Las Vegas is virtually synonymous with gambling in the popular imagination, but you don’t have to go to the casinos to have a good time. In fact, Las Vegas is home to a wide range of fun and exciting activities that have nothing to do with gambling. If you’re looking for some alternative activities for your next trip to the world famous strip, consider exploring these 5 spots. You might even find they’re a lot more fun than risking your money at the Mirage.
Taste The Cuisine Scene
While places like New York City and Chicago get all the culinary press, Las Vegas is a favorite foodie destination. That’s because the city is home to hundreds of restaurants, many run by celebrity chefs. Never mind the casino buffets, you’ll find all kinds of international cuisine, food tours, unique features like the wine tower at Aureole and Gordon Ramsey’s combo restaurant and TV set, Hell’s Kitchen.
Embrace The Great Outdoors
Casinos are built without windows to keep people at the tables longer, but don’t get caught in that trap! Instead, for a budget-friendly vacation option, explore some of the incredible natural beauty of Nevada. Though many people splurge on trips to the Grand Canyon when they’re in Vegas, stay closer to the city by visiting the Valley of Fire, Nevada’s first state park. With brilliant colors and striking petroglyphs, it’s an unforgettable place.
Bright Lights, Strange City
Even if you’re not going to the casinos, you can enjoy the bright lights of the strip in a more unusual way by paying a visit to the Neon Museum and Boneyard. A six acre site filled with retired casino and restaurant signs that once shone along the city’s streets, the Neon Museum offers a glimpse of Vegas’s past. Not weird enough for you? Spice things up by visiting one of Las Vegas’s weed stores. Share an edible with friends before heading to the museum for an even more unbelievable adventure.
Be A History Buff
While the Neon Museum and Boneyard is a curiosity, it may not do much for those who prefer a more conventional museum experience – but Las Vegas can meet the needs of that contingent as well with the National Atomic Testing Museum. Just a short drive from the casinos, this museum marks Nevada’s key role in the development of nuclear technology, while also celebrating how the nuclear bomb has gone on to shape American pop culture. It may not sound that exciting, but it’s an interesting museum for history buffs and pop culture fanatics alike.
Don’t Miss The Mantis
Las Vegas’s Container Park may not be the hottest destination in the city, but it is home to one of the city’s most distinctive features: the Mantis. Standing 40 feet tall, the Mantis debuted at Burning Man, but is now something of an unofficial mascot with a rich mythology. Just be prepared if you show up at sundown, when the Mantis plays host to a drum circle and then puts on a grand display of pyrotechnics.
Las Vegas is far more than just a gambling hotspot, with fun activities for people of all interests, ages, and budgets. If you’re planning a trip, consider rearranging your itinerary to make sure you have time to see more than the casinos. Not only will you have a lot of fun, but you’ll probably save money by skipping the slots, too.
