If you plan to visit Vegas and don’t know what to do before sundown, I have prepared a list of the best things to do in Vegas during the day. Believe it or not, there are a lot of things to do in las vegas besides gamble.
About Las Vegas
Las Vegas is located in the state of Nevada, is the largest city in that state, and also the capital of Clark County. From a tourist point of view, it is one of the most popular destinations.
The city was officially recognized in 1911, although it was founded in 1905. Las Vegas was recognized as the most populous city founded in the 20th century. It is also called Sin City, due to various forms of adult entertainment, such as be it strip clubs and casinos. At the same time, these forms of entertainment, and nightlife, have made Las Vegas the perfect setting for countless movies.
Most tourists choose Las Vegas for nightlife, gambling, and fun. In fact, gambling has become a symbol of the city, people associating the name of the city with gambling and casinos.
Among other activities for which Las Vegas is known are weddings, being the city where most weddings take place in the world. Although it is an expensive city, the activities are diverse and for all budgets. There are many outdoor parks, green spaces, public libraries, and recreational activities for children.
Depending on your preferences, you can choose between an elegant and relaxing vacation or a debauched vacation oriented to nightlife. You can find anything you want in Las Vegas, but for people that want to have a relaxing vacation, I have prepared a list of things to do in Vegas during the day.
The best things to do in Vegas during the day
While most of the tourists visit Vegas for the nightlife and the parties, you might be interested in the things that the city has to offer during the day too. And believe me, the list of things to do in Vegas during the day time is pretty long and interesting.
The Mob Museum
In my opinion, it is one of the most interesting museums related to recent events, focusing on what organized crime has meant and its influence in the United States and worldwide. It is a famous tourist attraction also due to the famous gangsters it presents.
The Mob Museum is an impressive attraction due to the area it occupies, namely 41,000 square feet, with a total of approximately 20,000 square feet that extend over 4 floors, dedicated to exhibits. Visitors are divided when it comes to the mafia and gangsters, some are passionate about the relationships and the bottom line of the organization, while others are fascinated by those who contributed to the fight against the mafia and who led to the disappearance of large gangsters.
One of the museum’s most valuable exhibits is certainly the brick wall from the Chicago Massacre, which took place on Valentine’s Day in 1929. You can find various information and explanations about the Moran gang and the killing of the seven members. You can also see the marks of the bullets made by the revolver of another member of the Moran gang, namely Frank Gusenberg.
Other famous exhibits that you can see are the phone booth from the Four Deuces, the historic courtroom, where the Kefauver Committee hearings were held, and the leather suitcase with fake bottom, in which alcoholic beverages were hidden and transported during the Prohibition period.
You can also see weapons, photos, personal items, or jewelry, which belonged to other famous gangsters like Al Capone, Tony Spilotro, Charlie Luciano, Frank Rosenthal, or Mickey Cohen.
Discovery Children’s Museum
A great destination for kids on the list of things to do in Vegas during the day is the Discovery Children’s Museum. It is a tourist attraction dedicated to children, with nine exhibition halls. The main purpose of the museum is to promote science, culture, and art.
An attraction of the museum is “The Summit”, a 13-level high tower that can be climbed by children. During the climb, the guides provide information on various interesting areas, as well as climbing lessons.
The museum also has a section related to fluids, called “Water World”, where children can learn about the power of water, its movement, and various phenomena and characteristics of fluids.
Children who want to become astronauts, cowboys, doctors, or other special trades, can wear various costumes and find out information about each field of activity and what it entails. For younger children, up to 5 years, the museum has a specially designed section where little ones can learn about animals and their lives.
Another activity for the little ones is to unravel mysteries by discovering various clues about the cases. Anyone can become Sherlock Holmes for a day.
For children passionate about drawing, the museum provides a computerized wall on which they can draw in a virtual environment. At the same time, they can find out many interesting things using a microscope.
Discovery Children’s Museum has many activities for the little ones, so if you decide to visit it, dedicate a whole day to this tourist attraction.
Red Rock Canyon
Located at the confluence of California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, Red Rock Canyon is part of the Mojave Desert and is a protected natural area near Las Vegas. The red rocks and wildlife provide a perfect contrast to the lights and bustle of the Vegas metropolitan area. The canyon is a famous attraction being visited by over 1.2 million tourists annually.
The mountains were formed by the crusting phenomenon at the collision of tectonic plates and fossilized sand dunes. The maximum height of the rocks is about 914 m.
One such area is Thrust Keystone, which formed several million years ago following a collision between two tectonic plates. The collision was so strong that the tectonic plates overlapped, forming a mountainous formation of two types of rock: gray limestone and red sandstone.
The fauna of Red Rock Canyon contains over 200 species of animals and birds. Among the most famous species in the canyon are coitus, wild horses, lions, rabbits, donkeys, hummingbirds, hawks, and golden eagles. The canyon is open all year round and is the perfect place for jogging enthusiasts, hikers, climbers, and nature lovers.
Red Rock Visitor Center is divided into four sections, each section representing an element: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. Each section presents important information about the geography, history, fauna, and flora specific to the canyon, as well as detailed maps of the 19 hiking trails.
Madame Tussauds
You probably visited one of the Madame Tussauds museums, but if you didn’t, then you certainly shouldn’t miss the one in Vegas. The museum hosts over 100 human size wax statues, from musicians, actors, and other celebrities.
In addition to the wax statues, the museum recreates TV sets from famous shows such as the Jerry Springer studio, where you can see Oprah, or the Music Room, where the statues of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Gwen Stefani are exhibited.
Clark County Museum
If you are interested in history, then Clark County Museum is a perfect choice. It is located about 35 minutes from The Strip, with exhibits both inside and outside.
The outer section of the museum, also called Heritage Street, presents historic buildings and homes from the past, over 100 years old. On hot summer days, the trees provide a perfect shade, and the lawns provide a neat look to the entire outdoor section.
The exhibits inside are dedicated to the geography of the state of Nevada, as well as the history of the native tribes of the southwest (Mohave, Pauite, and Anasazi), and the tools they used.
Sunset Park
If you are a sports fan, then Sunset Park is the right place for you. Located near McCarran Airport in the southeast of the city, it is one of the largest parks in Las Vegas. The park offers green spaces for picnics, ponds with a wide variety of fish, for those passionate about fishing, and various fields for basketball, golf, volleyball, tennis, baseball, and fitness.
Sunset Park hosts the Las Vegas Renaissance Fair, a festival that takes place every fall. Another famous festival hosted by the park is the Great Vegas Festival of Beer, where visitors can enjoy good music, delicious food, and beer at will.
The Clark County Wetlands Park
If you want to spend your time outdoors while visiting Vegas, one of the best options is Clark County Wetlands. It is located in eastern Vegas and is the largest park in Clark County. Don’t forget to take your camera with you, because the park will delight you with beautiful landscapes, different species of birds, and a great variety of plants and trees that will provide the necessary shade.
The park has two miles of hiking trails. The purpose of the park is to reduce the effects of wastewater discharges on the environment, through the construction of protective dams.
The park employees can provide you with information about all the existing routes in the park. If you visit the park with a group of tourists, reservations are made one month in advance, to avoid congestion or possible scheduling conflicts.
Inside you also benefit from spaces specially arranged for a picnic. If you want to visit the park, admission is free, and the park is open daily until evening.
The Eiffel Tower Experience
Another great entry on my list of things to do in Vegas during the day is taking part in the Eiffel Tower Experience. This is a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with a height of 140 meters, being only half the height of the original tower in Paris.
The view you have from the 50th floor of the tower is magnificent, and on the 11th floor, the tower hosts a fine dining indoor restaurant called Eiffel Tower Restaurant, from which you can also admire the fabulous view. Serving dinner seven days a week, 5 pm – 10 pm. One of the most romantic restaurants on the Las Vegas strip and famous for hosting hundreds of wedding proposals every year. Available for intimate weddings and elopement celebrations.
For the New Year, The Eiffel Tower Experience, offers a fascinating show, both through the views offered and through the midnight fireworks.
Depending on the weather conditions, you can visit the tower daily, from morning until noon.
M&M World
If you want a different experience, you can visit M&M World, a four-story building dedicated to the popular M&M candies.
On the ground floor of the building, you are greeted by a wide range of souvenirs such as mugs or keychains, all of which can be personalized on the spot at a specially arranged stand.
The piece of resistance of the second floor is the wall decorated with a rainbow, containing no less than 22 colors. In addition to the colorful wall, this floor also hosts an exhibition of T-shirts with various funny M&M inscriptions.
On the third floor is the first My M&M’s that allows you to customize candy with your own message. You can write the date of birth, your name or that of a loved one, or even a slogan or quote. Customization also allows you to view the entire candy registration process.
The top floor is also an exhibition with various personalized objects with M&M slogans and logos.
This is a different experience on my list of things to do in Vegas during the day, but it is going to be a fun one, especially if you are visiting the M&M World with kids.
Guggenheim Museum
This museum is a partnership between the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation in New York. The museum has hosted numerous exhibits and masterpieces belonging to various styles or periods such as Renaissance, Modernism, Impressionism, and others. Exhibits generally change twice a year.
The Guggenheim Museum is not a big museum with only four rooms, a quick tour lasts about an hour, but if you want to spend more time admiring the exhibits, you are free to do it freely.
Stratosphere Las Vegas
Although this tourist attraction can be on both of the lists, I decided to add it to the list of things to do in Vegas during the day. The Las Vegas Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower and the tallest stand-alone structure in the United States. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard, north of The Strip, it houses a casino with about 50 gaming tables, a poker room, and 1500 slot machines, and a hotel.
The two observation decks at the top of the tower offer visitors the opportunity to take part in extreme activities such as SkyJump, Scream, Big Shot, X, and Insanity. In addition to the two platforms, the tower also houses a restaurant known as “Top of the World”.
The list: Things to do in Vegas during the day
- The Mob Museum
- Guggenheim Museum
- Discovery Children’s Museum
- Madame Tussauds
- Clark County Museum
- Contemporary Arts Center
- Sunset Park
- The Clark County Wetlands Park
- Red Rock Canyon
- The Eiffel Tower Experience
- M&M World
- Stratosphere Las Vegas
Conclusions
If you choose Las Vegas as your holiday destination, then you are up for a treat. No matter what style of vacation you are aiming for, Vegas can certainly fulfill those expectations. While most of the tourists visit Las Vegas for the nightlife and casinos, there are also tourists that want to relax and enjoy Vegas during the day.
I hope that my list of things to do in Vegas during the day will help you plan your vacation and see as many tourist attractions as possible during your stay. For more information about the city, check out Las Vegas’ official website.
If you know someone that is planning a trip to Las Vegas, share this article with them. It might make their planning a little easier. Don’t know where to travel next? Check out our Travel Tips section, to find out the best vacation destinations.