14 SPECTACULAR SIGHTS TO WRAP YOUR EYEBALLS AROUND IN LAS VEGAS
It’s not ALL gambling and partying (though there’s plenty of that) in Sin City. Check out these booze and gambling-free experiences of a lifetime.
Las Vegas deservedly has a reputation as one of the world's most raucous party destinations, but there's plenty to see for those who'd rather steer clear - or at least have a day or two off - from the gambling and boozing that are synonymous with 'Sin City.'
In fact, we're going to put it out there: You can have the weekend of your life in Vegas without ever touching a drop of alcohol or sitting down at a poker table. The lights, the beautiful desert views, and the world's wildest hotels make for a trip you'll never forget. Here are 14 spectacular sights you can enjoy with the family - give them a shot and create a trip you are allowed to talk about when you get back.
MSG SPHERE
Just look at that thing! It’s as ridiculous as it is incredible. You’re leaving a nightclub after a few too many shandies and there, in the sweltering desert night, is a gigantic eyeball bogging right at you. Absolutely terrifying. Thankfully it’s not just a big ol’ peeper giving you the hard stare while you’re going about your business - there's a whole creative studio based in LA set up specifically to create the videos that will play on the 16K resolution screen. So far, displays have included planets, the Moon, a huge basketball and an ever-changing July 4 celebration that saw patterns and fireworks dancing around the world's largest LED screen.
Inside the MSG Sphere is an entertainment complex owned by the Madison Square Garden Company, which seats 18,600 people (20,000 standing) and will host gigs, sports events and the like. There'll be a VIP nightclub in the basement (is it even possible to own a venue in Vegas and not have a nightclub inside?) and nine levels in total, which will also feature 23 suites for a VIP viewing experience.
Although it’s already lighting up the Vegas sky, it’s not actually open yet - in September, U2 will begin a 25-show residency at the new venue as its first ever performers.
Officially the biggest spherical building in the world, the eye has certainly garnered a lot of attention, though not all of it positive. It’s become a bit of a pain for golfers at the Wynn Golf Club next door (one of America’s most expensive courses), who now have to concentrate on their short game while a blinking eyeball stares back at them.
If you can’t get to Vegas, you might still be able to check out a gargantuan sphere - an identical London version is planned for Stratford and has been scheduled to be completed this year.
MSG Sphere at The Venetian, 255 Sands Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89169
BELLAGIO FOUNTAINS
The Fountains of Bellagio have been dancing for tourists for nearly 30 years, and they’re still one of Vegas’ most loved attractions. Combining water that ‘dances’ to music and videos projected onto the walls of water, the fountains also recently evolved to incorporate fire as part of a Game of Thrones inspired show.
Most visitors stroll up the Vegas strip to the pavement outside the Bellagio, where the show is visible to anybody passing, but there’s also a terrace overlooking the fountains that provides a brilliant viewing platform.
The show takes place every half an hour, so if you’re spending a weekend in Sin City you’d be hard pushed not to catch a glimpse of the fountains in action. That being said, finding yourself a good vantage point and watching the whole show from start to finish is well worth 30 minutes of your time.
The Fountains at The Bellagio, 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
LUXOR HOTEL
Built in the early ‘90s, Luxor might no longer be the most luxurious hotel on the strip, but it’s undoubtedly still one of the most impressive. Named after an Egyptian city, Luxor does what Vegas does best - big, brash and culturally insensitive fun.
A great Sphinx looks out across the strip and behind her, a glimmering, 30-storey glass pyramid and two, Ziggurat Towers complete the hotel. Remarkably, when it was finished in 1993, the pyramid was the tallest building on the strip, though it was surpassed 11 days later by Treasure Island and is now dwarfed by the many skyscrapers in the city. It's definitely 'Vegas-size', though -the Sphinx is bigger than the famous landmark it was based upon, and the pyramid is the third largest in the world, only beaten by two of the Gisa pyramids in Egypt. And engineers in Vegas encountered problems the Ancient Egyptians never imagined, such as how to install a lift into a triangular shaped building. Rather than go right up the middle, like normal people, the builders created an engineering marvel of their own - lifts that go up at a 39 degree angle.
Wherever you are on the strip, you’ll always be able to find Luxor Hotel, thanks to its incredible Sky Beam - a shaft of light that shoots from the pyramid whenever dark falls over the strip. At 42.3 billion candela, it’s the strongest beam of light in the world and can be seen from Los Angeles.
The light creates so much heat that it has its own ecosystem - moths and bats are attracted to its warmth and other predatory animals follow suit.
Save up to 50% at Luxor Hotel, 3900 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119, United States
THE STRAT OBSERVATION DECK
At 1,149-foot-tall, the Strat Observation Deck is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the USA and it features slanting windows that offer the finest views over Las Vegas. There's an outdoor viewing platform where you can breathe In the desert air while pretending your legs haven't turned to jelly at the sight of The Strat's vom-inducing thrill rides that have become the stuff of Vegas legend.
There are a few to choose from and each sounds as terrifying as the last. Big Shot fires you 160 feet in the air at 45mph and then lets you plummet back to the viewing platform with nothing but a harness to keep you in place; X-Scream drops you over the edge of the platform, just enough for you to wonder if your car has sailed off the end of the tracks, before dragging you back to safety; and Sky Jump? Well, that just chucks you off the edge with just a bungee rope for company.
If you prefer your views without the threat of a heart attack, the indoor viewing platform is much more serene, and there are cafes, bars and even a plush steakhouse all offering incredible views, so head on up and check out Vegas from the sky.
The Strat Observation Decks, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV 89104