10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do in Las Vegas
Vermont travel writer Jen Rose Smith covers adventure, remote places, and traditional cuisine from a home base in the Green Mountains. Her articles have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, American Way, Nexos, Condé Nast Traveler, Backpacker, AFAR, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Outside Online.
Vermont travel writer Jen Rose Smith covers adventure, remote places, and traditional cuisine from a home base in the Green Mountains. Her articles have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, American Way, Nexos, Condé Nast Traveler, Backpacker, AFAR, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Outside Online.
Hi, I'm Jen!Vermont travel writer Jen Rose Smith covers adventure, remote places, and traditional cuisine from a home base in the Green Mountains. Her articles have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, American Way, Nexos, Condé Nast Traveler, Backpacker, AFAR, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Outside Online.
Hi, I'm Jen!Vermont travel writer Jen Rose Smith covers adventure, remote places, and traditional cuisine from a home base in the Green Mountains. Her articles have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, American Way, Nexos, Condé Nast Traveler, Backpacker, AFAR, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Outside Online.
1. Visit a heavy equipment playground
Get behind the wheel of a bulldozer.
Like a giant sandbox for adults, Dig This Las Vegas brings playing in the dirt to the next level. Grab a hardhat and choose your ride: Options include a bulldozer, excavator, and skid steer. If you’re driving an excavator, use it for a game of “bucket basketball,” or opt for a bulldozer if you’re ready to push around piles of gigantic tires.
2. Discover the truth behind UFOs
See for yourself at the notorious Area 51.
Las Vegas is the perfect starting point for trips into the desert, where tales of UFO sightings have circulated for years. You can’t go inside Area 51, which is a United States Air Force facility, but alien-themed tours help uncover the spot’s legends. Some of the key stops are spread out along Nevada State Route 375, which is also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Area 51 Day Tour from Las Vegas
3. Check out a massive indoor botanical garden
It’s always good weather in the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.
A soaring glass ceiling lets in the desert sunshine at this indoor garden at the Bellagio Las Vegas, illuminating sculptures, plants, and flowers. The displays at the free-to-enter garden change four times a year, plus a special themed event at Chinese New Year. At 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters), there’s plenty of room to roam while scoping out the Bellagio’s dining, shopping, and spa.
4. Learn the secrets of circus performers
This high-wire act will send you flying.
Join a professional trapeze instructor for a circus-skills session at Trapeze Las Vegas, and channel Cirque de Soleil as you fly through the air. You’ll start out on a trapeze bar that’s close to the ground, then move on to the real thing; try catch and release for the thrill of a mid-air catch that’s right out of the big top.
5. Visit the National Atomic Testing Museum
Thousands of artifacts preserve Nevada’s radioactive history.
In the middle of the 20th century, nuclear tests sent giant mushroom clouds soaring above the desert around Las Vegas. From vintage photos to Geiger counters, the National Atomic Testing Museum tells that story, including exhibits featuring personal atomic weapons that (fortunately) never made it public.
Related: Must-see museums in Las Vegas
6. Eat dinner from a shipping container
Options range from BBQ to “waffelatos” at the Downtown Container Park.
Made from a combination of repurposed shipping containers and modular cubes, the Downtown Container Park is a destination for dining, shopping, and events. It’s a family-friendly spot to eat dinner, or you can time your visit to catch live music performances and outdoor movies. It’s also home to The Dome at Downtown Container Park, an immersive movie theater with fully reclining chairs and ultra-high-definition, 360-degree screens showing live concerts by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and U2.
7. Jump off the Stratosphere Tower
One, two, three, go!
Enjoy the view from 829 feet (253 meters), then take the plunge with SkyJump Las Vegas. Standing high above the Las Vegas Strip on the Stratosphere Tower, SkyJump holds the Guiness World’s Record for the highest commercial decelerator descent facility. That means you could reach speeds of up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour as you jump off the building and fly towards the earth, then slow down for a soft landing.
SkyJump Las Vegas at The STRAT Tower Ticket
8. Hit a hole-in-one in Gene Simmons’ mouth
Go 18 holes at Vegas’ only KISS-themed miniature golf course.
With 13,000 square feet (1,207 square meters) of glow-in-the-dark features, KISS by Monster Mini Golf is an all-ages mini-golf course that’s ready to rock. There are 18 holes with high-tech obstacles, and you’ll hear tunes from a live DJ as you play. There’s also plenty of KISS memorabilia throughout the course, too, from Eric Carr’s Porsche to signed editions of every KISS album ever made. Pick up the Las Vegas Explorer Pass for included entry to the course.
9. Hunt the ghosts of the Wild West
Find out who’s haunting this abandoned mining town.
Whether you’re walking the local cemetery or visiting the Pioneer Saloon and Gallery, watch for unexplained phenomena in the mining town of Goodsprings. It’s home to legends of hauntings, spooks, and spirits, and ghost tours use specialized equipment to detect their traces, with guides to help evoke the colorful characters of historic Nevada.
Ghost Hunt in Goodsprings from Las Vegas
10. See the Las Vegas sights with a personal Elvis
The view is even better from a pink Cadillac.
From the classic Elvis wedding to tribute shows, Las Vegas keeps the King’s spirit alive. Exploring the city by vintage, pink Cadillac with a costumed Elvis impersonator brings the experience to the next level. Pose for photos, enjoy personal performances of Elvis’ greatest hits, and visit all the Elvis-themed Las Vegas landmarks.
Related: Unique experiences in Las Vegas
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