What happens in Vegas doesn't always have to stay in Vegas, especially when it comes to all the fun things to do with kids in this brilliant city - because we want to share all those fun experiences with you in this Las Vegas City Guide!
Las Vegas is known as the city that never sleeps. Known for those bright lights, those slot machine sounds, and those prime rib buffets. However, did you know there is SO much more to this Nevada favorite, and plenty of things to do with the family!
It's because of the city's ability to surprise you that we are so excited to share with you our Las Vegas City Guide featuring our "Top 9 Family Attractions" , all of which are just the tip of the iceberg in what you can do with kids in Las Vegas!
There are so many fun things to do with kids, so make sure check out our entire Las Vegas City Guide that we've carefully put together just for you, so you can make your time in Sin City the best it can be with those little ones!
Main Image Credit & Copyright: Travel Nevada/Sydney Martinez
Image Credit & Copyright: Travel Nevada/Sydney Martinez
In this Las Vegas City Guide, we share with you our top 9 things to do with kids, as well as some super fun experiences for the family!
We know that budgets are always a consideration when you travel, so also in this Las Vegas City Guide we list some not-to-be-missed FREE things to do with kids that won't break those bank accounts!
Whilst most people travel to Las Vegas with a car, you might want to park it away for your time there and make the most of the other transport options. You can easily take the bus to Las Vegas, or fly into the city so we offer some tips on getting around Las Vegas plus we share some really fun facts about the city that might just surprise you!
If you want to explore a bit further out for the day, our Las Vegas City Guide also shares one of our favorite a day trips (and you won't want to miss this one!), plus we let you know some famous faces who were both in this popular tourist town.
So whether this is your first trip saying "Yes, take me to Las Vegas"! or maybe you have lived in Las Vegas all of your life but never really discovered what you can enjoy there, and you wonder "What is there is to do near me in Las Vegas?", then keep reading because we have the top 9 things to do in Las Vegas with kids...and so much more!
Image Credit & Copyright: TravelNevada
Compared to a lot of the USA, Las Vegas is a realtively new city by comparion. It was actually founded in 1905 after a railroad opened connecting Salt Lake City with Los Angeles and the area caught the eye of some farmers. Fresh water started to be piped in, and by 1911 the town was incorporated within Clark County.
Things really took off in the area when work began on Boulder Dam in 1931 (which is now known as the Hoover Dam and powers the city today!)
But where did the name "Las Vegas" come from? In fact, despite the founding of the town in 1905, the name actually preceeded that. It was named by a man named Rafael Rivera in 1829, who was a Spanish explorer en route to Los Angeles from New Mexico along the Old Spanish Trail. He was traveling with the Antonio Armijo trading party, and chose the name "Las Vegas" meaning "the meadows" (which is what the area resembled at that time!)
What once was meadows in the 19th century, the area in prehistoric times was actually marsh with water and vegetation. The river at the time went underground, leaving the land parched and arid - starting off the hardened plants and animal life that we know today.
Over time, the river resurfaced and flowed into what is now the Colorado River, with Native Americans living on the land for around 10,000 years until settlers arrived.
Today, Las Vegas is one of those places you just have to visit to really to truly appreciate how special it is!
Image Credit & Copyright: Travel Nevada/Sydney Martinez
Las Vegas is filled with things to do with kids. First, you have The Strip and all it has to offer! Ride the Big Apple Roller Coaster at New York New York, before zipping across historic Fremont Street with SlotZilla Zip Lines.
Discover the wonders of the ocean at The Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef Aquarium, or say hello to the impressive flamingos at The Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo.
Don't forget about those three extreme and thrilling rides you can enjoy with The Stratosphere Thrills!
Las Vegas is more than just The Strip, so in this Las Vegas City Guide you'll discover museums such as The Neon Museum taking you through history at nearly 100 years of Las Vegas signs, or where kids can play at the Discovery Children's Museum.
You can even discover tours such as Pink Jeep Adventure Tours that can show you the beauty just beyond the lights!
Image Credit and Transporation Source: Visit Las Vegas
If you will be in Vegas without a car (you might have flown in, or wanted to just ditch the car and enjoy your time there without worrying about navigating roads), there are ways to get around without.
First, walking is great. You get to see the sights, and get that exercise! However, if you walk during the day it's likely going to be VERY hot. Keep an eye out for the air conditioned connections between the hotels which are amazing to keep you out of that hot sun.
However, the Las Vegas Strip is BIG, so don't assume you can easily walk around from one end to the other. It's quite a stretch! Luckily for you there is a great way to get you from A to B without having to exhaust those legs.
The Las Vegas Monorail!
Here you can navigate the entire Las Vegas Strip in 15 mintues at speeds of 50mph.
The monorail sits at 3.9 miles above ground, and stops at seven stations along the route. At each stop you'll only be waiting four to eight minutes, so no time at all! The stops include the MGM Grand, Flamingo/Caesers Palace and SAHARA Las Vegas.
You can pick up mobile tickets, as well as several fare types - from one-way to unlimited pass - so whatever your needs, they have you covered!
Las Vegas also have a bus serve called The Deuce, with two routes that cover The Strip as well as Downtown. Deuce on the Strip will stop at just about every resort on the Strip (which is amazing!), then DVX runs partially through downtown as well as the famous Fremont Street.
If you don't want to take the monorail, then Las Vegas has several taxi companies that you can choose from, and ride sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft are a-plenty.
Top 9 Family Things To Do in Las Vegas
There are some pretty impressive stores in Las Vegas, but special mention has to go to Hershey's Chocolate World! After all....it's chocolate! This unique and incredibly delicious experience offers over 800 Hershey’s chocolates AND candies all within the famous New York-New York Hotel & Casino!
The store spans 13,000 sq ft is not only filled with chocolate, but also offers a Hershey's Kisses Flavor Wall, a Jolly Rancher Flavor Wall, Reese's Play the Perfect Part, Hershey's Taste Happiness AND a Statue of Liberty sculpture made out of nearly 800 lbs. of Hershey's Milk Chocolate!
Open daily, Hershey's Chocolate World is ready and waiting for YOU!
Source & Image Credit: Hershey's Chocolate World
Get ready to explore the world's greatest wax museum in the city that never sleeps! Of course we're talking about Madame Tussauds, and it's a great way to spend some time with the family to come face to face with your favorite stars of music, TV, movies and sports, and even historical figures too!
The wax figures at Madame Tussauds are so lifelike it will like you're taking selfies with the real people! Also at Madame Tussauds is The Hangover Movie Bar, as well as the Marvel Universe 4D Movie! Just don't forget those cameras - you will need them!
Image Credit: Madame Tussauds
If you are feeling brave, and we mean BRAVE, then you might just LOVE The Stratosphere Thrills! These incredibly thrilling and heart-stopping rides will really give you an incredible view of Vegas - as you'll be over 900ft high!
The Big Shot will shoot straight up 160 feet in the air at 45 mph, or you can spin at 3 Gs whilst dangling from the SkyPod on the groundbreaking Insanity, or you can take a roller coaster ride like no other with X-Scream, where you will hover over the edge of the SkyPod from 866 feet high!
Image Credit: The STRAT
If you can't get enough of the bright lights of Las Vegas, then check out The Neon Museum because this unique and fascinating museum collects, displays and tells the stories of old and disused signs from across Las Vegas from as far back as the 1930s!
To really make the most of your time, you can enjoy a 45-minute guided tour of the main Neon Boneyard, or marvel at the impressive light show that they put on. Keep an eye out for the special exhibitions they host across the year too!
Image Credit: Neon Museum
Who would have thought Las Vegas is home to one of the most comprehensive collections of nuclear history? Well, it is and it's all at the National Atomic Testing Museum!
The museum features many not seen before, first-person narratives that tell the incredible story, as well as thousands of iconic artifacts, environmental re-creations, and theatrical devices! Don't miss heading to the GZ Theater where you can experience a simulated atmospheric bomb blast!
Image Credit: National Atomic Testing Museum
It's time to play at the Discovery Children's Museum! This one-of-a-kind experience is the perfect place for those little ones to play, explore, be inspired, belong, unique learning - something families have been doing here for over 30 years!
The museum is filled with hands-on, interactive exhibits perfect for those imaginative kids. They can play in an environmentally friendly mini city, play make believe in a pirate ship, enjoy time in a desert themed town for toddlers, and so much more!
Image Credit: Discovery Children's Museum
Did you ever think you'd be riding a Big Apple Roller Coaster in Las Vegas!? Well you can at the New York New York Hotel! Here you can feel those thrills as you travel over 67mph on the very first coaster in the entire world to feature a full 180-degree "heartline" twist and dive maneuver!
So hold on as you see Las Vegas from a whole new point of view (an upside down one!), and a super fun addition to any family trip to Las Vegas. Did we mention you will also enjoy a 203ft drop too? Good luck!
Image Credit: New York New York Hotel
Are you ready to zoom across the iconic Fremont Steet? That's exactly what SlotZilla Zip Lines offer, and it is an experience not to be missed! SlotZilla is a thrilling zip line experience that flies you across 2 blocks, all starting from the world's largest slot machine!
SlotZilla offers two ways to fly. You can enjoy the lower Zip-Zilla (Zipline) which takes you 7 stories high, or the upper Super-Hero Zoom(Zoomline) at a thrilling 11 stories high.
Image Credit: SlotZilla
Pink Jeep Adventure Tours offer a new and fun way to explore Las Vegas - by pink jeep of course! Pink Jeep Adventure Tours offer more than just showing you the shimmering lights and neon signs.
Through their various tours on offer, they take you beyond the Strip to exprience the natural side of Las Vegas. They take you through the Mohave Desert and even to the Grand Canyon! These paved and off-road, guided daytrips from Sin City create memories that last a lifetime.
Image Credit: Pink Jeep Adventure Tours
A visit to Shark Reef Aquarium in the iconic Mandalay Bay will see you surrounded by more than 2,000 animals, from sharks to giant rays, piranha, endangered green sea turtles and even a Komodo dragon!
This unique aquatic exhibit even gives all who visit the chance to actually dive with a higher concentration of exotic sharks than you'd ever find in the wild! Are you ready to dive into Shark Reef Aquarium and discover the wonders of our waters? You might just make a splash!
Image Credit: Mandalay Bay
Famous Folk From Las Vegas!
Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is considered one of the greatest tennis players in the world. Born in Las Vegas, he is a former no. 1, eight-time major champion winner as well as an Olympic gold medalist.
Agassi is one of only five men to ever achieve the career Grand Slam.
Image Credit: Shinya Suzuki
Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter is an American actress most famous for her role as Cordelia Chase in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as it's spinoff Angel.
She also appeared in numerous other TV series such as Charmed and Veronica Mars.
Image Credit: LostinTexas
5 Fun Las Vegas Facts
Impress your friends with your amazing Las Vegas knowledge!
- The famous Las Vegas Strip isn't actually in Las Vegas! (It's just outside the city limits)
- Below Lake Mead there is actually an abandoned city! (The ghost town is named St. Thomas and was settled in 1865 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who mistakenly thought they were in Arizona or Utah)
- The very first paved street in Las Vegas was Fremont Street
- The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas is the second largest hotel in the entire world, with the MGM in Las Vegas coming in third! (The first is in Malaysia!)
- The Golden Nugget Hotel is home to the world's largest gold nugget - go figure!
Top 5 FREE Things To Do With Kids In Las Vegas
Enjoy the famous Bellagio Fountain shows!
One of the most iconic sites you might see walking down the Las Vegas Strip is those impressive Bellagio Fountain displays that will take your breath away! Held every night, these musically timed spectacles run from about 15 to 30 minutes and along with music you can enjoy timed water jets and lighting too!
A great way to enjoy some free entertainment before or after a delicious meal, whilst taking in the grandness that is Las Vegas - just don't forget to take those cameras! You'll need it!
Image Credit: Bellagio
The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat
It's time to get WILD at The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat! Escape the lights of Vegas by entering into a tranquil and idyllic escape. Here, the whole family can roam the peaceful and relaxing four-acres of gardens, complete with beautiful waterfalls, meandering streams, turtles, fish and of course, those beautiful flamingos!
With no cost to enter, the habitat is a fun experience for the whole family plus they have twice daily keeper talks to learn all about the wildlife and their habitats. Make sure you ask some questions, they will be happy to help!
Image Credit: Caesars
Enjoy a free tour at Ethel M Chocolate Factory!
Hands up if you like chocolate! Well, you're in luck because at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory you can enjoy a free self-guided experience in their factory viewing aisle and see how and where they make their delicious chocolate! You might just catch those talented chocolatier creating the Ethel M Chocolates that you know and love!
Once you've seen how the delicious chocolates are made, you can pick some in the gourmet gift shop, parents you might want to indulge in some wine tasting before heading out to their three-acre cactus garden!
Image Credit: Ethel M Chocolate Factory
The Pinball Hall of Fame
Not only can you enjoy seeing all these super cool vintage and retro pinball machines, but you can play them too! This free entry museum that displays all the coolest pinball machines (that we're sure your parents will remember!) also ensures that all these machines are restored to like-new playing condition by people that love pinball and understand how a machine should work!
Set across 25,000 sq ft the Pinball Hall of Fame is wall to wall pinballs that are just waiting to be enjoyed by families like yours! After all, at the Pinball Hall of Fame they say fun is mandatory!
Image Credit: Pinball Hall of Fame
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art
Did you think Las Vegas was a city without museums? Think again! Not only does Vegas have some incredible museums, you can enjoy some such as the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art free of charge!
Located within the University of Nevada, this fascinating museum is the only art museum in Las Vegas offering a rich learning and cultural experience for families of all ages, with rotating exhibits to ensure you can enjoy something new with every visit!
Image Credit: Barrick Museum
Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas with kids and families!
Las Vegas offers SO many fun things to do with the kids, but if you're feeling like you want to get out of the lights for the day, what better place than to head to one of the most impressive natural wonders in the entire country - the Grand Canyon!
The have-to-see-it-to-believe-it natural wonder of the world is a little over 2 hours drive from Las Vegas (126 miles to the West Rim), and will take your breath away!
Image Credit: NPS
The Grand Canyon (now formed part of the Grand Canyon National Park) found in northern Arizona encompasses a whopping 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River as well of the adjacent uplands.
The known human history of the Grand Canyon dates back as far as 10,500 years with evidence of human presence in the region having been discovered to support that. Of these years, Native American tribes occupied the lands for around 4,000 of the 10,500.
It wasn't until the 1880s that Pioneer settlers soon found their homes along the rim, and during the 20th century it was realised that tourism was soon to be more profitable that the mining that once occured.
Today, the Grand Canyon is located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, and is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the entire world—and luckily for you, you can enjoy these unmatched and incomparable vistas from the rim.
Today, the canyon receives nearly 5 million visitors annually - quite a jump from the 44,173 that visited in 1919!
The West Rim is the perfect spot to head within the 1900 square miles of canyon, as it's the closest spot when arriving from Las Vegas and still offers some great viewing opportunities, as well as fun activities.
Here’s our top 4 Grand Canyon West Rim things to see & do:
We hope you found this content useful! Please share with your friends, and if you have any comments, or want to let us know what we can do to further help you find fun days out with the family, then just email our team at [email protected]!
Let's get the family adventure started!
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Lisa
Lisa has been a content writer for Family Days Out for nearly 10 years, and a keen travel writer for nearly 20. She loves experiencing the best of a city, discovering the many things to do and immersing herself in the culture, and sharing these experiences with others through her writing.
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