This indoor theme park behind Circus Circus is a decent diversion for tweens and the younger set. Completely enclosed by a pink-glass dome that mimics a circus big-top tent, it’s filled with family-friendly amusements. Pint-sized carnival rides are just right for tots, while teens go for more thrills, like the double-corkscrew Canyon Blaster coaster, the El Loco coaster boasting 1.5 vertical-G,...
On the razor’s edge of downtown’s emerging 18b Art District, this brick warehouse is a creative space where artists, yogis and other art-cultural types get together and share their passions, especially for First Fridays events. Inside the Arts Factory, you never know what you’ll find poking around other artists’ studios and storefronts. The galleries are open varying hours, though you’ll find something open just...
Everything at the Bellagio, the Strip‘s original opulent mega-resort, is over-the-top. So it should come as no surprise that the Bellagio’s indoor conservatory is adorned with floral displays so elaborate that these seasonally inspired horticultural wonders have to be installed by crane. It takes a pro team of 140 gardeners to keep the show going year-round. Spring and summer bring of...
Although the Bellagio doesn’t have Steve Wynn’s impressive art collection anymore like when it first opened, it does have a very small museum gallery that hosts traveling shows. Exhibits in recent years have included paintings by Picasso and black-and-white photographs taken by Ansel Adams. Ticket prices seem too high, given how small the exhibitions typically are. But it’s still a good...
If you’ve never gambled in a casino before, or if you have trouble tearing yourself away those cheap penny slot machines, blackjack is a good place to start. The basic rules of ‘21’ are simple, although master strategy requires some memorization. If you need help, your blackjack dealer can advise you about what to do with any given hand of cards. Most casino...
Down the colorful LINQ pedestrian promenade, which is smack bang in the center of the Strip (well, almost), Brooklyn Bowl is an antidote to so much of the Vegas scene. For starters, ticket prices for live shows are not prohibitively overpriced. Better still, the indie bands and big-name acts are quality musical talent, not just some has-been singer who is lip syncing...
Once upon a time, Vegas casino showrooms were all about live music, stand-up comedy and topless showgirls. Today, the hottest tickets are for stage productions by this postmodern circus of aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, fire breathers, dancers and just about anything else that bedazzles the crowds. Some, but not all shows are appropriate for kids, including Mystère (all ages allowed), or for those who...
With bright purple neon that almost outshines the nearby strip clubs, this sex museum embraces both pornography and erotic art. On haphazard display inside this pink-stucco industrial building, you’ll find bondage mannequins, a sadomasochistic “mouse wheel” from the 19th century, and a gigantic penis made of 100,000 shiny copper pennies – and that’s just the tip of the um, iceberg. Yesteryear’s “blue movies”...
The Strip’s biggest mall is anchored by a half dozen department stores and more than 200 shops spread out over three levels. It’s mostly blah-blah chains, so don’t go out of your way to come here. But if you’re determined, you can still hunt down a precious few star-worthy boutiques. Models hit the catwalk runway on some Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Another...
Artificially blue skies with fluffy clouds float over Elysian fields of designer boutiques. Stalwart houses of fashion – Armani, Dior, Versace – and youthful names like 7 for All Mankind and Juicy all find their place in this faux Roman marketplace with over 160 shops. Ladies, look out for Agent Provocateur for lingerie. Meanwhile, Lush and Kiehl’s carry everything good for your...
Calling itself the world’s largest gambling store, you can start shopping here for authentic casino goods, or even custom order personalized chips to impress your poker buddies back home. Some Las Vegas souvenirs are priced to steal, such as decks of cards actually used at blackjack tables and poker rooms on the Strip. Looking for something more impressive? How about Nevada’s biggest collection of authentic...
Starring in the History Channel’s Pawn Stars reality TV series, this shop on a bedraggled block of Las Vegas Boulevard is so popular that there’s a velvet-rope line just to get in the door on days when they’re filming, which is usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on certain weekdays. Once you step inside, there’s actually not a lot of merchandise on display. It’s...
Sporting a faux Italianate cityscape, the Venetian’s luxury mall is almost a world unto itself. Let yourself float here off the Strip via the mini Rialto Bridge and its anachronistic moving walkway. Inside high heels go clickety-clack down cobblestone streets past designer shops, while operatic singers provide “streetmosphere.” Catch a free live performance in St Mark’s Square while waiting in line at...
Cap off your Vegas trip with a real bang – whether it’s from a handgun or a machine gun – at this shooting range, weaponry shop and training school, as seen on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars reality TV series. If you lust to feel a Colt or an Uzi in your hot little hands, they’ve got what you need here, plus...
Moving over to the Flamingo casino, the Strip’s most phenomenally successful tribute artist show hasn’t lost its pizzazz. A live band and orchestra, plus giant-screen video displays and rows of high-energy back-up dancers, make these imitation stars shine. Unlike most of the other celebrity impersonator shows in town, no lip synching is allowed, so these performers have to both look and sound...
The hottest Cirque du Soleil ticket in town, this 90-minute musical tribute to the Fab Four takes you on a psychedelic journey through time. Using the band’s original rock ‘n’ roll recordings, this acrobatic dance show heralded a new direction for the French-Canadian circus troupe when it opened. Come to the Mirage for a joyful romp through the Beatles’ history, with only...
Bachelor/ette parties, your interest may be piqued by this indoor shooting range where you can kick back in an ultra lounge with gorgeous chicks strapped with holsters as your hot hostesses? Even the New York Times took notice of this old-is-new-again hybrid concept of girls ‘n’ guns. Next to an Adult Superstore sex shop and not far from a bevy of strip clubs, Machine...
Stuffed with ornate antiques and random salvage pieces from around the world, this lively downtown casino is worth a quick peek. Pick up a free self-guided tour brochure of the art and antiques in the hotel lobby, then gawk at the stained glass from old Hollywood mansions and the chandelier from Paris’ famous opera house. (Oddly, there’s a chunk of the Berlin...
Revolving around Planet Hollywood’s casino, this lotsa-bang-for-your-buck shopping mall feels endless. And with good reason: it’s 1.2 miles long, stuffed with over a dozen restaurants and 170 stores. Most are ubiquitous chains, but you’ll find a few standouts like the Tatyana boutique for retro pin-up and rockabilly fashions. The Strip side of the mall is towered over by two restaurants with bars that...
Las Vegas’ zany original Cirque du Soleil acrobatic show is still going strong at TI (Treasure Island). For almost two decades, the French Canadian circus troupes’ whimsical acrobats, clowns, jugglers, aerialists, and gigantic taiko drummers have been delighting crowds. If there is any such thing as a classic Cirque du Soleil show on the Strip, this is it. Just don’t worry...