Things to Do in Las Vegas - page 3

Shopping options might seem unlimited in Las Vegas — and, if you don’t hit the jackpot, they can also seem a little unrealistic. So, when it comes to most people’s Vegas budgets, it’s the strip’s centrally located Miracle Mile Shops that will most likely fit the bill. With some 170 stores and 20 restaurants, the mall stretches 1.2 miles in length and wraps around the Planet Hollywood Casino. With a wide range of stores, the selection is ideally suited for just about anyone and for any taste, and especially for those who don’t intend to spend every last cent of their casino winnings.

It’s also a pretty great place to walk around; not only can you escape the often-hot Las Vegas weather, but the mall entertains with sights of sorts, such as its surreal outside-but-actually-inside vibe, an indoor rain storm that pours from a virtual sky, and even a fancy water fountain that, during its hourly shows, sprays water 50 feet into the air through fog and lights.

In the middle of the Las Vegas desert, you can find this collection of artifacts comprising the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. Everything from a whale jaw bone to a wooly mammoth tooth is on display, with the chance to learn about animals from both the past and present. There are exhibits of dinosaurs and replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts, as well as sections dedicated to marine and African safari life. The Egyptian historical exhibit is particularly interesting, as it is focused on the life of Tutankhamun (it was formerly part of the Luxor Resort.)

Don’t miss the international wildlife gallery nor the sections focused on local Nevada plants and animals. There is also a geology gallery, a young scientist center, and an ocean discovery aquarium with sharks and rays, as well as exotic fish from around the world. Each collection has thorough descriptions and engaging, informative displays.

Las Vegas may be home to the famous Strip, glittering lights and plenty of world-class casinos, but the Las Vegas Springs Preserve showcases 180 acres of stunning natural landscapes and is the perfect place for travelers and families who want to escape the urban landscapes and spend a day in the rugged outdoors.

Visitors can explore winding nature trails, check out a stunning desert botanical garden, and venture into a natural wetland habitat. An informative museum and historic photo gallery also offer plenty of context for the dynamic plants and unique ecosystems that are a part of this prime family destination.

Both mesmerizing and horrifying, 100 mushroom clouds bloomed from and above the desert at the Nevada Test Site between 1951 and 1962. Hundreds more atomic explosions blasted underground until 1992. One hundred and ten miles away from the site, the National Atomic Testing Museum explores the area’s history, the ‘Atomic Age’ and dissects geopolitical events including what this nuclear history means for the world today.

This colorful Smithsonian-affiliated museum’s 8,000 square feet of collections include some 12,000 artifacts, documents, photographs and video clips that recount the history and pop culture surrounding the Cold War, atomic science and the Nevada Test Site. Walk through a circular bunker to see a 1960s children’s cereal box offering a free ‘atomic ring,’ Native American artifacts from the test area, Geiger counters, a replica 9 megaton nuclear bomb and the reactor that spawned the original nuclear rocket.

According to Caesars Palace’s website, more $1,000,000+ casino slot machine jackpots have been won on the resort’s casino floor than in any other casino in the world. Guests can play anything from 1¢ to $500 on traditional reel-type slot machines, video reels machines, video poker games, video blackjack and keno.

The resort features several popular table games as well including blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Spanish 21, mini-baccarat, Pai Gow and Pai Gow poker. The 8,500-square-foot poker room has 62 tables and 24-hours games including a full daily schedule of poker tournaments. Caesars Palace’s race and sports book has 65 private booths, each with a 12-inch flat-screen television, and several oversized screens.

Though all Las Vegas resorts are packed with action, Caesars Palace offers one of the best opportunities to get the best of everything in a single place. Several award-winning restaurants and the new Bacchanal Buffet never leave guests hungry.

You may have seen the traveling show for Bodies: The Exhibition as it came through your city, but if you missed it or would even like to see it again, you'll be pleased to know there's a permanent exhibit in Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.

In the Las Vegas Bodies: The Exhibition, more than 200 actual human bodies are on display, having been carefully dissected, preserved and reassembled in order to give us a look at how the human body looks and works. There are complete bodies, as well as specific organs and organ systems on display to highlight different aspects of the mysteries of the human body.

Many Las Vegas visitors lament that the city has no history, but that’s not quite the truth. Though some buildings have been imploded and several hotels and businesses have closed over the years, many of the neon signs that branded these buildings have ended up in the Neon Museum, also known as the Neon Boneyard. More than 150 discarded signs in the Neon Boneyard—including those from the Stardust, Moulin Rouge, Desert Inn, Aladdin and Flamingo—memorialize Las Vegas’ history and culture over the years, and they also preserve an art form for which Las Vegas is famous.

The Neon Museum recently celebrated the grand opening of its new La Concha Visitors’ Center, which makes touring the museum significantly easier than in years past. The two-acre exhibition can be viewed by guided tours only. The guides do an excellent job in providing context in which to appreciate not only the signs but the businesses they represented.