Las Vegas is fabulous in about a million different ways. It’s an exciting destination that is unlike any other. Vegas is fun, glamourous, mysterious, hilarious, enchanting, and glorious, and anyone who has been there even once surely has stories and memories from their visit that they will never, ever forget.
Although the original, initial focus of Las Vegas long ago was the allure of gambling, this city has grown to be about so much more. There are hundreds of awesome things to do in Las Vegas that have nothing at all to do with placing wagers. This city can be a lot of fun for people of all ages and backgrounds and has something to offer for every interest and personality.
Even if you enjoy visiting the giant hotels and resorts on The Las Vegas Strip, there will come a time during your visit when you’ll want to get away from the ringing and buzzing and dinging and cheering of the casino floors. When you venture off the strip, you may be amazed at what you can find there.
Read on for some great activities in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada, that are a bit off The Strip. You may find you end up spending more time away from it all than you do in the middle of the action.
1. Red Rock Canyon
If you’re a nature lover, the lights and sounds and hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip might not be all that appealing to you. Red Rock Canyon is the opposite of all that and it’s just thirty minutes away from all the action.
Here you’ll see beautiful red rock cliffs and plenty of wildlife while you traverse the park’s hiking and biking trails, or you can enjoy the thirteen-mile scenic drive by car.
Remember to arrive early or late in the day and bring lots of water; it can get quite warm here during the heat of the day.
2. The Mob Museum
The Mob Museum is the nickname for this extremely interesting specialty museum that is also known as the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. It’s located in downtown Las Vegas and it chronicles the history of the mafia and organized crime in the United States.
If you love mob movies and mob history, you’ll love this attraction, and you’ll learn a lot through their detailed and immersive exhibits, too.
3. The Fremont Street Experience
If you want to get outdoors but you don’t want to leave Las Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. It’s one of the best things to do in Las Vegas for families.
Fremont Street is a covered pedestrian mall that is surrounded by some of Las Vegas’ oldest continuously operating casinos and it’s fun for everyone. You’ll find street performers of all kinds here, great food, an incredible light show on the LED canopy, ziplines and much more.
A visit to the Old Strip is a crucial part of any Vegas vacation that should not be missed.
4. BLACKOUT Dining in the Dark
Have you ever had a meal in pitch-black darkness? BLACKOUT Dining in the Dark will give you the opportunity to do just that.
If that doesn’t sound adventurous enough for you, there’s more – you won’t even know for sure what you’re eating until they tell you on the way out. Your waiter or waitress, wearing night-vision goggles, will inform you of what utensils you’ll need and will instruct you as to where you can find the food in front of you.
Eating at BLACKOUT Dining in the Dark is an experience you will never forget.
5. Area 15
One of the coolest attractions in all of Las Vegas is Area 15. Area 15 just opened in September 2020 and it is a retail and entertainment space that has so much to offer, including mindblowing art, stores, an arcade, an escape room attraction, a flight simulator, and so much more.
More features are being added moving forward including a distillery and an ax-throwing venue, but perhaps the most exciting coming attraction at Area 15 is Omega Mart. Omega Mart will be a 52,000 square-foot immersive art experience created by the folks at Meow Wolf – an art collective that owns and operates the number one most popular tourist draw in all of New Mexico.
6. The Neon Museum
If you love the lights of Las Vegas, then you might want to check out the Neon Museum.
Vegas is always changing, and often, old casinos are torn down and replaced by new ones. Rather than destroying and disposing of the old lights of The Strip, the Neon Museum collects them and puts them on display for visitors.
Today, the signs are displayed over 2.6 acres for all the world to see and enjoy now and into the future, and it’s an impressive way to spend an evening.
7. First Friday
Downtown Las Vegas is abuzz with local art on the first Friday of every month and this event is enjoyable for local residents and visitors alike. This ongoing event has a festive feel and you can get some great deals on some incredible artwork. You can enjoy local food, music, and other entertainment while enjoying the variety of art available for viewing and purchase here.
8. Pinball Hall of Fame
If you enjoy playing pinball or even just viewing old pinball machines, then you’ll love The Pinball Hall of Fame. This is off The Strip but is so close that you can get there in mere minutes, and it’s 10,000 square feet of every type of pinball machine you can imagine, many going back seventy years or more. Better yet, they are all functional and available for you to play if you so desire.
Enjoy These Things to Do in Las Vegas
There are so many things to do in Las Vegas and just outside of it that you could go back once a year or even more and never run out of things to do. These suggestions above are a starting point; enjoy these for starters, but there are always more new and exciting things popping up in this city every week, month, and year and it’s exciting to discover them all. Vegas is a blast – enjoy your trip and have so much fun!
If you want to read more great posts about travel, check out the Travel section of our site.
