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What is There to do in Las Vegas, Besides Gamble?

Jeff Petersen
Jeff Petersen
Jeff Petersen
Jeff Petersen

Las Vegas is best known for its casinos and gambling, but that doesn't even scratch of surface of all the things it has to offer. This city is truly a resort town and offers a variety of fun and exciting activities, ranging from sports to sight seeing to fine dining and entertainment. When your gambling is done, there are still countless things to see and do there.

Las Vegas prides itself on its glitz and glamor. The lights and architecture of the casinos are well worth the trip down the Las Vegas Boulevard, more commonly known as The Strip. The Paris casino has a smaller copy of the Eiffel Tower, which you can ride to the top of for a small fee. The Mirage casino has a volcano out front, and during the evening it erupts in a fire and light show that is quite a sight to see. The Bellagio has a famous fountain show that must be seen to be believed, and the Treasure Island puts on a full sea battle between pirate ships several times a night.

Las Vegas restaurants have excellent buffets.
Las Vegas restaurants have excellent buffets.

For those interested in activity, Las Vegas can keep you moving from dawn to dusk. Most large casinos have one or more swimming pools, and many have their own private gym. There are world class golf courses and driving ranges to keep your swing in good form. The Strip boasts a rock climbing wall, and there are countless parks with baseball diamonds, football fields, and even Frisbee golf courses. If you want to avoid the heat and sun, you can still stay active with miniature golf and indoor batting cages.

Las Vegas offers many shops all around town.
Las Vegas offers many shops all around town.

Many of the large casinos have fantastic, themed shops. Caesar's Palace has toy stores, high fashion, sports memorabilia, and art galleries in its Forum Shops. The Aladdin Casino and Resort has a similar selection of shops and restaurants in the Desert Passage.

Las Vegas also has many malls and shops outside of the casinos, all around the town. Once you're dressed to the nines, showcase your style at one of the posh nightclubs or fabulous shows on offer. Dance with the beautiful and famous people or watch them perform live on stage.

Non-gamblers can take a trip down the Las Vegas Strip to view the lights and architecture of the casinos.
Non-gamblers can take a trip down the Las Vegas Strip to view the lights and architecture of the casinos.

The food in this city is worth an entire vacation on its own. More and more famous chefs are setting up shop. Chefs Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck of Food Network fame both have restaurants in Las Vegas. Chef Mario Batali will be opening a restaurant of his own there as well.

Besides celebrities, many other excellent chefs have restaurants in Las Vegas. Even the buffets, restaurants, and coffee shops of the casinos often serve wonderful food. It is never difficult to find something delicious to eat while staying there.

Some people come to Las Vegas to gamble, but the city has so much more to offer. Whether you want to stay cool in the shops, get some sun by the pool, explore the town for free, or shop till you drop, there is much more than poker and slot machines.

Jeff Petersen
Jeff Petersen

Jeff is a freelance writer, short story author, and novelist who earned his B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Creighton University. Based in Berkeley, California, Jeff loves putting his esoteric knowledge to good use as a WiseGEEK contributor.

Learn more...
Jeff Petersen
Jeff Petersen

Jeff is a freelance writer, short story author, and novelist who earned his B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Creighton University. Based in Berkeley, California, Jeff loves putting his esoteric knowledge to good use as a WiseGEEK contributor.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

latte31

@Icecream17 -I heard that too. I also heard that they have a chocolate factory which should be really fun. I think that Las Vegas casinos are what made the city famous but there are a lot of other things to do there besides gamble.

I would visit Las Vegas in a heartbeat and I don’t gamble. It is a city unlike no other and I have to say that I really like the unique Las Vegas weather. It is supposed to get hot but the heat is a dry type heat and does not have humidity like you see in the southeast.

For example, when you visit a city like Miami the heat is a humid type of heat that will make you sweat so much more because it really feels sticky. A dry heat like in Las Vegas does not give you that same sticky feeling that makes you feel like your clothes are sticking to you.

icecream17

I just wanted to say that I never considered a visit to Las Vegas because I have small children and did not think that there would be much in store for my family.

However, I recently had a friend that got a great Las Vegas deal for her and her family and they said that they had a great time.

She said that there were Las Vegas shows that pertained to children’s interests. For example, she told me that there were endless magic shows and productions regarding famous children’s fairytales.

She also told me that there was a theme park and lots of venues to see animals. I guess I will have to reconsider a trip to Las Vegas because it sounds like fun.

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    • Las Vegas restaurants have excellent buffets.
      By: Miredi
      Las Vegas restaurants have excellent buffets.
    • Las Vegas offers many shops all around town.
      By: aberenyi
      Las Vegas offers many shops all around town.
    • Non-gamblers can take a trip down the Las Vegas Strip to view the lights and architecture of the casinos.
      By: Elnur
      Non-gamblers can take a trip down the Las Vegas Strip to view the lights and architecture of the casinos.
    • The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower is one of the most recognizable Las Vegas Strip hotels.
      By: Shaman
      The Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower is one of the most recognizable Las Vegas Strip hotels.
    • Las Vegas has a variety of exciting nightclubs to visit.
      By: KR MEDIA Productions
      Las Vegas has a variety of exciting nightclubs to visit.
    • The Bellagio resort hotel and its fine art gallery in Las Vegas offer masterpieces for view.
      By: Chee-Onn Leong
      The Bellagio resort hotel and its fine art gallery in Las Vegas offer masterpieces for view.
    • Las Vegas has world class golf courses and driving ranges.
      By: Gino Santa Maria
      Las Vegas has world class golf courses and driving ranges.
    • Visitors to Las Vegas may prefer shopping at the city's many malls and shops that are off the raucous casino strip.
      By: Monkey Business
      Visitors to Las Vegas may prefer shopping at the city's many malls and shops that are off the raucous casino strip.