The 'Welcome to Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas' sign at night

Things to do in Downtown Las Vegas

By Stuart Bak

Seeking a little respite from the non-stop sensory assault that is the Las Vegas Strip? Then Downtown may be for you. The city’s historic heart promises much the same in terms of top-flight dining, high-stakes casinos and flashing neon signs, but is a much more laid back affair, with street eats, free live shows and an artsy enclave that feels more NYC than Vegas Strip. There are stacks of things of things to do in Downtown Las Vegas, too, and we’ve put together a few of our favorites below, including:

  • Fremont Street Experience
  • Golden Nugget casino
  • Mob Museum
  • Container Park
  • SlotZilla Zipline
  • Neon Museum
  • Las Vegas Arts District

Fremont Street Tour

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A tour of historic Fremont Street is hands-down the best way to find your bearings on your first visit to Downtown Las Vegas (and a great way to discover things to do on Fremont Street once the tour is over). During the tour you’ll follow in the footsteps of the first settlers, see where the Rat Pack used to hang out and learn about Sin City’s past links to organized crime. Your guide will also point out old-school Downtown icons like the Golden Nugget casino and Neonopolis wedding chapel, where you can – should you so desire – be married by Elvis and Gene Simmons impersonators. You’ll also discover the iconic Main Street Station hotel and casino which promises, among its many treasures, chandeliers from the Coca-Cola building in Texas and the Figaro Opera House in Paris, and a section of the Berlin Wall in the, um, gentlemen’s conveniences.

Fremont Street Experience

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The undisputed highlight of the Fremont Street Experience is its absolutely humongous vaulted canopy. At 1,500 feet in length (that’s about four blocks or five football pitches, fact fans) and containing nearly 50 million LED lights, this unashamedly decadent wraparound video screen is the world’s largest. Grab a drink at one of the many bars in this (mostly) pedestrianized part of town and settle in for the mesmerizing light shows that burst out of the big screen every hour. There’s also free live music across three stages here, starting at 6pm every single evening.

The Golden Nugget

You’ll recognize The Golden Nugget from its cameos in dozens of Hollywood flicks down the years, perhaps most notably Bond classic Diamonds are Forever and Elvis fave (yup, you guessed it) Viva Las Vegas. Enter beneath the iconic neon sign and check out the huge Hand of Faith nugget on display in the lobby before trying your luck at the roulette and blackjack tables or just grabbing a cocktail and soaking up the distinctly old-school vibes of this, Las Vegas’s oldest large casino.

SlotZilla Zipline

From high stakes to high wires, the SlotZilla Zipline is pure Vegas, with an 11-story launch deck that’s designed to look like a giant slot machine, complete with cascading coins and a pair of 35-foot showgirls. Incurable thrill-seekers can fly, Superman-style, along the epic (and appropriately named) Superhero-Zoom, which traverses the length of the Fremont Street Experience. The Zip-Zilla is a somewhat less frightening half-length option that flies a little lower and allows you to travel in an upright seated position, for those not feeling quite so dare-devilish.

The Mob Museum

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Practise your best Al Capone impersonations on a visit to the quite excellent Mob Museum, with its plethora of interactive exhibits that chart the history of organized crime in the US, with a focus on mob activity in Las Vegas. See if you can hit the target in the firearms training simulator and visit the rogues’ gallery charting over a century of made men. There’s even an underground speakeasy here serving Prohibition-inspired cocktails to thirsty visitors. Enter via the secret door by the parking lot, but watch out for shady-looking gentlemen in fedoras and pinstripe suits!

Container Park

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A giant metal mantis with flaming antennae and an ear-shattering sound system marks the somewhat apocalyptic entrance to the Container Park, a Downtown shopping and entertainment mecca built out of old shipping containers. It’s a pretty cool hangout, with a little something for people of old ages: there are independent boutiques, bars and live music for the grown-ups, while a huge slide and water-play area in the central courtyard keeps the kids happy.

The Neon Museum

This huge outdoor museum preserves and exhibits that most Las Vegas of art forms: the neon sign. It’s a kind of retirement home for neon signs, giving these masterpieces of the Nevada skyline a second lease of life as part of a major tourist attraction. This is where you’ll find classic old-school signage including sparkling examples from the Stardust, Sassy Sally’s, Lucky Cuss Motel and the Hard Rock Cafe. We recommend visiting the Neon Boneyard at sundown for the most Instagrammable photo opportunities, when the signs are lit up against the fiery desert sky in all their technicolor glory.

SkyPod at the Strat

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Ok ok, so it’s not strictly part of Downtown, but it does command some of the best views of Fremont Street you’ll find anywhere in the city, so we say it counts! Another bonus is that this is one attraction you really can’t miss: just look for the skyscraping observation tower south of Downtown in the direction of the Strip; it's only the second-tallest of its kind in the entire Western Hemisphere! And, should your nerves be able to withstand the head-spinning super-speed elevator ride up to the 108th floor, there are plenty of attractions up here, nearly 1,000 feet above the Strip, to keep adrenaline-seekers occupied for hours. Board the aptly-named Insanity ride, a giant metal claw that dangles (and spins) its victims passengers over the edge of the building and into thin air. Or get even higher on the Big Shot, the vertical drop ride that goes up (and down) the tower’s needle, reaching a gut-churning height of 1,081 feet. Eek, eek and, furthermore, eeeeeeeeeek!

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Las Vegas Spring Break - Things to Do in March During Your Vacation

A spring break spent in Las Vegas has a great reputation among friends and college kids, but did you know that it can also be an excellent family destination? There are plenty of fun attractions, ranging from tours to museums and beyond. While some things may be appropriate for older folks only, there's plenty to do to fill up a wonderful, energizing vacation that all will enjoy. Check out a few of our recommended attractions and activities, including: Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Comedy Shows City Observation Decks Big Bus Las Vegas Art Museums The Grand Canyon And more! To keep your amazing vacation on a budget, pick up a pass for Las Vegas and save big on admission to some top local attractions. Choose as you go from dozens of top Las Vegas attractions and save up to 60% off combined admission vs paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices – Learn more. Take in a Show See the Strip From Above Explore the City   Of course, there’s much more to the city than just the Strip. Explore more of this fantastic town with a Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Las Vegas tour. There are a few different routes to choose from, so review your options and then pick what you want to see. Popular stops along these bus tours include Treasure Island, several hotels/casinos like Wyndham, Circus Circus, the Tropicana, and Excalibur, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop (of Pawn Stars fame), and more. If you want to explore on your own but want to avoid the steep cost of parking fees (which can definitely add up), try out the Monorail with a 24-hour Monorail pass. It only runs the length of the Strip, but it’s speedy and incredibly handy. Visit Some Fun Museums Soak Up Some Nature Take the Kids to Paris... in Las Vegas Play Around with Pop Culture If you really prefer contemporary pop culture to anything historic, then why not stop by Madame Tussauds Las Vegas to get a look at some astonishingly lifelike wax sculptures? It’s a great chance to “meet” your favorite celebrities, and to pose for those funny pictures you’ll love later. Another popular kid-friendly option is the exciting and innovative Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N, which offers an in-depth, nuanced look at the world of this fascinating comic book world that has inspired many movies. Both attractions are ideal choices for families with younger kids, because there's a lot to keep them interested and occupied in a way that sometimes more formal art-type museums can't accomplish. Explore Outside the City Explore Local Shopping Save on Admission So whether you want to add several additional attractions to a busy itinerary of theatrical performances and casinos, or just sprinkle in a few to change things up, our pass for Las Vegas is a great way to make the most of your Las Vegas Spring Break. Choose from many of these activities to enjoy on your Las Vegas spring break, and then you’re set to save!
Katie Sagal
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Things to do in Las Vegas When It's Hot Outside

It’s built slap bang in the middle of one of the planet’s hottest deserts, so it should come as no surprise that Las Vegas can get uncomfortably warm from time to time. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to experience triple-digit days between June and September, when the mercury hits a sweltering 100°F on the regular and has even been known to top out at an earth-scorching 115°F.  So yeah, Sin City simply sizzles in summer. But fear not: there are plenty of ways to beat the heat in Las Vegas, from lazy rivers and frozen cocktails to ice rooms and air-conditioned mega malls. Here’s our guide to the best things to do in Las Vegas when it’s hot outside. Ice Ice Baby So you’ve donned your Saturn-sized sun hat, slathered on the sunscreen and kept well hydrated with chilled water, but you’re still overheating like a faulty gasket. Good news: Las Vegas caters for precisely this issue and you never have to walk far before stumbling upon some fine purveyor of frozen drinks, extravagant ice creams, boozy popsicles or other thirst-slaking concoctions. Hit up Sticks and Shakes on the Strip for a quite dizzying selection of gelato and milkshakes (literally hundreds of flavor combos available), or head to the colorful Best Friend bar at Park MGM for some of the best spiked slushies in town. The signature CrazyShakes at Black Tap in the Venetian – spectacular frozen confections topped with candy, cookies and whole slabs of cake – are pure Las Vegas. Dive in! Pool the Other One Huge aquatic playgrounds abound in Sin City, where man made beaches, staggeringly large swimming pools, VIP cabanas, poolside cabanas and servers that could be models are de rigueur. And let’s face it, floating down a lazy river, pina colada in hand, is probably just about all you’re good for in this heat anyway, right? The Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, the MGM Grand… take your pick. The modestly monikered Garden of the Gods at Caesars comes complete with epic Romanesque columns, statues and fountains, as well as a whopping SEVEN pools. Meanwhile over at the Golden Nugget, you can ride a water slide right through the middle of a 200,000-gallon shark tank. Only in Vegas.  Get Wet and Wild More water-based activities await at Cowabunga Canyon Waterpark, a bumper 40-acre attraction that presents dozens of inventive ways to cool off in the hot Las Vegas sun. We’re talking high-octane water slides with names like the Ricochet Racer and Boomer Wrangler, the massive Cadillac Shores wave pool, the Piñata Falls play area (complete with refreshing 1,100-liter tipping bucket), and the thousand-foot-long Cactus Creek lazy river. A fine way to keep the kids entertained (and cool) all at the same time. Get Outta Town! Temperatures on majestic Mount Charleston in Clark County tend to be around 20-30 degrees lower than in the city during summer, making this fine natural wonder a great choice for escaping the Las Vegas heat. The scenic drive northwest out of Sin City is worth the journey in itself, as the otherworldly landscape transforms from the rust reds and arid heat of the desert floor to a cooler alpine environment. This lush wilderness, all pine forests, wildflower meadows and crashing waterfalls, offers a wide range of hiking opportunities, from canyons to high summits. Steel yourself for the 16-hour round-trip ramble to Charleston Peak, 11,916 feet up, where intrepid explorers are rewarded with life-affirming views of Death Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and Las Vegas itself.  Splash the Cash It goes without saying that Las Vegas is no slouch when it comes to indoor entertainment. Casinos, malls, bars, buses: every square inch of Sin City real estate is air-conditioned to within an inch of its life, the welcoming Arctic blast that greets you in every single doorway providing the most straightforward solution available to beating the desert heat. And, here in the world’s entertainment capital, it’s near-impossible to run out of fun ways to occupy yourself. Where, then, to begin? You could try your luck in any one of dozens of Vegas casinos: keep your cool at the Cosmopolitan’s craps tables, go for gold at the old-school Golden Nugget downtown, play hundreds of slots at the STRAT, and recreate your favorite scenes from The Hangover at Caesars Palace. Assuming you haven’t just bankrupted yourself at blackjack, you might also consider taking yourself off to one of the city’s mega malls. These great cavernous cathedrals to capitalism are lovely and cool inside, meaning the only thing at risk of going into meltdown is your credit card. Try window-shopping the Venetian’s upscale Grand Canal Shoppes, where a gondola ride on the replica of Venice’s Grand Canal may be just enough to distract you from that eye-wateringly expensive Dior choker you’ve been coveting. Cool Cultural Highlights Thankfully there are plenty of alternative indoor attractions that are far less likely to break the bank. Ride the (fully air-conditioned) Deuce bus for a cost-effective way of seeing some of the Strip’s highlights, including the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and the iconic ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign. Or drop by one or two of Sin City’s rather awesome museums: the Pinball Hall of Fame contains more than 150 fully operational old-school arcade classics, while The Mob Museum charts the history of organized crime in the USA and – bonus alert! – comes with its own with Prohibition-style subterranean speakeasy, serving real cocktails. Then there’s the cooling effects of the lush vegetation in the Bellagio’s eye-popping Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Or the fantastical, futuristic worlds to be found inside Area15 and the epic Las Vegas Sphere, both, of course, air-conned up to the hilt. Chill Out! Still too hot? You need to get yourself over to the opulent Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace. Inside the Arctic Ice Room, the mercury drops to a teeth-chattering 55°F – not quite cold enough for snow in the real world, but this is the surreal world of Las Vegas, baby, so snow you shall have nevertheless. There’s also ice to rub on your skin should you feel inclined to do so. Believe us when we say it won’t be long before you’re begging for some of that circulation-reviving 100-degree outdoor heat! Save on attractions, tours and activities in Las Vegas Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak

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