From hidden gems in strip malls to the desert wilderness just a short drive from the Strip, there’s so much more to Sin City than debauchery.
I ’ve lived in Las Vegas for nearly a decade . Sometimes when I say this to people , I see their oculus light up with the memory of a atrocious mistake they made here : an all - night bender , a relationship - ending indiscretion , a financially devastating bet . If you , too , associate Vegas with an experience you rue or an outstanding warrant for your collar , you might not think Vegas is for you . But there ’s so much more to Las Vegas than lawless debauchery .
As a proud Vegas occupant , I implore you to spread your brain to what exist outside the region of Buffalo Gold slot machines . It ’s a urban center without hangovers , crowds , or even resort fees . From hidden gems in strip malls to the desert wild just a short drive from the Strip , below are some of the best perspective - dislodge activities for experiencing Las Vegas afresh .
Avoid the Crowds and Walk the Strip Early in the Morning
More than40 million people visited the metropolis in 2023 . Not all at the same time , of course , though it can finger like that . The best path to avert the crowd ? Go in the dawning . In that knotty time between last call and breakfast , a form of peace exists on Las Vegas Boulevard . The street are still , the sky is pink , and even the glittering neon seems somehow softer . It ’s a surprising time of purdah in one of the busiest place on Earth .
If you ’d wish to do something very non – Sin City on the Strip , attend heap at theGuardian Angel Cathedral . This distinct blue A - human body church design by Paul R. Williams is a mid - one C architectural gem in the shadow of the Wynn . The church building ’s founder , Reverend Richard Crowley , was make love for offering 4:30 am mass to casino workers . Mass is a little later these days , give you supererogatory time to take in the sunrise .
Bow Out of Big Shows to Experience Off-Strip Theater
FromCirque du Soleilto the latest occurrence inside theSphere , there ’s no shortage of incredible show in Las Vegas . But given the just the ticket monetary value , the lack of destitute parking , and the $ 25 cocktail you will inevitably imbibe , the well - known show can be a lot financially and emotionally . rather , choose for a small , off - Strip theater experience . Specializing in immersive theater of operations , everything at theMajestic Repertory Theatrein the Arts District is originative , heartfelt , and a little piece wild . The unauthorized musical parodyScream’dis back for a ground . May it run evermore . Vegas Theatre Company , another Arts District gem , is an intimate locus surrounded by heading . Over in Chinatown , you ’ll findLas Vegas Little Theatre , the old operating small theater in the city , which produces both classical and innovative new gambol .
Spend Less Money by Visiting a Lesser-Known Museum
WhileTitanic : The Artifact Exhibitionat the Luxor is a great agency to see a full - plate re - universe of the Titanic ’s grand staircase in a casino , we empathize this is not for everybody . So if you ’re looking for a museum that ’s not inside a cassino , consider chitchat one of Las Vegas ’s lesser - known museums , which are often more low-cost , less crowded , and just as interesting as their well - known vis-a-vis . ThePinball Hall of Fame , which recently relocated to a enceinte infinite , domiciliate an all-encompassing restitute pinball solicitation — and yes , you could act the machines . TheErotic Heritage Museumoffers a sociological , historical , and aesthetic journey through human sex . It is also home to the existence ’s big sexuality bike , which is a fun thing to post on your Instagram with zero context . The Office of Collecting & Designin Las Vegas ’s burgeon Commercial Center is a velvety , library - like space containing a whimsical collection of miniature objects curated by the filmmaker Jessica Oreck . TheLost City Museum , located near Valley of Fire State Park , was retrace on the prehistoric site of the Ancestral Puebloans and contains excavated Pueblo artefact and reconstructed house . It ’s an important will to the desert ’s Indigenous people and well deserving the hour - farsighted drive .
Cancel Your Reservation and Head to Gilcrease Orchard for Harvest Season
On the far northwesterly side of Las Vegas , the urban center serenity , open up to large horse prop and views of the mountains . It ’s here where you ’ll findGilcrease Orchard , a wholesome farm where locals gopumpkin picking , eat apple cyder donuts , and take dwelling half - gallons of fresh pear tree juice . If you ’re feel arcadian , fall in them , and afterwards , weigh a steak dinner party at the nearbyBob Taylor ’s Original Ranch House & Supper Club . The “ Place for Steaks Since 1955 ” is the old restaurant in the city . Its wood - paneled walls , mesquite - cooked steak , and swinging doors feel like stepping into a nation Western — a far cry from the slick ( and often dear ) steakhouses on the Strip .
Trade Sportsbooks for Actual Books by Shopping at Small Businesses
If you prefer actual books to sportsbooks , find out your fashion to theWriter ’s Block , an self-governing bookstore , cafe , and ego - described stilted - bird sanctuary on a quiet street in Downtown Las Vegas . In 2023 , the Beverly Theater , the city ’s first independent film home , opened next room access to provide arthouse film and Nicholas Cage movies because , you know , equalizer . In accession to showing the kind of picture show you ’d typically have to beat back to Sundance to see on the gravid screen , the Beverly Theater offers live music , literary consequence , and now and then some really unhinged programming — Leprechaun 3?!—that one has no option but to abide by .
Save Your Money and Take Advantage of Free Programming at the Library
TheClark County Library Districthas 25 locations and rafts of excellent , free , and deeply underrated programs and conveniences . Several branches have used bookstores and art art gallery — the Sahara West position is especially enceinte for this . Many locations also have theaters for lectures , reading , and performances . Last year , the Library District offer a one - mortal show , a record serial publication , and a lecture from a ghost expert who arrogate Tupac Shakur haunt Flamingo Road , and none of it cost attendees a dime bag .
Instead of a Wine Pairing, Enjoy a Chocolate-and-Cacti Pairing
You ’ve probably see the Ethel M Chocolates stash away atHarry Reid International Airport — one of the nation ’s most unequaled — while you were hungover , leaving Vegas , and swear never to return . On your next visit , do things flop andvisit the factory in Henderson . Founded by famed candyman Forrest Mars , who describe the companionship after his female parent , Ethel M Chocolates is known for its gourmet truffles . It ’s free to confab the manufacturing plant , and in increase to learning how the chocolate gets made , you could ramble the three - Akko botanic cactus garden . During the vacation time of year , the cacti don Christmas lights . The desert holiday cheer is whimsical , but if you want to head off the crowds , claver during the other month of the twelvemonth .
Leave Your Hotel to Find Green Space in the Heart of the City at UNLV
Situated surprisingly close to the Strip , the UNLV campus is a unripened choice to the concrete of the Strip . Sit on a workbench and read a rule book within the xeriscape garden , which boast drouth - tolerant plants and occasional visits from cottontail rabbits and coyotes , then step inside theMarjorie Barrick Museum of Art , a gratis gallery with exhibitions sport local and see artist as well as workshops , creative person lectures , and an yearly artwork paseo .
Flee the Neon Lights and Drive (or Hike) to a Somewhat Obscure Piece of Art
In 2022 , land creative person Michael Heizer debutedCity , a large - scale carving he ’d ferment on since 1970 . The democratic nontextual matter — which ask a reservation to visit and is a long parkway away from Vegas — isn’t the most accessible . But if you ’re into land artistic creation , you may see Heizer’sDouble Negativeabout 90 minutes from the metropolis . Constructed in 1969 on Mormon Mesa near Overton , dual Negativeconsists of two trenches cut into the land , and the eyeshot beyond them is sweeping and impressive . you could easily make it toDouble Negativeif you have a gamy - headway 4x4 vehicle with ripe tires . If you do n’t , you ’ll require to hike up the last few mi on groundwork . This is a good matter to do if you like graphics and solitude .
Escape the Heat and Go Skiing Less Than an Hour from the Strip
This is n’t a euphemism for cocain . I ’m talking about literally going skiing atLee Canyon . If you retrieved your railroad car from the gentleman’s gentleman at Caesars Palace in good order now , you could be there in 57 instant . locate in the very same lot you ’re likely look at from your hotel room , this ski resort sit at an elevation of 8,660 feet and has 31 trail . It sees an average of 129 inches of snow a year . There ’s a restaurant , a prevention , and a burnt umber shop , plus other natural action like snowshoe and snowplay , which is just playact in the Charles Percy Snow . Lee Canyon does not have lodging , but you may stay in a cabin atMount Charleston Lodgein neighboring Kyle Canyon . All of the cabins have fireplaces and sundecks pretermit the C - wrap up peaks . For those who are n’t a fan of winter , the Mount Charleston area becomes a paradise in the summer — consummate for hiking , encampment , and rust charcuterie in a meadow alongside wild horse . And it ’s a undecomposed 30 degrees nerveless than on the Las Vegas Strip . Just remember to keep a respectful space from the horse , and do n’t bogart the cambozola .
Replace a Pool Party With a Dip in the Colorado River
Lake Mead is so much more than the body of waterwhere we keep finding human remains . There ’s also the Colorado River , which offers some of the best kayaking in the Southwest , just an hr outside Las Vegas . If you desire something a little more innate than a lazy river at a gambling casino , this is it . Willow Beach Marina & Campground , locate just over the Arizona border , lease single kayak , tandem kayak , and canoe . set aside the watercraft of your selection and boat paddle to the Emerald Cave , where the water fire up up brightly green when the good afternoon sun is above the canyon . If you ’d rather spend your clock time on ironical land , hike the five - mile Liberty Bell Arch trail and see — you guessed it — an archway that look like the Liberty Bell , plus an fantabulous overlook of the Colorado River snaking through the Black Canyon . The five - mile Arizona Hot Springs trail , which leaves from the same parking raft , takes you to hot springs nestled inside a slot canon .
Opt Out of Gambling With a Day Trip to Boulder City
With its Lake Mead views and quiet streets , Boulder Cityis a unquestionably mellow alternative to Las Vegas . It ’s just 30 minutes away and is one of only two township in Nevada where play is prohibit . saunter the peaceful , tree - lined downtown area , browse age-old shop class , get a caffe latte and a novel atDam Roast House & Browder Bookstore , try the truffles atGrandma Daisy ’s , and order the brisket atFox Smokehouse BBQ . Once a year , theDam Short Film Festivaltakes over the town with a few day of documentaries , dramas , horror , and more . And no stumble to Boulder City is unadulterated without a visit toHemenway Park , where you may often spot bighorn sheep skimming . Until you get there , you may take in theRam Cam .
Ditch the Lazy River and Relax in a Date Palm Oasis
The countersign “ oasis ” gets thrown around a lot in the desert , butChina Ranch Date Farmon the edge of Death Valley earns the form . If you ’re up for a 90 - minute movement out into the wild of the cracking Mojave , you ’ll discover palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , a mysterious desert river , and the beneficial appointment shake up you ’ve ever tasted . The route to China Ranch is winding and narrow as it miss down into a canyon , revealing a luxuriant light-green wonderland . China Ranch is a working farm founded in the 1920s . Take a hike along the Amargosa River ( stay on the track to be venerating of the fragile desert ecosystem ) , and when you retrovert , repay yourself with a date shiver , a date cookie , some appointment bread , or just a pound of dates . If you ’re looking for a good place to read a playscript in the subtlety of a decoration tree , this is it . And if you do n’t yet have a preference among Medjool dates , Halawi date , and Khadrawy go out , you will soon .
Snub the Club to Meet Burros in Red Rock Canyon
Whenever I ’m hosting a friend who does n’t care the stereotypic Las Vegas itinerary , I take them for a hike inRed Rock Canyon , 30 minutes west of the Strip . My go - to track is Pine Creek Canyon , toward the end of the Scenic Loop , which meanders alongside a brook surrounded by telling Aztec sandstone cliffs . around a sea mile from the trail head , the ruins of a homestead appear in a meadow . after , I take suppose Vegas skeptic toCottonwood Station , the only restaurant within the charming village of Blue Diamond . The carte has freshly made pizza , panini , salads , and adust good , plus beer , vino , and cider . The broad patio is often full of tramp , crampon , and slew bikers , but if you ’re really lucky , you ’ll catch a herd of burros passing through . It ’s not the kind of fortune most people call up of when project a trip to Las Vegas , but for visitant who need something a little dissimilar , it ’s just right .
Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist | Photo by Mikayla Whitemore for Thrillist
Guardian Cathedral|Photo by Mikayla Whitmore for Thrillist
Writer Block|Photo by Mikayla Whitmore for Thrillist
Lee Canyon|Photo by Mikayla Whitmore for Thrillist
