Many people don’t realize what a great family vacation destination Las Vegas, Nevada is. It’s usually associated with casinos, but even the casinos cater to families with lots of free entertainment. There is a wide variety of Las Vegas hotels from which to choose, from luxury beyond compare to vacation rentals and budget hotels.
Thrills and Spills
Las Vegas is home to one of the best thrill rides in the world. The Big Shot at the Stratosphere propels riders 160 feet into the air in just 2.5 seconds. After being rocketed into the air, riders experience weightlessness on their way down. Another thrill on top of the Stratosphere is Insanity. Riders experience three Gs over the edge of the 1,149-foot Stratosphere Hotel and have spectacular views of the Strip on the way down.
There are many more theme parks in the city including the largest indoor theme park in the U.S., Adventure Dome at Circus-Circus and the Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York.
There’s Go Karting for kids and adults where there is also a roller coaster, fun slide and huge arcade with no admission fee. Another place, Fast Lap, has an indoor lap track for racing go-karts.
Food Fun
M&M’s World is chocolate heaven for anyone, and children enjoy the bright colors, including some never seen before on an M&M. Children can personalize their M&Ms; with a custom message, and see an entertaining show with Red and Yellow as the main characters.
For more chocolate, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory takes you through the whole process of candy making and gives free samples at the end. It also has a fascinating botanical cactus garden.
Nature in the City
It looks like the whole world is in Las Vegas. Children enjoy the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay that is much more than watching fish swim. It promises an undersea ocean of fantastic sights and you are in the middle.
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum focuses on educating and entertaining children with amazing exhibits.
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage Hotel has a huge tank where a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins has a great time. You’ll also see a variety of big cats in the beautiful garden. Also at the Mirage is a 20,000 gallon salt water aquarium filled with exotic marine creatures including three different kinds of sharks.
The Largest Circus in the World
Circus-Circus Hotel presents one of the best shows in the city, and it’s free. It’s a permanent circus that has a continuous show of live acts every day. Located on the Carnival Midway, performers come from around the world including aerialists and trapeze artists, clowns and many other acts that perform twice an hour.
Museums
There are several fascinating museums in Las Vegas for every age. The Chuck Jones Experience at Circus-Circus offers children the change to do creative art projects, practice animation and learn more about their favorite cartoon characters including Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and many more.
The Mob Museum may be interesting for older children with interactive exhibits that showcase the history of the most notorious gangsters.
Las Vegas has a lot to attract children of all ages, and if you are planning a family vacation, you can be sure to find the right type of affordable accommodation.
This article was written and provided by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, the ultimate platform for all your travel needs.