Nevada attractions

In downtown Las Vegas, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino is one of the oldest and the longest continuously running casinos in Sin City. In operation since 1941, the El Cortez is the only existing casino on the National Register of Historic Places, and offers slots, table games, sportsbook, and high-limits action.

Located inside the STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower, the L.A. Comedy Club hosts performances every night of the week. This venue features a rotation of big names, many of whom you’ll recognize from Comedy Central and Netflix, along with promising up-and-comers. If you’re in Las Vegas and looking for a night of laughs, this venue is a sure bet.

Part of downtown Las Vegas since 1971, the Plaza Hotel & Casino offers old school Las Vegas vibes at the start of Fremont Street Experience. Gaming is a big draw here: The casino is home to the only bingo room and largest sportsbook in downtown, along with a smoke-free gaming area, a rooftop pool, and multiple dining options.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts hosts Broadway shows, classical concerts, ballet, jazz, and more across three performance spaces in downtown Las Vegas. Known for its art deco architecture—inspired by the Hoover Dam—and superb acoustics, the center draws both locals and visitors seeking entertainment away from the Strip.

Sometimes the best therapy is breaking stuff. The leading “rage room” in Las Vegas, this place lets visitors relieve stress, vent frustration, or simply have a smashing good time by taking baseball bats and crowbars to everything from glass bottles to TVs. You get the rush of destruction without the cleanup. It’s a cathartic, adrenaline‑charged Vegas experience that’s fun solo or with a group.

Clark County Wetlands Park is a sprawling natural oasis on the fringe of the Las Vegas Valley, featuring diverse habitats, walking trails, and educational exhibits. Visitors are drawn to its serene setting along with the chance to observe wildlife, including birds and other native species, for a peaceful escape from Sin City.

Located in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino (formerly known as the Bakkt Theater) is one of the top concert venues in the city. The 7,000-seat theater has showcased a huge number of world-famous entertainers and hosted residencies by Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and the Backstreet Boys. A 100,000-plus-watt sound system and 2,200 feet of high-definition LED walls augment the concert experience.

Sky Zone Las Vegas is an indoor trampoline park where kids and adults can bounce, climb, and fly through a range of gravity-defying attractions. From freestyle jump zones to foam pits, ninja courses, and dodgeball courts, it’s a high-energy break from the Strip that’s great for families, groups, or anyone looking to burn off some steam indoors, whether for fun or for fitness.

Creepy hallways, secret passageways, and rooms brim with frightening lore at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum—a personal collection of artifacts and oddities gathered by the host of the reality television series Ghost Adventures. Even the 1938 mansion that houses the museum is said to be haunted. On late-night tours of the museum, intrepid travelers use special equipment to search for any sign of paranormal activities.

Known for its luxe, tech-centric rooms and its huge variety of dining options, ARIA is a great place for a convenient stay on the Las Vegas Strip. Even if you aren't planning to stay the night, it's a destination for eating a meal (or two) and viewing the resort's extensive art collection.

With wild western theming and more than 25 rides and attractions, Cowabunga Canyon is a family-friendly outdoor water park that brings splashy excitement to the Las Vegas desert. Expect high-speed slides, a massive wave pool, a lazy river, and a multilevel play structure perfect for younger visitors and all surrounded by canyon-style rockscaping and playful signage. From thrill seekers to toddlers, there's something for every kind of water lover here.

Custom car aficionados, gearheads, and fans of the TV show Vegas Rat Rods will want to visit Welder Up, the custom car fabrication garage featured on the show. Take a self-guided tour of the showroom and see where owner Steve Darnell and his crew create their unique turbo diesel builds, plus all sorts of other one-of-a-kind vehicles.

Learn about Nevada’s rich history on a visit to the Clark County Museum in Henderson, Nevada. Wander through a recreated ghost town, peek inside restored historic homes on Heritage Street, and explore immersive exhibits that trace the region’s transformation from Indigenous cultures and pioneer life to railroads, atomic testing, and the Vegas boom. It’s a low-key but memorable way to connect with the people and places that shaped Southern Nevada.

Located just a short drive from Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston offers year-round outdoor recreation opportunities, whether hiking and camping by summer, or a host of snow sports come winter. Also known as the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, this mountainous retreat rising prominently from the Mojave Desert is a must for anyone who enjoys a dose of the great outdoors.

The immersive Illuminarium Las Vegas transports visitors into stunning visual worlds. Featuring projections and in-floor haptics, its innovative experiences have themes ranging from rock history to a journey through the solar system. Ideal for families, this attraction offers a fun alternative to the usual Las Vegas entertainment options.

Good times in Vegas aren’t just for grown-ups. Located downtown, the Discovery Children’s Museum promises a captivating and enriching experience for younger visitors. The 3-story museum houses nine themed exhibition halls filled with interactive, hands-on displays that are designed to stimulate creativity and curiosity while kids learn, explore, and play.

Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, travelers flock to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for its chic rooms, shows and entertainment, three pools, in-house casino, and exceptional spa. It’s also a foodie destination: You’ll find 28 different eateries inside, ranging from casual cafés to cocktail bars and fine-dining restaurants.

In the heart of Sin City’s glittering Strip, House of Blues Las Vegas is a multifaceted venue that caters to eclectic tastes. The club showcases live music across a range of genres, performed by up-and-coming artists as well as legendary acts, and honors its connection to American blues culture by serving a menu with Southern flavors.

You know what you’re getting at a Hard Rock Cafe, and this Las Vegas chain restaurant doesn’t disappoint. In a prime spot along the Las Vegas Strip, the Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas is decked out in one-of-a-kind rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia and boasts the biggest Rock Shop across the entire Hard Rock universe. Look out for the signature neon-lit guitar out front.

For a taste of the Big Easy in the Las Vegas desert, head to The Orleans Hotel & Casino: a New Orleans-themed property that leans heavily into the Mardi Gras spirit. This family-friendly resort offers plenty of bars and restaurants, but it’s perhaps best known for its entertainment venues, including the sprawling Orleans Arena.

Tucked inside the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) offers a pleasant surprise for art lovers looking for a different side of Las Vegas. With its compact two‑room layout and rotating exhibitions, it presents works loaned from major museums and private collections—everything from classic masters to contemporary wonders. It’s a refined counterpoint to the casino floor.

Just a short drive from the Las Vegas Strip, Lion Habitat Ranch offers a rare chance to get close to majestic big cats in a sanctuary setting. Here, lions once used in MGM Grand’s famous habitat now roam in more natural enclosures, joined by giraffes, tortoises, and exotic birds. Keeper talks and animal feedings bring the zoo experience to life, making this a great escape for wildlife lovers, families, or anyone curious about conservation beyond the casinos.

The New York-New York Hotel & Casino is one of the most recognizable structures on the Las Vegas Strip. Visitors can see downsized replicas of iconic Manhattan landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire State Building. Inside, the Big Apple theme continues with replicas of Greenwich Village and Times Square, as well as New York–themed eateries, a roller coaster, entertainment spaces, bars, and slot machines.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, the distinctive mushroom clouds that rose from the Nevada Test Site could be seen from the Las Vegas Strip, and watching them even became a popular tourist activity. Today, the National Atomic Testing Museum tells the story of the United States’ atomic testing program with exhibitions that cover everything from Atomic pop culture to the global impact of nuclear weapons.

Glittering stars of comedy, music, burlesque, and magic draw crowds to these performance spaces on Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s a sister theater to the Saxe Theater, which is located a short distance away within the Miracle Mile Shops. Together, they are where old-school Las Vegas glamour—think showgirls decked in sequins and feather headdresses—meet innovative offerings such as pole-dancing workshops and mind-reading.

If you’ve ever wanted to play inside a giant sandbox, book a session at Dig This Las Vegas. A reservation secures you a spot behind the controls of heavy construction equipment, which you can use to dig, push, and lift your way through an open-air playground of gravel mountains, junked cars, dirt piles, stacked tires, and more. It’s located right on the edge of town, with spectacular desert scenery that makes for an impressive backdrop.

Experience the ultimate shooting adventure at Battlefield Vegas. Featuring a military-style complex with an indoor shooting range just off the Strip, and several desert training facilities, Battlefield Vegas offers visitors a first-person shooting experience with the largest collection of weapons available for public use in the country.

Bodies: The Exhibition reveals the inner workings of the human body in an intensely visual, educational experience. Using preserved real human specimens, the exhibit guides you through the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and organ systems, much like an anatomy lab. Located at the Luxor, it’s the largest permanent human anatomy exhibition in the US, offering you a chance to confront mortality, science, and health in a way few museums allow.

Among the most recognizable landmarks in the city, Luxor Las Vegas channels ancient Egypt on the exterior—with a pyramid-top spotlight that illuminates the night. Beyond the glass pyramid lies a complex of accommodations, entertainment, dining, and one of the city’s most expansive pool decks. Shows here range from family-friendly comedy to adults-only burlesque, while museum-style exhibitions showcase fascinating artifacts and history.

Multimedia and interactive exhibits at this museum tell the story of organized crime in the United States—and especially in Las Vegas, whose earliest development is tied to mob activity. The museum itself is located within a former courthouse, so visitors get a firsthand look at the very rooms where criminals and federal investigators once clashed. There’s even an on-site distillery and speakeasy-style bar that hosts weekly live music.