What to See & Do in Las Vegas

05 542672 Ch05.qxd 11/17/03 9:18 AM Page 97 5 What to See & Do in Las Vegas You aren’t going to lack for things to do in Las Vegas. More than likely, you’ve come here for the gambling, which should keep you pretty busy (we say that with some understatement). But you can’t sit at a slot machine forever. (Or maybe you can.) In any event, it shouldn’t be too hard to find ways to fill your time between poker hands. Just walking on the Strip and gazing at the gaudy, garish, absurd wonder of it all can occupy quite a lot of time. This is the number- one activity we recommend in Vegas; at night, it is a mind-boggling sight. And, of course, there are shows and plenty of other nighttime entertainment. But if you need something else to do beyond resting up at your hotel’s pool, or if you are trying to amuse yourself while the rest of your party gambles away, this chapter will guide you. Don’t forget to check out the free hotel attractions, such as Bel- lagio’s water-fountain ballet, The Mirage’s volcano, and the mas- querade show at the Rio. Note: Treasure Island’s pirate show, alas, has walked the plank and will be replaced with another “sexier” (but still free) outdoor production, The Sirens of TI, in fall 2003. 1 The Top Attractions See also the listings for theme parks and other fun stuff in section 3, “Especially for Kids.” The Arts Factory Finds Believe it or not, Las Vegas has a burgeoning art scene (what some would consider soul-crushing is what others consider inspirational), and this complex, located in the Gateway district, is the place to find proof. It features a few galleries and a number of workspaces for local artists. Several of the spaces are closed to the public. On the first Friday of each month, they have a party event (unimaginatively named “First Friday”) showcas- ing local artists and arts-oriented businesses, with live music, street 05 542672 Ch05.qxd 11/17/03 9:18 AM Page 98 98 CHAPTER 5 . WHAT TO SEE & DO IN LAS VEGAS performances, and other entertainment and activities. Go to their website for further details. 101–109 E. Charleston Blvd. & 702/676-1111. www.theartsfactory.com. Mon–Tues and Thurs–Fri noon–5pm and by appointment. Auto Collections at the Imperial Palace Even if you’re not a car person, don’t assume you won’t be interested in this pre- mier collection of antique, classic, and special-interest vehicles. There’s more here than just cars and trucks. Check out the graceful lines and handsome sculpture of one of the many Model J Duesen- bergs (one of which Elvis Presley drove in the movie Spinout). The craftsmanship and attention to detail make these cars, and others here, true works of art. Note that the vehicles on display change regularly, so there’s no telling what you may see when you visit. However, the last time we were here we saw a great deal of history. Down President’s Row we saw JFK’s 1962 “bubbletop” Lincoln Continental, Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 Cadillac, Eisenhower’s 1952 Chrysler Imperial 20-foot-long parade car, Truman’s 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan with gold-plated interior, FDR’s unrestored 1936 V-16 Cadillac, and Herbert Hoover’s 1929 Cadillac. Other highlights are the 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Special 60 driven by Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits; Al Capone’s 1930 V-16 Cadillac; a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet currently owned by Wayne Newton; the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback driven by Nico- las Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds; Howard Hughes’s 1954 Chrysler (because of his phobia about germs, Hughes installed a special air- purification system that cost more than the car itself!), and a 1933 Pierce Silver Arrow, one of only three still in existence today. In the Imperial Palace hotel, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/794-3174. www.auto collections.com. Admission $6.95 adults, $3 seniors and children under 12, free for children under 4 and AAA members. Check website for free-admission coupon. Daily 9:30am–9:30pm. Bellagio Art Gallery Everyone—ourselves not nearly least among them—scoffed when then-Bellagio owner Steve Wynn opened an art gallery on his new fabulous property. After all, who would go see ART in Las Vegas? Tons of tourists, as it happens—so many that they had to almost immediately relocate the gallery to a larger space. But then MGM MIRAGE bought Wynn’s empire, and the future of the gallery, which did rely on his collection (he took most of it with him), was in doubt. Surprise again, you scoffers (and that again 05 542672 Ch05.qxd 11/17/03 9:18 AM Page 99 Las Vegas Attractions (3 miles) To Salt Lake City 2 3 1 4 & Valley of Fire 95 95 93 Bonanza Rd. To Reno & Mt. Charleston Ogden Ave. 5 Fremont St. To Hoover Dam Bonnieville Ave. r Blvd. 599 DOWNTOWN 582 Adventuredome 11 The Arts Factory 6 Casino Cente 6 Auto Collections at GATEWAY ) Charleston Blvd. Imperial Palace 17 To DISTRICT Red Rock Bellagio Art Gallery 19 Casino Legends Hall of Fame Canyon Rancho Dr. Museum 23 Main St. Eiffel Tower Tour 20 Elvis-A-Rama 14 Fremont Street Experience 5 15 Stratosphere GameWorks 21 7 Las Vegas Blvd. (The Strip Guggenheim/Hermitage 604 Museum 13 Sahara Ave. King Tut’s Tomb & Museum 24 8 Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix 4 Karen Ave. Las Vegas Motor Speedway 1 Circus 9 Las Vegas Natural History Circus Dr. Museum 3 605 Pkwy. Maryland 10 Liberace Museum 27 11 Las Vegas Circus Circus Country Club Lied Discovery Children’s NORTH STRIP Museum 2 Convention Luxor IMAX Theater/ 12 Stardust Rd. Center Dr. Las Vegas Convention In Search of the Obelisk 24 Center Madame Tussaud’s Celebrity Encounter 15 Marjorie Barrick Museum 26 13 MGM Grand LionSahara Habitat 22 14 IndustrialTreasure Rd. MGM Grand YouthCountry Center 22 Island 15 Race for Atlantis ClubIMAX Sands Ave. Twain Ave. 3-D Ride 18 16 Venetian Mirage Scandia Family Fun Center 12 MID–STRIP Swenson Ave. Secret Garden of Siegfried sh icana Wa & Roy and Mirage Dolphin 17 Imperial Trop 18 Palace Habitat 16 Caesars Flamingo Rd. Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay 25 To Sam’s Town Bellagio Palace sh Speed the Ride/Las Vegas Cyber 19 a 20 Paris W Speedway 8 o University ng Star Trek: The Experience 10 Koval Ln. Koval i of Nevada lam Stratosphere Thrill Rides 7 Harmon Ave. F Las Vegas Hard Rock Paradise Rd. Wet ‘n Wild 9 Hotel & Casino 26 The Wynn Collection of Ave. Eastern Fine Art 13 21 New York MGM Grand 22 New York Tropicana Ave. To Hoover Dam Excalibur 27 23 Las Vegas Blvd. (The Strip) (The Blvd. Vegas Las Reno Ave. 24 SOUTH STRIP 605 Hacienda Ave. 25 Maryland Pkwy. Maryland 15 Russell Rd. McCarran 0 1 mi Russell Rd. International Airport 0 1 km To Los Angeles 99 05 542672 Ch05.qxd 11/17/03 9:18 AM Page 100 100 CHAPTER 5 . WHAT TO SEE & DO IN LAS VEGAS includes us). The Gallery is not only open again, it’s getting written up by real art critics, thanks in part to well-chosen shows like an exhibit from the collection of none other than Steve Martin—yes, we mean the stand-up-comedian-turned-actor-turned-playwright/author. Now, will there be as interesting a show up when you go? Beats us. When we wrote this, there was an acclaimed exhibit of European mas- terpieces, silver, gold, jewelry, furniture, and rare books on loan from England’s famous Chatsworth manor. Then there’s that ticket price: Do let us point out that the Louvre and the Vatican art collections, both of which are, needless to say, quite a bit larger and both of which, one can safely say, do have some notable works, cost around $9. In Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/693-7871. Reservations suggested, but walk-ins taken every 15 min. Admission $15 adults, $12 seniors, students with ID, and Nevada residents. Daily 9am–9pm. Casino Legends Hall of Fame Museum Finds A substantial and fascinating collection of gaming memorabilia (chips, cards, dice, even swizzle sticks, from long-gone and current hotels), pho- tographs (the original Flamingo surrounded by nothing but desert, for example), videos, displays, and minitributes to the people and professions that made and make Las Vegas what it is. Over 150,000 items make this the largest collection of its kind in the world. Pro- vided that this kind of history interests you, this shouldn’t be missed. The hotel’s free slot-pull area and local magazines often offer free passes. A large gift shop is attached where you can buy all sorts of collectibles—even slot machines. Note: With the hotel’s future in jeopardy, so is this collection’s. Let’s hope that if it has to close here, it gets picked up elsewhere. In the Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/739-5444. Admission $6.95, seniors $5.95. You must be 18 to enter. Daily 9am–9pm. Eiffel Tower Tour Overrated Whether this is worth the dough depends on how much you like views. An elevator operator (we refuse to call them guides) delivers a few facts about this Eiffel Tower (this is a half-size exact replica down to the paint color of the original) during the minute or so ride to the uppermost platform, where you are welcome to stand around and look out for as long as you want, which probably isn’t 2 hours, the length of the average movie, which also costs $9.

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