Things to do in Las Vegas with Families

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We have family that live in Las Vegas, so sometimes we sneak down to visit them. The last time we visited, we decided to do some research on things to do in Las Vegas with families.

We found some really fun things to do in Las Vegas. Then we asked YOU, our followers, for some ideas, too. We received lots of great suggestions. So this post has the places we visited, and also the ideas of others to help you plan a fun trip to Las Vegas with your family.

The Strip

The Strip is fun to just drive down, especially at night. Our boys like to look at the lights and fun hotels, but the casinos have added some fun adventures for families, too. Here are a few things to check out:

The Bellagio Fountain Water Show is free and fun.
  • Flamingos Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo: Free. Open dawn to dusk daily.
  • Fountains of Bellagio Water Show: Free. The shows are on the hour and the half hour until 8:00 PM, then they are every 15 minutes until midnight. The show starts earlier on the weekend (12:00 pm) and at 3:00 pm on Monday-Friday.
  • Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: FREE. Walk through the beautiful decorations made from plants. There are a few weeks spread throughout the year where it is closed as they change the flowers.
  • Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage: $22/adult, $17/child 4-12. Open daily from 10-5. Everyone says this is an amazing spot to visit and worth the money, but we haven’t checked it out yet.
  • Mirage Volcano: FREE. The volcano “erupts” each night on the hour from 6:00-11:00 pm.
  • Open Rehearsals for Cirque de Soleil: Apparently, on certain days from 3:00-3:30, you can attend an open rehearsal of the Cirque de Soleil shows for FREE. What an awesome way to get a sneak peek for free at these famous shows. Call the box office of the specific show you want to see to find out their dress rehearsal days and times.
  • M&M World: FREE to walk in and watch the movie, but obviously all products cost. There are fun things to see in this store including a Kyle Busch racing car.
  • Coca Cola Store: FREE to walk in, but products cost. There is a soda fountain inside, a giant Coca Cola polar bear to take a photo with, and a giant 50 foot Coke bottle outside.
  • Parking: You can find FREE parking at the following casinos: Treasure Island, Venetian, Tropicana, Planet Hollywood, and Circus Circus.
The Bellagio Conservatory has a different display for the four seasons. We were lucky enough to see it at Christmas time!

Downtown Las Vegas

Yes, we know that the Strip is downtown, but these spots aren’t located directly on the strip. They are near the strip, but you won’t be able to walk to them.

A stop at the Las Vegas sign is a must. We can’t wait to go see it at night!
  • Las Vegas Sign: This was one of our favorite stops of the day in Las Vegas. We took pictures by the iconic Las Vegas sign that is on the National Historic Registry. Plan on waiting in line to get a photo though, and it’s busier at night than the day. We waited about 30 minutes to get up by the sign. We thought it was worth it and we recommend going in the morning to beat the crowds.
  • Silverton Aquarium and Mermaid Show: FREE. The aquarium is open all the time, but the mermaid shows are at certain times. Use the link to see when. They also have fish feedings.
  • Mystic Falls Laser Light Show at Sam’s Town: FREE. You can walk through the Mystic Falls park anytime of day or night, and it looks amazing. But there are special light shows daily at 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, 8:00pm and 10:00pm.
  • Pinball Hall of Fame: The museum is FREE to walk in and look around, but you will want to bring a roll of quarters to play some of these old arcade games and pinball machines. We had a lot of fun checking out the games, but it was crowded, so make sure to keep your kids close by. Also, the term “museum” is used loosely here.
The Pinball Hall of Fame is full of pinball and arcade games.

In the Las Vegas Area

These next adventures are in the Las Vegas area, but they might require a little bit of a drive to enjoy them.

There are lots of fun animals to see at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary.
  • Seven Magic Mountains: This unique art display is outside of Las Vegas on the way toward CA, but it makes a fun spot with some great pictures. FREE.
  • Las Vegas Natural History Museum: open daily from 9-4 pm. $12/ages 12 and up, and $6/ages 3-11, 2 and under are free.
  • Discovery Children’s Museum Las Vegas: $14.50/person ages 1-99. A fun place to play and explore inside. Check their website for hours because every day is different.
  • Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary: We visited this true animal sanctuary that housed rescued animals. There are many birds and a small petting zoo. FREE admission and open Thur-Sun from 9 am-4 pm.
  • Ethel M Chocolates Factory and Botanical Garden: There is a self-guided tour of their factory, and there are amazing botanical gardens to view outside. We visited in December and loved the Christmas lights on the cacti.
  • Red Rock Canyon: A one way 13 mile scenic drive with lots of hikes and places to explore. $15/day use fee.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Garden are a great free visit. You can watch the workers make chocolates and walk through their gardens for free.

Day Trips from Las Vegas

  • Death Valley
  • Hoover Dam
  • Valley of Fire State Park

As we explore more of the Las Vegas area, we will update this list with new ideas and also our review of places we have visited. Please leave a comment if you have a fun adventure for families in Las Vegas.

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This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Tara Turpin December 31, 2021 Reply

    The tunnels hike by lake mead is fun. https://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/hikerr.htm This museum was right by my house in high school and my kids had a lot of fun there on visits. Outside tgey have homes decorated to certain time periods anf an old vegas chapel. Inside they have lots of artifacts and history of the valley. Early settlers, recordings of some of the casino implosions, etc… The curator used to regularly be on pawn stars as a historical artifacts expert. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/parks___recreation/cultural_division/musuems/clark_county_museum.php There is also a Las vegas fort by the natural history museum. There was an amazing story told there about the woman who stuck around to run the wilderness outpost after her husband died. Also there are wetlands with lots of wildlife and various short walks up to long hikes. There is also a cute park near the entrance with stone animals. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/parks___recreation/wetlands_park/index.php

  2. Amy January 31, 2020 Reply

    We also love the free show and aquarium at Caesars Palace and the free circus shows every half an hour starting at 10 or 11 a.m. at Circus Circus.

    1. Natalie Ockey January 31, 2020 Reply

      Awesome! Thanks for the info. We will have to add them to the list!

  3. Jonathan Nielsen January 30, 2020 Reply

    Thanks for this article. We’ll be in Las Vegas in early April with four kids. One other day trip I thought of would be Mojave National Preserve. We’re going to try that one of the days we’re there.

    1. Natalie Ockey January 30, 2020 Reply

      Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to find out more info about the Mojave National Preserve.