37 Fun Things to Do in Las Vegas (That Aren’t Gambling)

Want to visit Vegas but don’t want to gamble? There are still plenty of fun things to do in Las Vegas beyond the casinos!

Vegas is more than just slot machines and black jack tables. There are also shows, museums, art, bars, music, history, and celebrity-owned restaurants. There are so many exciting things to do besides gambling!

Check out some of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas.

Best Things to Do in Las Vegas

1. Fountains of Bellagio

📍 at Bellagio Hotel & Casino

The Fountains of Bellagio is a free show at the man-made lake in front of the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. This is one of the best free things to do in Vegas.

The lake’s fountains are set to music and lights, with more than 1,000 feet of water soaring up to 460 feet into the air.

The shows only last about 5 minutes, and they happen every 30 minutes in the daytime and ever 15 minutes at night. You’ll want to make sure you get there a little bit early to get a good spot to watch the show.

2. Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

📍 at Bellagio Hotel & Casino

Another great free activity is the indoor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio that covers 14,000 square feet and is full of whimsical designs.

The plants and themes change for each season (spring, summer, fall, winter, and a special Lunar New Year display), but they’re always elaborate and opulent.

When I visited, it was decorated with a spring tea party theme that was like stepping into Alice in Wonderland. There were tulips, giant tea pots, and beautiful fairies.

3. High Roller

📍 at The LINQ Hotel + Experience

The High Roller is an observation wheel at The LINQ Hotel + Experience. At 550 feet, it’s the largest observation wheel in North America and one of the best places to get 360-degree views of Vegas.

It takes 30 minutes to complete a revolution, and you’ll ride in a spacious, air-conditioned cabin. You can even bring individual outside beverages on for your ride!

Plus, they have Happy Half Hour cabins where those 21+ can ride along with an open bar and bartender for their 30 minute ride.

Get your High Roller ticket here.

4. Fremont Street Experience

The Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall in Downtown Las Vegas with a stretch of about five blocks under a canopy with an ever-changing LED display. At 13,000 square feet, this is the world’s largest video screen.

There are a bunch of bars, restaurants, shops, and casinos along the promenade. Buskers can set up shop in the designated circles on the ground. There’s a free concert series. You can even zipline above the promenade.

5. The Mob Museum

The Mob Museum is an in-depth history museum about the Mob and organized crime, centered on Las Vegas (its official name is the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement).

The museum goes through the beginnings of the Mob, the history of Vegas, Prohibition, and organized crime today.

The museum is set in the 1933 U.S. Post Office and Courthouse building. This courthouse was the site of one of the famous Kefauver Committee hearings, which exposed a lot of the ongoings of America’s organized crime.

Get your tickets to The Mob Museum here.

6. The Underground Speakeasy and Distillery

Part of the Mob Museum is their Underground Speakeasy and Distillery.

The speakeasy is a bar, but it’s also filled with exhibits and artifacts from the Roaring Twenties. They have a menu of craft Prohibition-inspired cocktails, many made with their own moonshine from their distillery. We recommend the Moonshine Mayhem and the Italian Creme Soda.

If you’ve already gotten a ticket to the Mob Museum, you’ll just head down to the basement from inside the building. If you’re just visiting the speakeasy, you’ll need the password from their website, and you’ll enter through an unmarked door around the side of the building.

7. Hoover Dam Day Trip

The Hoover Dam is one of the most popular day trips from Las Vegas because it’s really easy to get to. A day trip to Hoover Dam takes only about a 45 minute drive from Vegas.

The Hoover Dam is a feat of engineering that controls floods, provides irrigation water, and produces hydroelectric power. It was built between 1931 and 1936 and was the first large concrete structure of its kind.

A day trip to the Hoover Dam provides you a photo stop at the Hoover Dam bypass bridge for the best view of the dam. Then you’ll head down into the dam itself to view the power plant, generators, and diversion tunnels. Plus you’ll get a chance to walk on top of the dam.

Take this day trip to the Hoover Dam; get your tickets here.

8. Grand Canyon Day Trip

The Grand Canyon is another popular day trip from Vegas. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the US. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful canyon that has been carved and eroded by the Colorado River, leaving behind steep drop-offs and layered bands of red rock.

There are a ton of day trip options that will take you just to the Grand Canyon, or to both the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. You’ll be able to walk right up to the rim of the canyon, walk along some of the trails, and step out onto the Skywalk, a floating glass bridge over the canyon’s edge.

Take this day trip to the Grand Canyon; book your ticket here.

9. STRAT Tower Observation Deck

📍 at STRAT Hotel & Casino & Tower

The STRAT Hotel & Casino & Tower has a 1,149 foot observation tower, the tallest in the United States and the second tallest in the Western Hemisphere.

The STRAT Tower Observation Deck has incredible views of Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains. There’s both an indoor and an outdoor viewing area.

If you’re into thrill rides, they also have rides like the Big Shot that shoots you up the tower’s spire, the X-Scream roller coaster that hangs you over the edge of the tower, or the SkyJump where you can leap off the tower. You can get tickets for the rides here.

Get your STRAT Tower Observation Deck tickets here.

10. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

📍 at The Luxor Hotel & Casino

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is a 25,000 square foot exhibit at The Luxor Hotel & Casino that has more than 350 artifacts recovered from the sinking of the Titanic.

The exhibit takes you through the construction of the ship, replicas of the cabins, and personal information about some of the passengers. Throughout, there are artifacts recovered from the wreckage like luggage, passengers’ personal belongings, china, floor tiles, and more.

They also have a replica of the Grand Staircase that you can take a picture on (paid only), a replica of the Outer Promenade Deck on the moonless night, and the largest piece of the Titanic ever recovered on display.

Check out my full Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition review here.

Get your tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition here.

11. Paris Eiffel Tower Observation Deck

📍 at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino has a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, and you can go up to the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck for panoramic views of the city.

You’ll ride the elevator to the top of the 46 story tower for views of the Strip, the Bellagio fountain show, and Downtown Las Vegas that you can’t get anywhere else.

Get your Las Vegas Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck ticket here.

12. Pinball Hall of Fame

The Pinball Hall of Fame is a 25,000 square foot museum that houses the world’s largest pinball collection.

The games all belong to Tim Arnold, a member of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, and the machines range from the 1950s to the 1990s.

You can actually play all of the games. The games from the 1990s cost 50¢ per play, while all the older games cost 25¢ per play.

The Pinball Hall of Fame is located across from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign and across from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

13. “Welcome to Las Vegas” Sign

The “Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas” sign was put up in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard South in 1959 and has been a landmark ever since.

It’s free to visit, but people line up to get a picture with the sign at all hours of the day, so there’s almost always a crowd, even going early in the morning.

You can kind of cheat your picture by standing off to the side for a photo, if you don’t want to wait in line.

14. Atomic Museum

The National Atomic Testing Museum tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site.

This Smithsonian-affiliate museum is full of in-depth exhibits taking you through the world events leading up to the establishment of the Nevada Test Site, the nuclear testing done at the site, and its effects on the community and environment around it.

This is a great Las Vegas museum for nerds, but it’s also a really interesting piece of Vegas history that’s often overlooked in favor of the casinos.

Get your tickets to the Atomic Museum here.

15. Allegiant Stadium Tour

Allegiant Stadium is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team and it’s where a bunch of big names come to play concerts.

You can also take a tour of the stadium for a behind-the-scenes experience where you’ll see exclusive areas like the private suites and clubs, the Broadcast Booth, the Press Conference Room, and the Locker Rooms.

You’ll also be able to look at the Al Davis Memorial Torch and step out onto the field.

16. AREA15

AREA15 is a really cool spot that’s like stepping into another dimension. It’s an immersive entertainment venue with Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, art shows, VR experiences, axe throwing, a flight simulator, an arcade, escape rooms, a zipline, an Illuminarium, and an observation tower ride.

During less busy times, you can usually get a free entry pass to just admire the art and roam the district. And if you’ve pre-booked an experience in the district, you don’t need an entry pass.

17. Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart

Omega Mart is an immersive art exhibit created by Meow Wolf, an underground art collective that started in Santa Fe in 2008.

When you step inside Omega Mart, you’ll enter an unpredictable grocery store full of whimsical products and hidden doors to unique new worlds.

The immersive exhibit is located at AREA15, Las Vegas’s quirky, other-worldly entertainment district that specializes in experiential arts and events.

Get your tickets to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at AREA15 here.

18. Gondola Ride at the Venetian

📍 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is a Venice-themed hotel, with replicas of famous landmarks and even their own canals.

You can take a gondola ride on the hotel’s indoor or outdoor canals. These rides are complete with authentic Venetian gondolas, bridges, and a gondolier who can sing to you.

This is one of the most romantic things to do in Vegas! Be sure to get a private boat ride for ultimate romance.

Get your Venetian Gondola Ride tickets here.

19. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

📍 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino has its very own aquarium. The Shark Reef Aquarium is home to 2,000 animals, with an emphasis on sharks of course.

They have more than 100 sharks, saw fish, giant rays, endangered green sea turtles, piranha, jellyfish, rare golden crocodiles, and more.

Get your Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay tickets here.

20. Downtown Container Park

The Downtown Container Park is a shopping center built from shipping containers. You’ll spot it by the giant Praying Mantis outside.

They have local shops, restaurants, and bars as well as daily live entertainment.

21. Flamingo Wildlife Habitat

📍 at The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino has a free

Flamingo Wildlife Habitat that covers 4 acres of gardens and has exotic birds, fish, and turtles.

You can visit their Chilean flamingos, brown pelicans, Koi fish, albino catfish, and turtles.

22. Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

If you’re a fan of the TV show “Pawn Stars!” then you’ll definitely want to stop by the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, the shop from the show.

It’s free to visit the shop, plus there’s free parking, and you’re allowed to take pictures inside the shop. You can also occasionally meet the guys for autographs and pictures.

23. Hershey’s Chocolate World

📍 at New York New York Hotel & Casino

Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York New York Hotel & Casino sounds like it’s this big attraction, but really it’s just a huge candy store.

They do have a sculpture of the Statue of Liberty made out of nearly 800 pounds of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. They have another statue as well, this one made out of Twizzlers.

The store covers two stories and has tons of Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Jolly Ranger products, gifts, candies, and baked goods. It’s fun to look around at all the unique products they offer.

24. The Chocolate Bar

📍 at New York New York Hotel & Casino

The Chocolate Bar is just outside of Hershey’s Chocolate World. This bar specializes in chocolate- and candy-flavored martinis.

They have different types of chocolate martinis made with Hershey’s chocolate syrup as well as fruity martinis made with Jolly Rancher vodka. We went for a classic Hershey’s Chocolate Martini and a Reese’s Chocolate Martini.

25. Big Apple Coaster

📍 at New York New York Hotel & Casino

The Big Apple Coaster is the main attraction at New York New York.

This roller coaster goes around some of the recreated skyline buildings outside of the hotel. It was the first roller coaster in the world to have a 180-degree “heartline” twist. You go 67 mph and have a 203 foot drop.

It’s a quick but fun ride, and I’m happy to report that it wasn’t too jerky of a ride.

Get your Big Apple Coaster tickets here.

26. The Tipsy Robot

📍 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino

The Tipsy Robot is a robotic bar where you can watch your robot bartender mix you a drink.

There’s a location at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino in the Miracle Mile Shops and at The Venetian, but I recommend the Planet Hollywood location.

You’ll order your drink from a tablet; they have over 100 different drinks to choose from, ranging from the classics to some house specialties. Then once you’ve ordered, you can watch one of the two robots at the front mix your drink, pulling from the mixers suspended on the ceiling.

27. The Chandelier Bar

📍 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

The Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a three-level bar set inside a giant beaded curtain chandelier.

This bar is known for their viral “secret menu item” cocktail called the Verbena. This drink comes with a Szechuan flower that you eat before you drink, and the flower numbs your mouth and makes your mouth water, which all helps enhance the flavor of the cocktail.

They do have other delicious drinks, too! In addition to the Verbena, we also enjoyed the Champagne Socialist and the Finishing School.

28. See a Show

Whether you want to see magic, dancing, singing, comedy, cabaret, or circus acts, you’ll find an interesting show in Las Vegas.

The show that we went to has since shut down, so unfortunately I can’t recommend it, but you’ll have no problem finding a performance in Vegas!

Here are some top Las Vegas shows right now:

• MJ Live at the Sahara Hotel and Casino
• The Mentalist at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino
• Paranormal – The Mindreading Magic Show at Horseshoe Las Vegas
• Mike Hammer Comedy Magic Show
• Masters of Magic Show at Las Vegas Magic Theater

29. Have a Spa Day

Most hotels in Las Vegas have a spa. And if yours doesn’t, you can visit any hotel’s spa without being a guest of that hotel.

You can book a massage or facial, or just get a day pass to enjoy the spa’s facilities like hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms.

Here are some of the top spas in Vegas:

• The Spa & Salon at Aria
• Bellagio Spa & Salon
• Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
• Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam at The Cosmopolitan
• The Spat at Encore Las Vegas

30. Millennium FANDOM Bar

The Millennium FANDOM BAR is a nerd-themed bar with cosplay events nearly every night. They’ve got a really funky decor with nerdy references on every shelf.

Their drinks are delicious and are a great price compared to the rest of Vegas. We enjoyed the Mana Potion, The Sorting Hat, the Deadpool Mule, and In Groot We Trust.

Cosplay is not required, but they do have themed nights nearly every night, plus they have weekly events like karaoke, trivia, and movie nights.

31. Downtown Summerlin

Downtown Summerlin is an outdoor shopping center with dining and entertainment. They also have events like a weekly farmers market and live music in the summer.

This is also where you’ll find the Las Vegas Ballpark and City National Arena, the practice facility for the NHL Vegas Golden Knights.

32. Tournament of Kings

📍 Excalibur Hotel & Casino

Tournament of Kings is a Medieval dinner and show at Excalibur Hotel & Casino.

It’s kind of like Medieval Times, but it specifically has a King Arthur theme to it to go along with the hotel’s theme.

During the show, you’ll watch valiant knights fight and joust. You’ll also dine on a Medieval dinner consisting of Cornish Game Hen, potatoes, corn, a dinner roll, and an apple pastry for dessert.

Get your Tournament of Kings ticket here.

33. Go on a Mystery Picnic

An AmazingCo Mystery Picnic is a self-guided food and adventure experience where your next stop and your final picnic destination is a complete mystery, you just have to unlock the clues!

They offer mystery picnic dates, family adventures, and group days out. You’ll solve the clues to lead you around to local stores and restaurants where you’ll pick up your picnic food items. Then you’ll unlock your final picnic destination to enjoy your meal.

This is a great way to explore a new area and support local businesses!

They currently offer mystery picnics in the Las Vegas area exploring Summerlin and Historic Downtown Boulder City.

Read my review of AmazingCo’s mystery picnic dates here.

Book your Las Vegas AmazingCo Mystery Picnic here.

34. Explore the Hotels

Every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip has its own unique character. Even if you’re not hitting the casinos, it can be fun to just wander around each hotel.

You’ve got the Luxor with its Egyptian theme, the New York New York with its bustling New York city theme, Paris Las Vegas with its reproductions of Parisian architecture, the Venetian with its canals, and Caesars Palace with its Roman theme.

You could spend a whole day just seeing what each hotel has to discover!

35. Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure

📍 at Horseshoe Hotel and Casino

Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure at the Horseshoe Hotel & Casino is a family-friendly experience where you can get up-close and personal with animatronic dinosaurs.

This immersive exhibit features over 30 different species of dinosaurs and lots of scientific exploration of the prehistoric world.

During the experience, you get to learn about what each continent would have been like as part of Pangea and saw the dinosaurs that were native to that area. You can meet your favorite dinosaurs, discover a few you may not have heard of, and take a picture with a T. Rex.

Read my review of Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure here.

Get your tickets to Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure here.

36. Book a Las Vegas photoshoot with Flytographer

Explore Las Vegas with a fun and talented photographer, learn local tips, and capture priceless memories with photogenic backdrops. It’s a win all around!

With Flytographer, you can hire an amazing local photographer for a fun vacation photoshoot. Get wall-worthy photos that allow you to relive your trip as the perfect souvenir.

You can use my link here for $25 off your first Flytographer photoshoot.

Book your Flytographer photoshoot here.

37. Use the Tinggly Bucketlist box to find top experiences in Las Vegas

Treat yourself to an unforgettable adventure in Las Vegas with the Tinggly Bucketlist box.

Tinggly boxes are essentially gift vouchers for experiences all around the world. But you can give yourself the gift of adventure, too. Especially because Tinggly has some Las Vegas experiences you can’t find anywhere else!

With the Bucketlist box, you can treat yourself to unique Las Vegas experiences like an Exotic Car Driving Experience or Skydiving.

Get yourself the Bucketlist box here, or check out other Las Vegas experiences from Tinggly here.

Things to Do in Vegas Map

Ready to explore all these top things to do in Las Vegas? Use the map below to plan out your trip!

I hope you have a great time discovering Vegas beyond the casinos!

More Las Vegas Tips

• 7 Days in Vegas: Your Perfect 1 Week Las Vegas Itinerary
• 20 Tips for Your First Trip to Las Vegas
• Luxor Hotel & Casino Review: Budget-Friendly Vegas Hotel
• 15 Nerdy Things to Do in Las Vegas
• Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure — Review
• Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition — Review
• Top 5 Tourist Destinations in the United States

Cheers!

Paige

What are your favorite things to do in Las Vegas, Nevada? Let me know in the comments!