The Best Things To Do In Las Vegas

Our Local Expert Says:

One of Las Vegas' most well-known attractions--and it's free!

Description:

The Bellagio's Fountains sound like a simple concept: shooting jets of water timed to music. But what sounds simple is actually a complex choreography of technology, sound, and water. Designed by WET Design, an international company that specializes in elaborate water displays, the Bellagio's Fountains are spread over the nine-acre lake in front of the Bellagio. Over 1,200 nozzles and 4,500 lights work together to shoot water 400+ feet in the air—but that's not all the fountains do. They sway, they dance, and they wow the crowds that gather to watch them.

Shows start in the afternoon, but the best time to see the fountains is at night. The combination of music and the illuminated dancing water is enchanting. Many people have already seen the fountains on television shows or in movies (most famously, the George Clooney remake of "Ocean's 11"). Romantic, spectacular, and iconic, the Bellagio's Fountains are a free Las Vegas attraction that's appropriate for anyone of any age.

An underground well supplies most of the water for the fountains. Prior to the Bellagio, the Dunes and its golf course were located here—thus, the well, which watered the golf course. The Dunes was imploded to make way for the Bellagio.

Description:

A palace of delights in the heart of Las Vegas, the Mirage takes the Strip and adds a South Seas twist. The first thing anyone will notice is the world famous iconic volcano. Live eruptions every night are a Strip highlight for young and old alike. Enter the casino through a 100 foot high tropical atrium, filled with water falls, lagoons and orchids. Make your way through the casino to Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat where you can get up close and personal with the famous white tigers and the only desert-dwelling bottle nosed dolphins in Nevada. Don't miss the 20,000 gallon salt water aquarium behind the main desk!

Description:

The Stratosphere is America's tallest observation tower (1,149 feet) and one of the tallest structures west of the Mississippi River. At the very top, the daring get their adrenaline going on one of the thrill rides: The Big Shot, which shoots its riders into the air; the X-Scream, a teeter-totter that dangles you over the side; the Insanity, which spins you over a thousand feet of thin air; and the Sky Jump, where you can free-fall your way to the bottom.

You don't have to be a thrill seeker to visit the top of the Stratosphere. A rotating restaurant, the Top of the World Restaurant, takes advantage of the view to offer a memorable meal. You'll also find bars and lounges here.

Tickets to the top of the Stratosphere are $16. An indoor and outdoor observation deck are available. The Stratosphere's wedding chapel also offers services at the top.

Description:

Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino is one of the premier hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. The original Flamingo, now incorporated into the main hotel, was built by mobster Bugsy Segal. Excellent dining, entertainment, and casino gambling are hallmarks of The Flamingo Las Vegas. The beautiful tropical retreat is home to live flamingos and the resort's four interconnected swimming pools, tropical waterfall and private cabanas. Nightly world class entertainment rounds out the experience at the original Strip resort.

Description:

Finally, a much-needed (as opposed to just done because everyone else is doing it) and well-conceived renovation has given an old-timer an unexpected new shot of life. The public areas are totally refreshed: Check out those cherrywood and oxidized metal panel sheets on the walls -- you just don't see something that contemporary and design-intensive all that often in Downtown. By daringly removing half the slot machines, the casino floor has been opened up and aired out. The new entrance exterior with its stonework, planters, hitching posts, and stone driveway feels like an entirely new hotel. Even more exciting, there are plans to take out a parking lot and turn it into a proper plaza with trees, fountains, and the like, which seems totally alien to the concept of Vegas. Additional plans include a South Beach-themed upscale annex in an adjacent, currently shabby property. Rooms (some quite large) have gotten new traditional furnishings; admittedly, nothing stands out, but with amenities like flatscreen TVs, nice new (if small) bathrooms, armoires with actual minifridges, and Wi-Fi (for a fee), they are right behind Main Street Station for recommendable affordable downtown lodgings. There is a new, popular Chinese buffet, and the steakhouse Roberta's is solidly good. Many of the employees have been here well over a dozen years, which says a lot. Local legend Jackie Gaughan still lives in the penthouse and wanders through the property. Overall, it's now a cool old Vegas place of the variety that doesn't exist any more. Forget the manufactured versions. This is the real thing, updated but without losing its identity, and for probably half the price (or even a third).

Description:

Forget all that stuff we said before about the great museums of the world. You can keep your Louvres and Vaticans and Smithsonians: This is a museum. Housed in a strip mall, this is a shrine to the glory and excess that was the art project known as Liberace. You've got your costumes (bejeweled), your many cars (bejeweled), your many pianos (bejeweled), and many jewels (also bejeweled). Also, the entrance itself is a giant jewel. It just shows what can be bought with lots of money and no taste.

The thing is, Liberace was in on the joke. We think. The people who come here largely aren't. Many of these guests would not have liked him living next door to them if his name was, say, Bruce Smith, but they idolize the man, the myth. Not found here is any reference to AIDS or chauffeurs who had plastic surgery to look more like him. But you will find a Czar Nicholas uniform with 22-karat-gold braiding and a blue-velvet cape styled after the coronation robes of King George V and covered with $60,000 worth of rare chinchilla. Not to mention a 50 1/2-pound rhinestone costing $50,000, the world's largest, presented to him by the grateful (we bet they were) Austrian firm that supplied all his costume stones.

The museum is now better than ever, thanks to a costly renovation that turned what was once a too-low-key exhibition, especially given the subject matter, into something much more gaudy and over-the-top -- and, better still, properly enshrined. Expect a ridiculously outrageous entrance (three words: giant pink piano) into rooms with various exhibits that finally give detailed attention to facts and figures. Admission has been cranked up, probably to pay for the renovations, but we don't mind -- this is a one-of-a-kind place, all the better thanks to a reconceived gift shop that finally understands what a lure Liberace branding is. (Think Elvis kitsch only bejeweled.) Unless you have a severely underdeveloped appreciation for camp or take your museum-going very seriously, you shouldn't miss it. The museum is 2 1/2 miles east of the Strip, on your right.

--Museum closed October 2010--

Our Local Expert Says:

The hilly, curvy road is a blast to drive--but look out for bikers and hikers.

Description:

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has one paved road through its protected lands. The Red Rock "Loop," as locals refer to it, is a 13-mile, one-way scenic drive that weaves past the spectacular rock formations in Red Rock Canyon. The road itself is great fun to drive--if you like winding, curvy, slightly hilly roads with no guardrails. The Loop is a favorite photo-shoot backdrop for car clubs of all kinds, precisely because it's a such an enjoyable drive. This is a one-way road, but in its former life, this road was two-lanes. Drivers who like to take it slow should move to the right and let the faster cars pass.

The first pull-outs on the Loop overlook the Calico Hills. These overlooks are crowded with tourists, hikers, photographers, and rock climbers. Take a good look at the Calico Hills and you're likely to find several climbers clinging to its vertical rock walls.

Sandstone Quarry is another popular stop along the Scenic Drive. Its name signifies exactly what it formerly was, and visitors who want to stretch their legs but not go for a hike will find this a good stop, but there are no picnic tables here.

High Point Overlook has a roomy parking lot and coin-operated binoculars. You can see the southwestern tip of the Las Vegas Valley from here, along with an expansive view of Red Rock's cliffs. If you can catch a full moon rising over the Calico Hills, it makes a great picture from this spot.

Further down the road, drivers will find picnic tables at Willow Springs, close to the Children's Discovery Trail and the Lost Creek Trail. (Experienced 4WD drivers may want to try Rocky Gap Road, which goes over the mountains here. Check on road conditions before attempting this drive).

Photographers adore the Red Rock Scenic Loop, and if you're in this group, plan on pulling over often. Red Rock's scenery appears frequently in movies, and it's also a favorite spot for weddings, romantic drives and picnics.

Visitors who don't want to hike or climb can still enjoy a drive along the Loop, which ends back at State Route 159. The Red Rock Overlook sits just off SR159, and it has covered picnic tables. Drivers can pull in here for a panoramic view of Red Rock Canyon, and there's no entrance fee. A short trail climbs a hill just east of the parking lot, and several benches give people the chance to stop and rest, or simply to stop and enjoy the view.

The Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop is open from daylight to dark; hours change according to the seasons. Admission is $7 per vehicle.

Description:

At the Excalibur Hotel, it is army against army and knight against dragon in this dinner performance straight from King Arthur himself. Enjoy a wonderful three-course dinner as you cheer on your jousting knight. It is an exciting evening that includes pyrotechnics, unparalleled horsemanship and amazing special effects. Bar drinks are available for an extra charge. Tickets are available by phone up to six days in advance.

Description:

The Las Vegas Springs Preserve rests on the site of the original desert spring that the city was founded on and which dried up in 1962. The 180-acre preserve has both historical and educational significance, reminding people that the area was once abundant with water and nature. The preserve's gardens include more than 400 species of plant life, plenty of trails, art displays and educational exhibits such as the Origen Experience and the Desert Living Center.