Trip out at Area15 in Las Vegas

Where do I start? Actually, this may be the exact question you’ll be asking yourself when you walk inside Area15—the new, completely immersive entertainment district just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The place is grand in scale, yet there are many intimately moving experiences. “We always joke around and say, ‘Area15 was built by some nefarious organization and then the inmates took over the asylum,’” says founder and CEO Winston Fisher.

“Everything in there was curated and picked—this was curated to find best-in-class experiences, and it’s exciting to create something truly unique and creative. What I’m most proud of is the unabashed creativity.” Area15 guests have multiple floors and destinations to explore—from art installations and experiences, immersive rides, virtual-reality trips, retail and interactive games to culinary, cocktail and sweet-treat hot spots. There’s even a secret to Area15, says Fisher. “There is a backstory—we offer ways to discover it,” he says. “For those that look, there’s a way to discover Haley’s story. Haley is part of the backstory. There’s ways to delve into that story if you want to seek it out. There’s mythical, mystic particles that help enlighten people, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Guests can pick and choose what experiences to focus on. We’ve collected just some of the offerings at Area15 to give readers a taste of what lies down the rabbit hole. In all honesty, this diverse place needs to be seen and experienced firsthand to truly grasp what makes it so darn trippy and special.

Shogyo Mujo

This 12-foot-tall skull welcomes visitors inside Area15. Watch as the skull, covered in 3D projection mapping, changes shapes and colors throughout the day, giving viewers a different experience each time they come back to view it.

Museum Fiasco

Step inside an immersive light and sound experience called Museum Fiasco on the mezzanine level. Created by Corner Bar Management founder Ryan Doherty, this 5,000-square-foot reimagined museum hosts various exhibitions like the current Cluster, an installation by Playmodes Studio that transports guests into an audio-visual voyage through technology and wonder. The completely immersive, 360-degree world will trick your visual and auditory senses and have you wondering which way is up and which is down. The installation marries different technologies to create astonishing effects while evoking emotions.

Art Island

The first experience you’ll come across at Area15, before you even enter the building, happens the minute you step out of your car and take a look Art Island. The outdoor gallery houses a number of large-scale, festival-style artworks. (And each piece is actually for sale and starts in the six figures). The artworks include: a 14-foot-tall mirrored polished steel piece of an embracing couple called In Every Lifetime I Will Find You by Michael Benisty; a reimagined shipping container called Infinity Ship (No.1) Perception by Matt Elson; a half-buried massive robot called Mechan 9 by Tyler Fuqua Creations; a neon-lit, large-scale wise owl named Omah by Alchemy Arts; Pulse Portal, a 20-foot archway by David McCarty made up of dichroic filters that shine iridescent light; a 15-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon named El Scorcho by Ivan McLean; and a re-imagined Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign made up of metalwork called Long Live Las Vegas by Tomas Toulec.

Emack & Bolios

For dessert lovers, this ice cream shops offers unique flavors like salted caramel chocolate pretzel, toasted s’mores and black raspberry chip. There are even vegan options like mint chocolate and coffee fudge. And you can get your scoops inside a variety of visually tempting, cereal-dipped cones!

The Sanctuary

On the first floor you’ll find the airy dome of tranquility and peace called The Sanctuary. This nature-inspired, bohemian destination allows guests to rest, relax and converse inside a huge conically shaped, tent-like garden made up of bamboo sourced from the islands of Bali and Java, and green, lush plant life with the soothing sounds of running water. The space is specially designed by Elora Hardy of Ibuku Design Studio.

The Beast by Todd English

“If Mad Max and Burning Man had a child it would be The Beast,” says chef Todd English. Culinary treats include pizza, craft cocktails, breakfast-for-dinner dishes and the in-house Beast Breath Smoke House serving up brisket, short ribs and even wagyu beef.

Haley’s Comet

This one is just pure fun (and an exciting way to get an overall, bird’s-eye view of Area15)! Haley’s Comet is a dual-track, zipline-type ride where two guests glide through the air at almost 10 mph around the district and can even race one another back to the starting point. The thrill-seeking suspension ride has also been described as hang gliding meets free-falling.

Wink World: Portals Into the Infinite

About three years ago, Chris Wink, co-founder of Blue Man Group, started playing around in his house with a couple different ideas—black lights, ribbons on his ceiling fans, glow-in-the-dark paint, lasers and more. Then he found even more inspiration from artist Yayoi Kusama’s Washington D.C. exhibit on infinity rooms. “Being in an infinity room was strangely profound—not just a gimmick,” he says. “But at the same time, as much as I enjoyed it, it was only scratching the surface of what you could do in an infinity room. If you added motion, music, light changes—all the things that I learned from Blue Man Group. So, then I used my bathroom in New York and started playing—I put mirrors on all four sides and started hanging Slinkies from the ceiling and then motorized them. I was trying all these things, having fun.” And, now, as the director of content and cool s**t for Area15, Wink has created Wink World, a 1,500-square-foot, self-guided, walk-through odyssey of six infinity-mirror rooms that are “filled with little moments of music, movement and magic that can reawaken our senses, that are often closed down by the assault of daily life,” he says. “The vibe of Wink World is whimsical, playful, mystical, (I) daresay spiritual. It opens your senses to the present. I used playful, throwaway items and turned them into something special—a moment of specialness. Forks, Slinkies, ribbons are turned it into something magical—making each room feel alive.”

Oddwood

Take a seat at this enchanted craft-cocktail bar that sits under a hypnotizing 25-foot-tall digital maple tree. Explore the extensive list of specialty cocktails and peruse the munchies menu, with treats like duck bao buns and tuna tacos.

Emporium Arcade Bar Las Vegas

Get ready to play some of your favorite arcade-style games at this graffiti-, art- and mural-filled, two-story, 10,000-square-foot home to adult fun. Lined with classic arcade games and pinball machines, the space also houses pool tables, basketball and Foosball games, and even Skeeball. Guests can also enjoy local craft beers, cocktails and bottle service. Emporium also welcomes live DJ sets, live music shows and a variety of gamer tournaments.

Rocket Fizz

Remember all the candy from your childhood? If it existed, then you’ll probably find it here at this twist on an old-fashioned candy shop stocked with a whole wall of different-flavored saltwater taffy.

Wild Muse

Take a piece of Area15 home with you at this unique retail bazaar. You’ll find branded items from several of the district’s tenants, plus handcrafted jewelry and accessories, and eco-friendly health and wellness products. There’s also a wide array of stunning festival clothing and sustainable apparel, toys and one-of-a-kind pieces from both local and global merchants.

Dueling Axes

Let off some steam and show your strength at this indoor, axe-throwing lounge. Dueling Axes offers 18 lanes for guests to gather with friends and test their skills at throwing axes at targets. The attraction also offers a beer and wine bar and entertainment on flat-screen TVs throughout the venue.

More Experiences to Geek Out On

OmegaMart is Area15’s largest tenant. Arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf brought together more than 300 artists, who contributed more than 250 unique projects to this 52,000-square-foot, immersive art experience. OmegaMart is a psychedelic grocery store that serves as the front for a journey into other worlds filled with terrains, installation-filled rooms, trippy experiences for the senses and a unique story that one discovers through each step that is taken further inside worlds within worlds.

3215 S. Rancho Drive, area15.com. While there are many free experiences guests can explore throughout Area15, general admission tickets do not include access to any ticketed experiences. Tickets are sold separately for rides, activations and experiences. Area15 is a family-friendly destination, however, some experiences and hours of operation are for those 21 and older.

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