Welcome to my list of strange, unique and unusual sights and activities located in and around Las Vegas. It’s a work in progress. I live in Las Vegas and I try to add to this list every month, so check back for updates.
All of the items on the list are places I’ve actually visited and no one has paid me to promote their business on my travel blog. These are all 100 percent honest reviews.
If you’ve found this list helpful, please help others discover it by sharing it on social media.
Thank you.
In the City of Las Vegas
Tour a neon sign graveyard
This outdoor museum near Downtown Las Vegas is amazing. You should definitely make time for this—even if you’re on a short trip. It’s vintage Vegas at its finest. Read more…
Take pictures of graffiti street art in the arts district
If you’re a photographer and want to photograph a different side of Vegas, the art district can make a good backdrop. It’s also a good place to visit if you want to somewhere to walk around but are tired of strolling up and down the Strip. Read more…
Get married in a Denny’s
If you’re not looking for a unique place to get hitched, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going here. I do recommend visiting Fremont Street, however, which is where this Denny’s is located. Read more…
Eat at the Heart Attack Grill (or just take a picture in front of the funny sign)
This place is also on Fremont Street, which is just a fun place to visit in general. Read more…
Play with ferrets at an exotic pet shop
Paris Hilton supposedly visits this pet store every time she comes to Las Vegas. I’ve got to warn you though, the store is tiny! But if you’re on East Tropicana and if your dream has been to play with a baby ferret (which are illegal in many states), then this is the place to go. Read more…
Pose for photos in a fake electric chair at the Mob Museum
The mob museum isn’t free but the exhibits are highly interactive, which make it worth while.
Ride your bike in Blinking Man! It’s part pub crawl and part psychedelic bicycle parade
It’s like Burning Man but on a bike! Decorate your bike with lights, put on a fun costume and join several 100 other people for a bike ride around downtown Las Vegas. It’s totally random and fun and 100 percent free. Read more…
Prepare for a zombie attack at The Zombie Apocalypse Store
Totally cheesy and weird, but worth it if you’re looking for a good Instagram photo or two. It’s right off the Strip, so you don’t have to travel far. Read more…
Play old arcade games at The Pinball Hall of Fame
The Pinball Hall of Fame is old and run-down but it’s cheap fun and a good place to go if you’re visiting Vegas with kids. There are 100s of vintage and new games you can play and all of the money you spend at the Pinball Hall of Fame is donated to charity. Read more…
1-Hour Drive from the Strip (Or Less)
Visit the oldest saloon in Las Vegas
This saloon is over 100 years old and supposedly haunted! It’s located in a ghost town just 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas. Read more…
Visit a Christmas cactus garden
I’m partial to cacti on a normal day, so cacti sporting colorful Christmas lights? I’m hooked. But this probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The gift shop and “chocolate factory tour” are borderline lame. Read more…
See some giant rainbow-colored rocks in the middle of the desert
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About 20 to 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas, in Jean, Nevada, are seven towers of colorful painted rocks called “Seven Magic Mountains”. If you’re driving to or from Los Angeles on the I-15, it makes for a fun souvenir selfie (plus it’s free!), but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend making a special trip out there to see it. Read more…
Hang out with some wild big-horned sheep in Boulder City
30 minutes outside of Las Vegas, in Boulder City, Nevada, is a small, nondescript neighborhood park where wild, big-horned sheep congregate every evening just before sunset. If you’re in Boulder City to see the Hoover Dam, this park can be a fun pit stop on the way back to Las Vegas. Read more…
Soak in some hot springs
Las Vegas is home to several natural hot springs. The only way to get there is by hiking or paddling on a kayak, so only physically active people should attempt to go. It’s worth the effort because the hot mineral water will feel good on your sore muscles—just don’t drink or accidentally swallow any of the spring water; it could kill you. Read more…
Tour a gold mine
This is slightly gimmicky but worth it if you’re willing to drive over an hour outside of Las Vegas (you can stop in Boulder City—a cute town next to the Hoover Dam—on your way there). Several movies/music videos and photo shoots have been filmed at the gold mine because of the cute vintage cars and old west gas station and cabins. It’s a great place to take fun photos. Read more…
Play with kangaroos and monkeys at an exotic animal sanctuary
This exotic animal sanctuary is about an hour outside of Las Vegas and worth the day trip if you have the time. You’ll have to arrange a visit in advance, because at time of writing, the sanctuary was accepting tours by appointment only. The price is just $10 to $15. Read more…
Buy a cactus at a large cactus store in the middle of the desert
If you’re driving to Pahrump, Death Valley or Red Rock Canyon, then you should make a quick pit stop at this store. Even if you don’t buy anything, the shop is so unique—with its 100s of plants, helicopter, church, labyrinth and pet dogs—that it’s fun just to wander through. Every time I visit, I end up going home with a baby cactus. Read more…
See some wild donkeys and horses
Bonnie Springs usually has wild donkeys hanging around the parking lot. Read more…
Day Trip
Sled down a sand dune
I recommend checking these sand dunes out if you’re traveling from LA to Las Vegas (or visa versa) and have some time to kill. Read more…
See some wild donkeys and watch a gun fight in a ghost town
Cloride and Oatman, Arizona, are two ghost towns along Route 66 that are under two hours away from Las Vegas. Both places make for some fun backdrops for cheesy, wild west photos. Read more…
See some funky outdoor sculpture art in the middle of the desert (it’s free)
Did you catch the part where I mentioned it was free? I recommend stopping there if you’re driving to Death Valley. Read more…
Go on a sleigh ride at Mt Charleston
This is SUPER LAME if you’re from somewhere cold, say most of the continental US, but if you’re a local Las Vegas resident and you’re looking for something to do in the winter time, I recommend it! You can go get hot chocolate at one of the lodges afterwards and take in the snowy mountain views. The best part? Mt. Charleston is only 45 minutes outside of Vegas. Or if you’re REALY brave, you can try a little winter camping! Though I don’t know if I recommend that exactly. Read more…
Go cliff jumping!
Totally fun and totally worth it…but it’s a bit of drive. I always tell locals to go here…but tourists? You may want to stick with Lake Mead (it’s a lot closer). Read more…
Weekend Trip
Go alien hunting near Area 51
This isn’t in Las Vegas or anywhere near it, really. But if you’re looking for something super unique to do, you don’t get any more unique than camping at Area 51. Definitely plan on camping there, as there isn’t much to see and so driving out there just for the day doesn’t make sense. Go in the late afternoon, visit the Lil Ale Inn for dinner and then head over to the Area 51 gates at dusk. You can pitch a tent, sleep under the stars and search for UFOs and then head back to Las Vegas the next morning. Read more…
Visit Bedrock City (a Flintstones theme park)
I only recommend visiting this place if you’re driving to the Grand Canyon, as it’s in the middle of nowhere and too far from Vegas for a day trip. The park is incredibly cheesy and bordering on “lame,” but the entrance fee is cheap and you can take a lot of funny/cute photos there. Read more…
Visit a car forest in Goldfield, Nevada
A little over three hours outside of Las Vegas (towards Death Valley) is the world’s largest ‘car forest.’ Two Nevada artists took 40 old cars, painted them, and then arranged them out in the desert. It’s quite the site to see! I recommend checking it out if you’re driving to Tonopah or Reno. Read more…
Go camping at a waterfall in Grand Canyon National Park
The hike to the waterfall is 11 miles and you’ll need to get a permit ahead of time in order camp or even hike there (they’ll turn you away at the village if you aren’t on their list of people who’ve pre-paid). The trailhead is about 2 1/2 hours away from Las Vegas (closer to Vegas than the Grand Canyon, although technically it’s in The Grand Canyon National Park). Read more…
Visit a Bottle Forest
At the Bottle Tree Ranch, near Victorville, California, you can take pictures of a “bottle tree forest.” I’d only recommend stopping by if you’re driving from LA, as it’s far closer to LA then it is to Vegas (it’s off the 15, about three hours from Las Vegas). But if you’re coming from Southern California on the I-15 and are looking for a fun detour to break up the drive, it might be worth it. It’s only about 20 minutes off the freeway, on historic Route 66. It’s free! Read more…
Go hiking at Bryce Canyon National Park
This is definitely not a day trip destination, as it is a four hour drive from Las Vegas. But it’s near both Zion National Park and The Grand Canyon and is a great place to visit if you’re traveling to either of those places. It also makes for an awesome weekend camping getaway. Go in the summer! Bryce is at a higher elevation and is an ideal place to visit if you’re in search of a place to go to escape the desert heat. Read more…
Visit a Castle in Death Valley
A medieval castle in the middle of the hottest stretch of desert in the US? Yep! It exists! And although the castle is cool, Death Valley is even cooler! Colorful mountains, sand dunes, and a cool little desert creature called a “kangaroo rat.” Death Valley National Park is a little over than two hours from Las Vegas. Read more…
Photograph some fun art installations in the town of Joshua Tree
Although this is three hours outside of Las Vegas, it’s a great weekend road trip destination or a place to check out if you’re traveling to Las Vegas from Palm Springs. The best part? It’s free. Read more…
About the Author: Reannon Muth is a full-time writer, social media consultant and owner and manager of the Taken by the Wind travel blog. Born in Hawaii, Reannon has lived in five countries, at Disney World and on a cruise ship. She currently lives in fabulous Las Vegas. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Awesome website! Great list! As a recent transplant, this is exactly the kind of information I’m looking for. So excited to check some of these places out!
Best Vegas list I’ve found! will do it all this November 🙂
Leaving for LV next week, Now we have even more places to visit. Great site, great information.
Excellent site, visiting Sep 2017 but will give some of these a go,
How about the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at Bellagio? I always make sure I go see The Talking Tree, it has something fairytale-like that manages to keep my interest.
Some find it a bit creepy but I can’t get enough of that tree.
We moved from Nevada back to Ohio about a year ago. I kinda needed the pictures. There are some things I really do miss about that place. <3
Best list of places in Vegas list I’ve found! will do it all this November. Thanks from: Tim
Zombie Apocalypse Store can be taken off the list. It closed earlier this year.
Love this list. Hope to check off a few this weekend. Wish I could do it all.
-the goddess
I did a lot of these interesting things growing up visiting my grandparents. I highly suggest the ghost town
Not really a Las Vegas list at all. More like a checklist of places the author has gone in Nevada/Arizona/California. Maybe give it a different title so you aren’t baiting and switching for people that are actually looking for Vegas-specific activity and don’t have the time or transportation to do six hour day trips.
Hi Tammi! You’re right. This list started off as just a list of unique things to do in Las Vegas but it’s expanded since then. Although I like having things on the list that are around Las Vegas because they provide some inspiration for locals looking for fun road trips to go on, I definitely need to add more things to do that are actually in the city of Las Vegas. I’ll work on getting those up soon! Thank you for your feedback.
We’re going to Las Vegas next month and you just shared so many amazing ideas! Thank you so much 🙂
I found exactly what I wanted to find on your web site. We will be vacationing in Vegas in April 2018 and I wanted a few different places to see. I have picked 6 things to do but hope to realistically only do 4. Thank You for all the time you invested on this site. I appreciate it.
Such a shame the exotic animal sanctuary has closed since ! But thanks for the other awesome ideas. We are visiting later this month. Can’t wait
Hey, I went to Area 51 and it was amazing! One of the coolest experience in Las Vegas. Also the hot air balloon tour was very good too. When we were in the sky, it was so wide and quiet, and the wind was so comfortable! 🙂 Took the tours with Nvstarr and loved their service very much!