For today’s Travel Tip Tuesday I wanted to share some insight on the many, many things you can do in Vegas without spending too much of your hard-earned cash — better to save that for the slot machines right?
A little background: After much deliberation and trying to “convince” my husband that there was more to Vegas than degeneracy and debauchery, we decided to spend our 2nd wedding anniversary in Las Vegas. I had been there once before, when I was 15 and I went with my mother, her friend and her friend’s German high school foreign exchange student. We ate, saw the sights and went to a few shows….It was 1994 and Vegas was a totally different place then. Our first trip as husband and wife in 2001 sparked an addiction that we would be feeding for the next 11 years and more.
I think I will save the details of our first visit for another blog post some time and today, list a compilation of the things we have experienced over the years in Vegas for free or close to free. A weekend in Las Vegas does not have to break the bank, wipe out your kid’s college fund or blow the family nest egg. There is plenty to keep you entertained on a small budget. Here’s some of our favorites as we :
Luxor & Mandalay Bay
- Mandalay Place – Shops and restaurants
- Free tram and indoor walkway between the two and to Excalibur
- Shark Reef – Open daily, 10am-8pm; $16.95 adults, $10.95 children 5-12 (pricey) Mandalay Bay
- Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition – daily, 10am-10pm; $28 (pricey) Luxor
- Bodies… The Exhibition – daily, 10am-10pm; $32 (pricey) Luxor
Excalibur
- Motion Rides 11am-10pm daily, from $9.95
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
- CBS Television City Research Center – 10am-8:30pm
- LV Monorail Stop – Daily 7am-2am. 3 ticket types starting at $5
New York New York Hotel and Casino
- Manhattan Express Rollercoaster – daily, 11am-11pm; $14
Manhattan Express
Cosmopolitan
- Art scattered all around the property
- Live music at several bars
City Center
- Fine Art Collection – Free, open daily 24/7
- The Gallery – 10am-midnight, daily; free
- Water features – at Aria’s porte-cochère
Mirage
- Volcano – Daily, every hour dusk to 11pm.
- Aquarium behind the check-in desk in hotel lobby.
- Free tram to Treasure Island
- Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat – Hours vary, $15 for adults, $10 for children
Treasure Island
- Sirens of TI – Open daily, 5:30, 7, 8:30 and 10pm
- Free Tram to Mirage
Venetian/Palazzo
- Gondola – daily 10am-11pm, $16.
- Grand Canal Shoppes – Shopping, restaurants, street performers and more.
- Madame Tussauds – (702) 862-7800 times vary, $25 (a little pricey, but fun)
- Painted ceilings, 2nd floor balcony and hotel lobby.
- Giant waterfall and flower display, changed seasonally
Venetian Singers
Bellagio
- Fountains – every 30 minutes from 3pm-7pm, then every 15 minutes until 12am.
- Gallery of Fine Art: 10am-6pm daily, Admission $15
- Conservatory – Displays change with Seasons.
- Fiori Di Como – Artwork by Dale Chihuly on ceiling of hotel lobby.
- Chocolate Fountain – Jean-Philippe Patisserie
- The Art of Richard MacDonald – 10am-11pm daily, free.
- Free tram to Monte Carlo and CityCenter
Bellagio Fountains
Wynn/Encore
- Penske/Wynn Ferrari-Maserati showroom – 10am-9pm, $10 per person.
- Lake of Dreams – nightly on the hour beginning at 8pm. Outside the Parasol Down Bar, 2 drink minimum for balcony seating.
- Gardens near the lobby.
Water feature outside the Wynn
Imperial Palace
- Auto Collection – Located on the 5th floor of parking garage. Daily 10am-6pm. Admission $8.95.
- Dealertainers – Celebrity impersonating blackjack dealers
- LV Monorail Stop – Daily 7am-2am. 3 ticket types starting at $5.
Harrah’s
- Carnaval Court Live Entertainment
- Dueling Piano Bar
- Ghiradelli Ice Cream Shoppe
- Free shuttle to Rio, Bally’s/Paris
- LV Monorail Stop – Daily 7am-2am. 3 ticket types starting at $5.
- Hash House – Order one meal and share, the portions are HUGE
Flamingo
- Wildlife Habitat – 8am-dusk, free.
- Bugsy Segal Memorial – Plaque located in a small grotto behind the hotel.
- LV Monorail Stop – Daily 7am-2am. 3 ticket types starting at $5.
Casino Royale
- $1 beer specials and $1 margaritas
- Free promotional slot play with player card sign up
Fashion Show Mall
- Fashion Shows – Fri-Sun every hour noon-6pm
Paris
- Indoor walkway to Bally’s with shopping and eateries
- Eiffel Tower Experience – Open daily, 9:30-12:30am weather permitting. $10 for adults; $7 for children. From 7:30 p.m. – close: Admission is $15 for adults.
See Vegas from the top of the Eiffel Tower
Planet Hollywood
- Miracle Mile Shops
- Pleasure Pit – Sexy dealers
- Indoor rainstorm at timed intervals
Bally’s
- Jubilee! – All Access Backstage Walking Tour: Mon, Wed, Sat at 11am. Admission is $10 purchased with Jubilee! show ticket or $15 without.
- Indoor walkway to Paris.
- Free shuttle to Harrahsand Rio
- LV Monorail Stop – Daily 7am-2am. 3 ticket types starting at $5.
Bill’s Gamblin Hall and Saloon
- Big Elvis – M, Tu, Th, F @ 3pm & 7:15pm
Caesars Palace
- Forum Shops – Don’t miss the great statues or the spiral escalator.
- Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain Shows – Forum Shops. Every hour 10am-midnight.
- Large aquarium near Cheesecake Factory
Showcase Mall
- Gameworks
- M & M World
- Movie Theater
Stratosphere
- Tower – Tower rides Sun-Thurs 10am-1am, Fri-Sat and holidays 10am-2am. $15.95 for adults, $10 children
- Big Shot – $13
- Insanity the Ride – $12
- X Scream – $12
This extensive list was put together with help from my friends at the Vegas Message Board
Dockfam Adventures 