Las Vegas with kids question

[anniemae]

Thinking about future vacations in the western u.s. and in my research I am seeing there are a lot of places to visit that are a short drive from Vegas. Zion, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam etc. Problem is that Vegas is not really a family hot spot. Do a lot of families with kids (ages 15 and 13) stay in Vegas to do stuff in the surrounding areas? Is the strip that bad? I have never been to Vegas. What are good family hotels away from the strip? Not interested in the 21 and over pool parties LOL!

 

[bcla]

Your main issue is that casino hotels are everywhere, and they tend to be the better quality ones. Granted there are some hotel only places. You might look into something that isn't like the MGM Signature (really a timeshare) or other timeshares which also rent out units like they're hotel rooms. There are hotels in nearby cities like Henderson and in the suburban parts of the area.

Not sure if your kids are interested, but I took my kid to the Nevada State Railroad Museum's Boulder City unit for a train ride. It's been a while, but they didn't have any indoor exhibits per se like the main museum in Carson City has.

https://www.boulderrailroadmuseum.org

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://www.visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/things-to-do-in-las-vegas-with-kids/

https://www.canyontours.com/guides/24-family-friendly-things-to-do-in-las-vegas-with-kids/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g45963-Activities-zft11306-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_Las_Vegas_metropolitan_area

 

[wenrob]

Thinking about future vacations in the western u.s. and in my research I am seeing there are a lot of places to visit that are a short drive from Vegas. Zion, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam etc. Problem is that Vegas is not really a family hot spot. Do a lot of families with kids (ages 15 and 13) stay in Vegas to do stuff in the surrounding areas? Is the strip that bad? I have never been to Vegas. What are good family hotels away from the strip? Not interested in the 21 and over pool parties LOL!

You would want to look for “locals” hotels off the Strip. There’s a ton of stuff to do in and around Las Vegas without ever going near the Strip.

 

[neverlandsky]

Off strip hotels that are family friendly:
Red Rock Resort. 5 stars
Green Valley Ranch Resort. 4 stars
Sunset Station. 3 stars.

 

[bcla]

You would want to look for “locals” hotels off the Strip. There’s a ton of stuff to do in and around Las Vegas without ever going near the Strip.

Many would still be casino hotels. I'd stay in them, but the nasty part for me would be all the smoke that permeates everywhere.

 

[Lumpy1106]

My DWs BFF got married up in Red Rock. There is a really nice national(?) park you can drive through and even get out and do some hiking. The hotel/casino up there was quite a bit more family friendly than the strip. it's also pretty far away. Sam's Town is similar - it has a giant bowling alley the kids might like. As for Las Vegas proper, It's worth driving through, maybe going for a walk along the strip, but that's about it with families. Even Circus Circus has gone downhill lately. We tend to drive through Vegas without stopping - I would actually recommend that but YMMV. Springdale UT is nice, Zion is amazing. Hoover Dam is well worth the time if you've never seen it.

 

[wenrob]

Off strip hotels that are family friendly:
Red Rock Resort. 5 stars
Green Valley Ranch Resort. 4 stars
Sunset Station. 3 stars.

The Summerlin Mall is across the way from Red Rock so great shopping and eating nearby. City National Arena as well so depending on the time of year you could catch a Golden Knights practice.

 

[bcla]

My DWs BFF got married up in Red Rock. There is a really nice national(?) park you can drive through and even get out and do some hiking. The hotel/casino up there was quite a bit more family friendly than the strip. it's also pretty far away. Sam's Town is similar - it has a giant bowling alley the kids might like. As for Las Vegas proper, It's worth driving through, maybe going for a walk along the strip, but that's about it with families. Even Circus Circus has gone downhill lately. We tend to drive through Vegas without stopping - I would actually recommend that but YMMV. Springdale UT is nice, Zion is amazing. Hoover Dam is well worth the time if you've never seen it.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is Bureau of Land Management. Another good spot (way out of Vegas) is Valley of Fire, which is a state park.

https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/nevada/red-rock-canyon
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire

 

[wenrob]

Many would still be casino hotels. I'd stay in them, but the nasty part for me would be all the smoke that permeates everywhere.

I guess it would depend on how sensitive you are. They have designated areas and upgraded filter systems since Covid hit. You’re not hit with a billow of smoke the second you walk in like you would be at some places downtown. And places like Red Rock are fairly easy to skirt the casino area. Restaurants, bowling, shopping, movies etc. are all non smoking.

 

[kanerf]

Most of the HGVC resorts in Vegas do not have casino's.

 

[wenrob]

My DWs BFF got married up in Red Rock. There is a really nice national(?) park you can drive through and even get out and do some hiking. The hotel/casino up there was quite a bit more family friendly than the strip. it's also pretty far away. Sam's Town is similar - it has a giant bowling alley the kids might like. As for Las Vegas proper, It's worth driving through, maybe going for a walk along the strip, but that's about it with families. Even Circus Circus has gone downhill lately. We tend to drive through Vegas without stopping - I would actually recommend that but YMMV. Springdale UT is nice, Zion is amazing. Hoover Dam is well worth the time if you've never seen it.

Do you mean pretty far away from the Strip? Red Rock from my house would be about a 20min drive. So maybe a 40-60 min drive from the Strip.

 

[Skippy918]

Zion is not a day trip. I would stay a few days out there and use Vegas as a fly in/fly out location. That’s what we did last summer.

 

[Kae]

I would stay in the Lake Las Vegas area or Green Valley ranch but I would not take kids to the strip.

 

[wenrob]

Zion is not a day trip. I would stay a few days out there and use Vegas as a fly in/fly out location. That’s what we did last summer.

It’s doable as a day trip. I think that would come down to how much of they want to see and how much driving they’d want to do after a full day of hiking.

 

[Dan Murphy]

the nasty part for me would be all the smoke that permeates everywhere.

I really do not like Las Vegas and I hate smoke. But last time I was there, smoking was only allowed in the actual casinos themselves and bars that served no food. I did not find it terrible, except when walking through the casino to get somewhere else in the hotel. And in the big hotels, you pretty much do have to traverse the casino to get anywhere.

I used to go there for an annual seminar. I do like the Cirque du Soleil shows and have taken many of them in, always great.

 

[Kittyblue]

My kids (12 and 19 at the time) had a blast at Area 15
https://area15.com/

 

[bcla]

I really do not like Las Vegas and I hate smoke. But last time I was there, smoking was only allowed in the actual casinos themselves and bars that served no food. I did not find it terrible, except when walking through the casino to get somewhere else in the hotel. And in the big hotels, you pretty much do have to traverse the casino to get anywhere.

I used to go there for an annual seminar. I do like the Cirque du Soleil shows and have taken many of them in, always great.

The smoke seemed rather unavoidable in many of the places I've been in Vegas. There were two things at issue. One was that there were slot machines right next to the pathway, so even the best filtration system can't prevent the smoke from 10 ft away from being an issue. Another was that there were still people who smoked in line in areas that were supposed to be no smoking.

Now some places have second/third floor areas without gambling or with minimal gambling. Those can be OK.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The smoke seemed rather unavoidable in many of the places I've been in Vegas. There were two things at issue. One was that there were slot machines right next to the pathway, so even the best filtration system can't prevent the smoke from 10 ft away from being an issue. Another was that there were still people who smoked in line in areas that were supposed to be no smoking.

Now some places have second/third floor areas without gambling or with minimal gambling. Those can be OK.

yes

 

[VandVsmama]

We went 3 yr ago when my kids were 10 and 12. Had a terrible time. Would not recommend.