility transforms before your eyes into a high-energy nightclub, but if you’d prefer to just show up for that—or to sit at the bar and enjoy the spectacle… -
Bar
Rosina
The other new lounget at Venetian and Palazzo, Rosina is the vintage answer to the more modern Dorsey. High-backed, round booths with curtains that can be drawn makes this spot the more clandestine and intimate of the two, while tones of gold and mauve add to the subdued and relaxed…$$ -
Strip Clubs
Sapphire Gentleman’s Club
Charlie Sheen publicly endorsed Sapphire, so yes, things do get crazy here. It’s the largest strip club in the world at 70,000 square feet, and features three stages joined together as a bridge across the room, and one big room where multiple dancers vie for your attention from their… -
Gay & Lesbian Bars
Share Las Vegas
A high-energy nightclub downstairs, a laid-back ultralounge upstairs, and a cavalcade of Chippendales-worthy go-go dancers make this one of the most interesting and sexy gay clubs in town. The location west of the Strip near the Orleans is a bit of a bummer—there are no other clubs… -
Strip Clubs
Spearmint Rhino
Ask any man that’s never been to Vegas before if he knows of a strip club here, and he’ll mention the Spearmint Rhino. If anything, the Rhino, as it’s affectionately called, is one of the best looking clubs in town. It’s 18,000 square feet of opulence, divided into three main viewing… -
Production Shows
Steve Wynn's ShowStoppers
Casino magnate Steve Wynn is a fan of musicals, and he personally oversaw and recorded narration for this appropriate-for-all-ages, high-energy revue corralling well-known songs and production numbers from modern and Golden Age Broadway musicals ranging Cabaret to Chicago to Annie…$$$ -
Dance Clubs
Stoney’s Rockin' Country
Even though it has moved to a bigger, more high-profile location, Stoney’s still feels like the bad boy of country music clubs in Vegas, at least when compared to the more tourist-centric (and therefore “safer”) Gilley’s. It’s a friendly enough place, but it definitely draws more… -
Bars & Pubs
Surrender
Another feather in the cap of the Wynn and Encore resorts, the intimate Surrender is a stunning space. A giant, golden snake poses on the wall above the bar, while white, plush leather curved couches dot the room, enticing partiers to take a seat and pay through the nose for it (with… -
Dance Clubs
Tao Nightclub
Once the palace where the Hiltons, Kardashians, and other reality TV celebrities partied the night away, the Asian-themed club at the Venetian has lost a bit of the limelight to bigger, newer Strip clubs. Ah well, it’s still fun. Enter into the Buddhist temple—if Buddhist temples… -
Production Shows
Terry Fator
America’s Got Talent winner Fator is no Susan Boyle, that’s for sure, but his shtick—ventriloquism meets impersonation—is entertaining. The format of the 80-minute show is fairly standard: A series of puppets joins Fator on stage, and they proceed to do a song or three impersonating… -
Bars & Pubs
The Bar at Times Square
Much like the actual Times Square, this bar is usually jam-packed full of tourists looking for a night of revelry. Dueling pianos are the draw, and create the perfect soundtrack for a booze-driven night of camaraderie with your fellow Vegas visitors. Lord help you when they start… -
Bar
The Chandelier
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas really does love its chandeliers. So much so, that it’s got a three-story one in the middle of its casino, made of millions of crystals strung together in one towering, shimmering masterpiece. The crystal curtains envelop the top two floors of this… -
Bars & Pubs
The Commonwealth
Part speakeasy, part neighborhood bar, Commonwealth has earned itself a reputation as one of the true hot spots to come out of the revitalization of this stretch of Fremont Street. The 6,000-square-foot, swanky, multi-level space has a pre-Prohibition era vibe, with a mix of vintage… -
Bar
The Dorsey
One of the two new bars at Venetian and Palazzo, The Dorsey is the louder, bigger anad livelier sister, with cocktails and decor of a more contemporary caliber. Often mixologists can create one of the flyto your specifications, or sip your way through interesting drinks with fun…$$$ -
Bars & Pubs
The Griffin
This is one of the few bars you can walk into in Las Vegas that doesn’t feel like Las Vegas at all. The strong brickwork and arched ceiling inside offer that post-industrial feel you’d get in old-school-turned-hipster bars in Chicago or New York, while two fire pits give it an almost… -
Bars & Pubs
The Lady Silvia
The speakeasy concept has been gaining traction lately, and this fantastic little craft cocktail bar embraces it to an almost detrimental degree. Finding the place is not easy, but making the effort is worth it. The unmarked door to the bar, located on the ground floor of a… -
Comedy Clubs
The Laugh Factory
The original outlet of this chuckle hut opened on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1979 and has hosted everyone from George Carlin to Ellen DeGeneres. This Vegas version may not be as storied (yet), but you’ll get a relatively dependable roster of journeymen (and women) comics all… -
Strip Clubs
The Palomino
What the Palomino lacks in convenient location or gorgeous decor, it makes up for in nudity. Yes, this is the only strip club in Vegas where all the bits are revealed, thanks to the club’s license being grandfathered in before selling alcohol and being totally nekkid were banned from… -
The Sand Dollar Lounge
In its glory days, the Sand Dollar was an iconic blues bar that was a mandatory stop for legends such as Muddy Waters and B. B. King. It took a hit during the recession and closed in 2007, then was renovated on a bar makeover show and somehow stayed afloat, trying on a few different…$Just Off the Strip
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Production Shows
Tournament of Kings
“Lords and Ladies, Wizards and Wenches, hasten thee to thy throne, for the battle is about to commence.” Yes, that’s how they talk at this dinner show—like a Renaissance fair, only with better production values. There’s nothing different here than you’ll find at one of those Medieval… -
Strip Clubs
Treasures
he most Vegas-y of the Vegas strip clubs, Treasures is a favorite of both locals and visitors alike. The outside looks like it was lifted right from Caesars Palace, while the interior is as ornate, modeled after a Victorian brothel. The main stage is a spectacle with two staircases… -
Production Shows
V: The Ultimate Variety Show
Although not as big-budget as the Cirque productions, V can still offer some big thrills if you happen to see it on the right night. It’s a collection of variety acts that could include acrobats, magicians, musicians, dancers, and more, but since the acts vary, so does the quality.… -
Bars & Pubs
Vanguard Lounge
The long, narrow bar is the most minimally appointed one that you’ll find on this stretch of Fremont Street, but that is by design. Cocktails take center stage here, made by a team of talented mixologists who use seasonal, artisanal, and house-made ingredients for well-executed… -
Production Shows
Vegas Nocturne
Created by the same folks who do the outrageous and outrageously entertaining Absinthe, this show follows a similar pattern with a series of variety acts strung together in a loose narrative. Here it’s a soiree thrown by the boozy and snobby rich brother and sister Alfonso and… -
Production Shows
Vegas! The Show
What would happen if you took the best bits of classic Las Vegas entertainment from the last 70 years or so and put it in one package? That’s the basic question behind this loving look back at the ghosts of the Sin City stages, and the answer is this: It would be a heck of a lot of… -
Bars & Pubs
Velveteen Rabbit
Located in the ever up-and-coming Arts District near Downtown, this is probably the most hipster of the hipster bars in Las Vegas, complete with boho-chic vintage furniture decor, and tatted-up, mustachioed mixologists furiously shaking their metal Boston shakers. While each drink… -
Bars & Pubs
Vesper
The most low key of the three main bars of Cosmopolitan, Vesper is relatively small, and that’s how we like it. While tourists might be cramming themselves into the Bond and Chandelier bars, this is where you’ll find savvy locals and hotel executives unwinding after their days (we… -
Bars & Pubs
VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub
The two-floor behemoth, on the 50 and 51st floors of the Rio, was one of the original mega clubs before nightclubs became the huge deal that they are today. The steakhouse component occupies the first level. After a dinner there, head up to the club to continue your night. There are… -
Dance Clubs
XS
As the abbreviated name suggests, this gold-plated crown jewel of Wynn nightlife is excessive. A recent $10-million redesign upgraded the entire space (both the inside area and its outdoor pool deck) to include a pyrotechnic system that shoots flames above the pool, and added a DJ…
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