1 day in Vegas with kids

[lillybug]

What is a must do in Vegas?
On the drive home from our Southern California vacation this November we will be staying a night in Vegas.
We want to find some family friendly things to see, do, and eat as we will have our three small children with us.

 

[hydster]

We go to Vegas several times a year *it's too close to stay away* so here are some ideas I can come up with for you. You didn't say how old your kids are or where you are staying but in general here are some great kid friendly things to do with them by hotel.

Bellagio Fountains of course *free*
Caesars Palace - Fountain Show and Aquarium *free*
Excalibur - Motion Rides *cost involved*
Flamingo Hilton - Wildlife Habitat *free*, Margaritaville to eat at is fun
Luxor - Imax Theater, motion rides *cost involved*
Mandalay Bay - Shark Reef *excellent but costs*
MGM - Lion Habitat *free to watch*
Mirage - Dolphin and Tiger Habitats *cost involved*, Volcano *free*
NY NY - Roller Coaster *cost involved*
Paris - Eiffel Tower *cost involved*
M&M World - Free and neat
Stratosphere - Rides on the top *cost involved*
Venetian - Gondola Rides, Guggenheim Museum, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum *cost involved in all*

There is Freemont street near downtown that if you are brave and really careful could be a lot of fun. It can be dicey down there depending on the crowd and the day.

Beware of the porn slappers. They stand on the sidewalks up and down the strip and hand out cards *much like baseball cards* with mostly naked yet starred out women on them. The slap them. If you walk past them don't look them in the eye and do NOT take the cards. They are littered all up and down the sidewalk.

From Excalibur to Mandalay Bay there is a monorail. It also does have a stop at Luxor.

Behind MGM and all the way down the strip to past the Stratosphere is the new LV Monorail. It's great for little kids who want to see stuff but don't have the legs or stamina to walk.

Since you are driving you can also drive to ANY hotel/casino and either self park OR valet park but beware LV Blvd is a NIGHTMARE to drive so you need to figure out the back roads if possible.

Everything looks much closer than it is down there trust me. We've been so many times it's sick and we still fall for it every so often.

If you have any other questions please feel free to PM me! I'm happy to help!

 

[Peri]

stay off the strip if you have kids with you.

Go to the free candy tour at Ethel M's Chocolates out on the south side of town - it is very fun with samples, too.

There is a fabulous children's museum - if you look at the stickies at the top of the page, you will see some other suggestions!

The above poster is correct, the distances between casinos are easy to under estimate - they are VERY FAR apart and for kids, the walking can seem endless. If you MUST bring them downtown, I would park at Excaliber and look around there - there are some kid things there. OR go to circus circus (drive) and see the free shows there. A huge FAO Schwartz toy store is in Ceasar's Palace shopping area - but it is far away from everything else and very very pricey. Still, great fun to look at and there are other free fun things to see in that shopping area (called the forum shops)

You could go out to Sam's Town - a free outdoor "western" show with animated animals PLUS they have a bowling alley and a great movie theater complex right there.

Of course Hoover Dam is a good family destination - a good tour.

Bottom line - if they are real small Don't take them downtown!