What to See and Do Beyond the Casinos in Las Vegas

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The numerous huge and brightly lit casino complexes have inevitably made Las Vegas an international mecca for gambling entertainment, and while they remain one of the key attractions for visitors to the fabled Sin City; there’s plenty more to see and do.

Indeed, it’s fair to say that one trip might not provide enough time to see everything. This is a sprawling place with countless natural wonders, some of which are famous and others that are almost like secrets waiting to be discovered. The culture and history of this location are also waiting to fill our senses with sights and sounds, while sports fans can join the locals at magnificent venues to cheer on major sporting teams.

If and when we do want to play casino games, we can do so from the convenience of our home computers or via mobile devices these days. It’s as simple as going to an online casino comparison website, checking the bonus offer listings and then use the popular filters to get the best deals. This means we can use our time visiting Las Vegas to check out the impressive variety of other attractions on offer.

Nature

Considering the city of Las Vegas is located slap-bang in the middle of the Nevada Desert, there’s actually a surprisingly large array of natural wonders and parks to visit. From small nature and animal reserves to iconic landscape locations, TripAdvisor has compiled a list of nature and park attractions that are all within easy travelling distance of the city.

Hiking the trails around the Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon or Gold Strike Canyon can be a great way to take in the magnificent desert scenery. Animal attractions are also abundant, including Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary or Silverton Aquarium; with the latter open free to the public.

Sports

Championship boxing and motorsports have long had homes in this city, but surprising as it may seem and up until fairly recently, Las Vegas was actually one of the largest cities in the United States without any major league sports franchises in residence. Teams from elsewhere would often visit for special occasions or exhibition games, although that’s all changed in the last few years, with the city beginning to welcome its very own major league sporting franchises.

The Vegas Golden Knights brought NHL hockey to the city as the first major sporting franchise to arrive in 2017, and they even reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their debut season. Since 2018, the Las Vegas Aces are the Women’s NBA franchise offering top-level basketball and they won the Conference Finals in 2019. Looking ahead, NFL is coming to the city in 2020, with the Oakland Raiders American football franchise moving to become the Las Vegas Raiders.

History

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Las Vegas started out as a watering hole on the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico. The city and surrounding areas have boomed since then, writing a marvellous history that’s great fun to explore. There’s a whole host of museums and exhibitions within the city of Las Vegas itself, including the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum and Boneyard, delving into the cultural history and Americana of Sin City.

No visit to Las Vegas is complete without a trip to Hoover Dam and the nearby Boulder City Museum, along with the National Atomic Testing Museum, for a look at how these two modern-age marvels completely transformed how the city and surrounding area grew. Finally, the landscape, geology and archaeology of the region are showcased at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and the Nevada State Museum.

Conclusion

We’ve only scratched the surface here of what Las Vegas has to offer. A vacation to the sparkling Nevada city doesn’t just have to be focused around the casinos and with a little research before you go, it’s possible to build a travel itinerary filled with adventures and excitement of an entirely different flavour.