Things to Do in Nevada

Talk about a wedding to remember! The Special Memory Wedding Chapel offers memorable wedding ceremonies in true Las Vegas style: in packages and with Elvis Presley, but minus the grub associated with chapels typically found on the Strip! The chapel is most popular for its famous drive-through weddings, which continue to gather hordes of visitors even today. Visitors wishing to tie the knot should expect all the Las Vegas wedding elements: Elvis impersonator, limousine transportation, rose presentations, photo tour packages in the city and more.

An attraction in its own right, the off-Strip and classy chapel is featured in a dozen guided tours around Las Vegas, and should please even the non-Vegas wedding types.

The Eiffel Tower, a monumental tourist draw connected to the Paris Hotel and Casino, offers views of the valley and a chance to dine on the finest French cuisine Las Vegas has to offer. C'est vrai!

Enjoy a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower in a glass elevator. At fifty stories above ground and at a height of 460 ft (140 m), the view is impressive. Once you’ve reached the observation deck, you’ll have a vista of the entire valley and the sights of Sin City.

Located below the observation deck is the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which is a definite feast of the senses. Featuring views of the Bellagio water fountain show, the restaurant showcases both the design of the tower and of its art déco motif. For food, Chef Joho has a classic and updated French menu that you can enjoy with a cocktail or glass of wine.

Red Rock Canyon is a network of impressive canyons and surreal rock formations inside the Red Rock National Conservation Area. If you're looking for opportunities to hike, bike or rock climb within easy striking distance of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon is just what you're looking for.

One of the more popular destinations for climbers here is Keystone Thrust, made up of towering red sandstone peaks and walls that reach as high as 3,000 ft (910 meters). Then there’s La Madre Mountain (8,154 ft / 2,485 m), a moderate climb and an optimal spot for mountain biking.

Other highlights include Icebox Canyon (to get here, you start hiking an easy trail through the canyon and then boulder-hop and climb to reach the top) and the Pine Creek Canyon oasis (a running creek surrounded by pine trees).

The Venetian Hotel and Casino is the premier location to catch great shows and indulge in unique experiences. With a booming nightlife and entertainment scene, coupled by the beautiful architecture and world famous gondola rides, this hotel will transport you to the streets of Venice.

Experience a first-class ride on a majestic gondola, painted white and gold with elaborate details and decorations. Then, travel through the canals and ride above a man-made lagoon, which mirrors the sky-painted ceilings. The ride will take you beneath bridges and alongside charming boutiques and cafes, so that you’ll feel only steps away from Italy. For world class entertainment the Venetian offers the most variety and best in Vegas. The Blue Man Group, The Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys, and the comedian Joan Rivers play there regularly. Then there’s the nightlife, and the Venetian is home to the world-famous bar Tao Nightclub, where celebrity sightings are an every day occurrence.

When it comes to Las Vegas, City of Sin, and a cluster of neon lights, hiking isn’t the very first thing that comes to most people’s minds. The reality, however, is that Vegas is surrounded by dozens of great hiking trails and rung by mystical mountains, with the trail to the top of Fortification Hill offering one of the area’s best views. From the top of this rocky pinnacle inside of Lake Mead National Recreation area, climbers are rewarded with panoramic views of Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. This six-mile trail is for serious hikers who are comfortable with a little bit of bouldering, as sections in the middle can require scrambling for about 10 vertical feet. Most of the trail is straightforward, however, albeit a little steep, as the trail gains approximately 1,400 feet in a little under three miles. While you’re sure to work up a sweat when climbing—especially since there isn’t any shade—the view from the top makes every step completely worth the effort.

Adventuredome is America’s largest indoor theme park, and is situated within the Circus Circus resort in Las Vegas. The park is connected to the hotel via a large glass dome, and features various rides and attractions, from huge roller coaster rides to family friendly games and activities. One of Adventuredome’s most popular rides is the Canyon Blaster, the world's only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 55mph. Other attractions include a pirate ship, slingshot, bumper cars, video arcades, rock climbing, FX movies, and clown shows. Because the park is all located inside, it is not affected by the weather and is open all year round. In October, the Adventuredome transforms into ‘Fright Dome’ – an alternative Halloween-themed park.

Where do pirates, the Caribbean, and a relaxing oasis meet? At Treasure Island. Treasure Island is a Hotel and Casino with a sense of adventure, fun, and style that features live entertainment, a wild nightlife, thousands of slot machines and game tables, and accommodations where you can unwind.

Upon entering Treasure Island, you’ll be treated to a free performance of the pirate show, The Sirens of TI, complete with dancing, explosions, and a sinking pirate ship. From there you can make your way through the 95,000 square foot casino and take your pick of slot machines, poker, and a variety of other card games.

Treasure Island is also home to "Mystere" by Cirque du Soleil and performances by the most well-known musicians and comedians. And when it comes to nightlife, Treasure Island packs a punch with the Christian Audigier nightclub, Gilley’s Saloon, and the Isla Tequila Bar.

Lined with cobblestone walkways and iron street lamps, the Paris Hotel and Casino offers a small taste of Paris in Las Vegas. With its Parisian-style shopping and restaurants, plus a 50-story tall Eiffel Tower out the front, a stay here might just be as good as the real thing.

For shopping, Paris offers a walk down the Bally's-Paris Promenade or Le Boulevard, housing French designs, small boutiques, and the latest fashions. Then there are the shows, featuring the talents of everyone from singer Barry Manilow to the hypnotist Anthony Cools.

With more than 5,000 guest rooms, MGM Grand is one of the largest casino hotels in Las Vegas, and part of its draw is the gaming floor. The resort has more than 170,000 square feet of gaming space, which includes more than 2,500 slot machines and video poker. Denominations on these games range from 1¢ to $1,000. Majestic Lions and Lion’s Share are both custom machines found only at MGM Grand; a $1 million payout is the top reward.

Table games include blackjack, craps, baccarat, mini-baccarat, roulette, European roulette, Pai Gow poker, Pai Gow, big six wheel, let it ride, war, crazy for poker and three-card poker. MGM Grand’s race and sports book has seating for 104 guests with several television screens from which to watch the big game. This is also the first race and sports book to offer “skyboxes”—four rooms that host eight to ten guests in 300-325 square feet of space. Each is equipped with 42-inch plasma television, surround sound and CD systems.

Planet Hollywood is home to about ten restaurants, a 100,000-square-foot casino and a handful of theatres including V Theatre. In addition to a few low-on-the-radar shows, Planet Hollywood usually has at least one legendary artist performing on a short residency (Meat Loaf, The Jacksons and CeeLo Green have been past artists) and is now home to pop star Britney Spears and her show “Britney: Piece of Me.”

Wrapped around Planet Hollywood is the Miracle Mile, a shopping mall with 170 stores and 15 additional restaurants. Stores feature known brand names such as H&M, Urban Outfitters, Puma, Diesel and American Apparel. Despite the fact that Bellagio is just across the street, the Miracle Mile has its own fountain show, which features lighting effects, color-changing fog and water that shoots 50 feet in the air.

From hit men to mobsters, notorious criminals to the undercover police charged with protecting citizens, the Mob Museum of Las Vegas has got it all. Travelers can tour the interactive exhibits, sit back and relax in the new high-tech theater or wander through federal building halls filled with rare memorabilia captured from the world of organized crime.

Exhibit rooms take visitors on a guided history of the clue collection and evidence gathering of some of the nation’s most notorious crimes. Travelers can gain background on some of the Mob’s most notable criminals while they learn about unsolved murders, the history of Mob organizing and the incredible detectives who uncovered answers to some of crime’s biggest mysteries.

Open since 1989, the Mirage is perhaps best known for Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, which features rare breeds of large, white-colored cats as well as several bottlenose dolphins. The resort’s volcano is also well known with more than 150 specially designed fire shooters that blast fireballs choreographed to music nightly every hour on the hour from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Inside the Mirage, guests enjoy more than 100,000 square feet of gaming space including hundreds of slot machines and video poker and a dozen table games. The resort’s 20-table poker room hosts games 24 hours a day, and daily no limit Texas hold ‘em tournaments up the ante for serious players. Those who are new to poker may want to take advantage of the Mirage’s complimentary poker lessons, which are available anytime. Ask inside the poker room about where these lessons are taking place and learn about all aspects of the game.

Battlefield Vegas is a five-acre military-style compound just one block from the Las Vegas strip that gives visitors the chance to both interact with military history and experience the largest collection of weapons available for personal use in the United States. Everything from weapon selection and training (82 percent of employees are veterans with combat experience) is designed for an immersive experience.

On the grounds are both a 25-yard indoor firing range and a 200-acre desert training facility. Over 350 guns are on site, some of which date from World War I or were used recently by NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is also a fleet of 25 military vehicles ranging from jeeps to helicopters from both historical and present wartime. All weapon use is instructor-led, and experiences are arranged by weapon type and country or historical place of origin.