Families promenading properties and steering strollers at all hours was once a sign that things in Las Vegas were evolving. Today it’s convention, with multiple generations of guests from all time zones splitting time between sightseeing, shows and dining with kids in tow. It’s no longer a question of finding activities for all ages as much as what to choose from.
One of the newest immersive experiences, ARTE MUSEUM, stands mid-Strip across from The Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea tower entrance. An Infinite Waterfall room that combines projections of vertical rivers falling from a height of 7 meters and the sounds of cascades awaits within the cool confines. Other rooms contain floral, oceanside and starry sky themes and frolicking luminescent creatures, with features including a tea bar and a Live Sketchbook, where drawings of animals can be customized and turned into animated figures.
Dino Safari: A Walk Thru Adventure has its own share of Instagrammable moments inside Horseshoe Las Vegas, where an assortment of prehistoric reptiles come to life. They find inhabiting Dino Safari to their liking and are not in the habit of breaking free to run wild in the streets. It’s a rare chance to get close to a Tyrannosaurus or triceratops, but they could get close to you first.
Speaking of breaking free, Jabbawockeez have the most kinetic show on the Strip, which enchants children when they aren’t dancing themselves. The world’s preeminent breakdance crew has held multiple residencies over the years, with current MGM Grand extravaganza Timeless being the ultimate showcase of body-rocking, precision choreography, skits and humor, and audience participation.
For an off-Strip trip, Ethel M Chocolates Factory & Cactus Garden is a fantasy land for sweet-toothed small people and adults who grew up wishing there was a real-life Willy Wonka. Ethel M’s provides golden tickets for everyone and is a go-to place during the holidays when it’s transformed into a winter wonderland. The Cactus Garden, the largest of its kind in Nevada, is accessible year-round, as are factory tours and chocolate tastings.
Grand Canyon West offers sights, tours and lodging from the Hualapai Indian Reservation’s side of the epic chasm carved by the Colorado River. The West Rim is the location of iconic glass-floored bridge Skywalk, and GCW is a launching point for river-rafting, ziplining and helicopter tours that enable the execution of a Grand Canyon bucket-list entry. Adventures await.
Omega Mart should be on everyone’s list. The next-level attraction masquerades as a supermarket with eccentric inventory items, but secret entrances lead to a backroom, multilevel maze of art installations, interactive contraptions and the headquarters of the mysterious Dram Corporation. There is a conspiracy to unravel, and Omega Mart provides the clues.
There’s no mystery behind Tournament of Kings, where audiences gather at Excalibur for dinnertime shows of gallantry and pageantry, and the forces of good fight knights with not-so-good intentions. Swords clash, sparks fly, horses prance and damsels dance as kids of all ages eat with their hands and root for kingdoms with hearty huzzahs. Add this to the bucket list—twice.
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
