With casinos flooding the city, you might think that Las Vegas is a very expensive city. Surprisingly, though, there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself free-of-charge in the Sin City. Here, we’ve gathered a handy list of the free things to do in the city.
- Beginning in late August, theKA Theatre in MGM Grandopens its doors to the public every Tuesday between 11 a.m and 11:30 a.m. for the ultimate insider tour of the mechanics of this $165 million production.
- The world’s largest permanent circus can be found atCircus-Circus. Watch death-defying stunts by unicyclists and acrobats high above the casino floor for free every half hour.
- Catch the Masquerade in the Sky at Rio on weekends starting at 7 p.m., where Carnival-like parade of dancers and acrobats in fabulous costumes dance down the Rio’s main course.
- See the largest gold nugget in the world found in Las Vegas —atThe Golden Nugget.Found in Australia in 1980 and sold to the casino for more than a million dollars, the 61-pound “Hand of Faith” can be found right by the Gold Tower hotel lobby.
- Tour the local chocolatier,Ethel M, and get free samples, tucked right in one of the largest botanical cactus gardens in the world. Bonus: In November, they string the cactus with a half-million holiday lights, which stay up until New Year’s Day.
- Don’t want to leave the strip? Catch a free 3-D movie starring Red and Yellow in theM&M’s World, a four-floor chocoholic’s haven.
- Marvel at the newly openedHershey’s Chocolate World in New York-New York, a two-story flagship featuring an 800-pound chocolate Statue of Liberty right across the street. Admission is free.
- Watch the incredible public artworks on the 67-acreCity Centercampus that include 15 works by artists such as Nancy Rubin, Claes Oldernburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
- Capture the light artist James Turrell Shards of Color—four recessed geometric shapes lit in neon that he installed withinCrystals, City Center’s high-end mall.
- There’s another secret in Crystals, theTurrell’sAkhob—an enormous permanent installation inside the Louis Vuitton Maison flagship. It’s a womblike installation flooded with ever-changing light. It’s free with an appointment made through Louis Vuitton.
- Catch some of the best free art in theCosmopolitan of Las Vegaslike the so-called Wallworks—murals by artists like Kenny Scharf and Shepard Fairey—on the concrete walls of the parking garage; the eight light columns at check-in with constantly changing videos; and a residency space right on the mezzanine level of the hotel.
- P3 Studiohas hosted artists from Fab 5 Freddy to Shelter Serra, who work there for several weeks; passersby can wander in and often take part in an interactive art piece for free.
- AtWynn Las Vegas, find the 7-foot-tall, 2,000-pound Popeye sculpture by Jeff Koons right on the shopping esplanade that Steve Wynn purchased for $28 million, and the giant, mirror-polished stainless steel Tulips (Jeff Koons, $34 million) that sits outside the Wynn Theater.
- LovePawn Stars? Line up early to get a look inside the realGold and Silver Pawn Shop in Downtown Vegas for free.
- Catch the opening of Rick Harrison’s Pawn Plaza this fall, a giant shopping center made out of shipping containers with retail and restaurant tenants like a barbecue joint, tavern, Italian ice place, and a poutinerie. New residents just announced for the opening:Inna Gadda di Pizzaand Pawn Donut & Coffee.
- You could visit one of the many small wedding chapels around Downtown Las Vegas, or you could hold your dream nuptials atDenny’s, on Fremont Street.
- The 9-foot-tall chromeLucky Catat the Cosmopolitan dispenses fortunes free to those who put their hand on his paw.
- Hang out at theFountains of Bellagio, which plays electronic medley by Tiesto, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and Tony Bennett.
- Visit Bellagio’s 14,000-square-foot, skylitconservatory, where 120 horticulturalists, engineers and designers create incredible displays for each season, plus Chinese New Year, with more than 10,000 flowers, which are switched out every two weeks.
- Don’t miss thewaterfall atriumat Palazzo, which has a two-floor waterfall and seasonal flowers. It is a great place to experience nature, at the entrance of the Grand Canal Shoppes.
- Inside theForum Shops at Caesars, the newly revampedFall of Atlantisshow’s giant talking statues and pyrotechnics are fun to watch.
- One of the plenty places to visit for free is the Las Vegas Boulevard. The open-airGrand Bazaar Shopshas opened across the street from Bellagio, mashing up the outdoor dining and retail concepts from Seattle to Marrakesh.
- Don’t miss the massive new Swarovski Starburst, a 14-foot LED-lit crystal starburst that lights up the shops at night.
- Stroll along the newLINQentertainment corridor, which runs perpendicular to the Strip, all the way to the High Roller.
- VisitThe Polaroid Fotobar, a museumopen until 2 a.m. on the weekends, and midnight on other days, that showcases great work of photographers working in the format. This is one of the best gems in Las Vegas.
- You can’t leave Vegas without having a photo with theWelcome to Fabulous Las Vegassign, on the south end of the Strip.
- There’s the spewing volcano in front of theMirage—now with flame shooters, a soundtrack, and water and lighting effects. It starts each night at 5 p.m., erupting every 30 minutes until 11 p.m.
- Visit theDowntown Container Park, a retail, dining and play park made entirely of shipping containers (look for the 55-foot-tall fire breathing praying mantis outside). Find the free entertainment calendar, including a new outdoor family movie series, on the park’s website.
- Take a self-guided tour of theFremont East Entertainment District, whose refurbished vintage neon lights include the famous horseback rider from the Hacienda Hotel, a red slipper and a martini glass—and the newest addition: a new neon sign of a 30-foot-tall Pabst Blue Ribbon.
