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13 July 2011
2 a.m.
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With Las Vegas boasting themes like “Just the right amount of Wrong” and “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” it’s hard to believe the Strip would cater to families and tourists not old enough to feed a slot machine. Don’t be fooled — there are plenty of child-friendly attractions along the boulevard to keep the whole family entertained. After all, this is the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”
A few of Las Vegas’ attractions that cater to families:
M&M’s World
On the South end of the Strip, M&M’s World is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. From the four floors of merchandise, souvenirs and floor-to-ceiling candy bins of assorted colors to the 3-D movie, “I Left My M in Las Vegas,” this is a must-see for anyone.
Leila Navidi
Circus Circus Adventuredome & Midway
Circus Circus is home to one of the largest indoor theme parks in the nation. The five- acre, pink-glass-encased park boasts more than a dozen rides for all ages. When you’ve had enough thrills from the rides, head over to the opposite side of the hotel and visit the Carnival Midway. Free circus performances appear throughout the day, and hundreds of arcade and carnival games are available for play.
Coke Store
Want to see the Coca-Cola bear that’s in the television commercials or a building-sized Coke bottle? Look no farther. This store has plenty of novelty items to look at and an upstairs cafeteria where you can sample “Cokes Around the World,” and taste sodas from 16 countries.
Courtesy Photo /
Mirage volcano
The Mirage volcano was one of the first family attractions on the Strip. Built in 1989, the fiery volcano ignites every hour on the hour from dusk to 11 p.m.
Leila Navidi
Stratosphere Tower & Rides
Stratosphere Tower & Rides is an atmosphere for both adrenaline junkies and families looking to end the day with spectacular views of the Las Vegas Valley. The tower offers indoor and outdoor observation decks, with a 360-degree view of the city. Home to SkyJump, the highest controlled free fall in the world from the 108th floor; Insanity, where you can experience the Strip view 900 feet below at a speed of three G’s; Big Shot, a 160-foot launch up the tower needle; and X-Scream, a giant teeter-totter, 866 feet above the ground and drops over the edge of the tower.
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Attraction at the Venetian is your opportunity to get an up-close photo op with your favorite celebrity. The 30,000-square-foot attraction displays dozens of stars, including a “Sports Arena” area where visitors can stand next to Las Vegas tennis great Andre Agassi.
File photo / Justin M. Bowen
GameWorks
On the Strip inside the Showcase mall, GameWorks, offers state-of-the-art games and attractions for the entire family. Featuring 200-plus interactive games, the facility is a joint venture of Sega Enterprises and Universal Studios, and offers something for everyone.
Leila Navidi
MGM Grand Lion Habitat
This one-of-a-kind, $9 million glass enclosure offers visitors a chance to see African lions play, groom and sleep. The 20 lions live on an 8.5-acre ranch 12 miles outside of Las Vegas, but are rotated into the exhibit alone or in pairs for several hours. They are reportedly descendants of Leo the lion, the most recent mascot used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The lion has been a part of MGM for decades.
The free attraction is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feeding times are 11:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Sun reporter Delen Goldberg contributed to this report.
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I guess your assuming most families coming to LV are really just teenage girls and their moms on a shopping trip.
There are so many other fun things for families to do in Las Vega, and yes some of them are shopping related. Almost every hotel has some kind of family feature;
Excaliber has it's midway and family friendly shows like the jousting.
ALong with the Volcano, the Bellagio water show, the Pirate show, the playground at the outdoor shopping mall, Fly Away, movie theaters in many hotels, bowling alleys, bike rentals, museums, aquariums, shark tanks and on and on.
Off the strip the activities are endless, rent a boat at the lake, take a picnic and head into the mountains, go to the giant shooting range, (something my kids love to do) , go out to the flats and try a wind cruise, go exploring along the many marked trails, take water, hike the meadows and streams, Vally of Fire, rafting, tour busses, Red Rock , hiking, rock climbing, rock concerts, plays, magic acts and more.
The point is there are tons of family safe things to do in LV, your list was anemic and seems more like you just phoned it in.