Las Vegas Is More Than Slot Machines and Roulette Wheels

Celine Dion's residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace gave Las Vegas' entertainment scene a big boost.

Denise Truscello/WireImage

Don’t miss the superstars

Las Vegas has always been about big-name entertainment. Literally. Performers’ monikers are emblazoned in gigantic letters on marquees. But it was Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion who propelled the entertainment scene forward.

Dion planted herself in Vegas from 2011 to 2019, while in the prime of her career. Caesars Palace even built her a custom 4,000-plus-seat venue. “The reason the residency business works so well in Las Vegas is because of the number of times the city turns over on a weekly basis,” says Bobby Reynolds, senior vice president of promoter AEG Presents Las Vegas.

Now artists of all ages and genres enjoy successful Vegas residencies, including U2, who last year opened Sphere — a one-of-a-kind concert venue in a giant orb covered inside and out with LED light screens.



AREA15 is an immersive entertainment venue offering art shows, virtual-reality experiences, axe throwing and a flight simulator.

Courtesy AREA15

Experience sensory overload

In addition to concerts by the world’s biggest bands, Sphere offers guests other experiences, such as director Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth, an immersive film that takes audiences on a voyage spanning all seven continents.

That’s not the only immersive experience in town. At the entertainment venue AREA 15, head for Omega Mart, a permanent exhibition that looks like a supermarket at first glance, but surprises exist around every aisle. Pop through a fridge door to enter passageways, and follow clues to solve a mystery. Or visit Illuminarium, with corridors covered in moving images. Depending on the show, you’ll come face-to-face with animals or walk on the moon. 

Others include Flyover, an experience creating the sensation of flying over spectacular landscapes, and Arte Museum, where you’ll encounter gardens and crashing waves.

In November 2023, Las Vegas hosted its first Formula 1 race in more than four decades.

Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Take in a game

For decades, major sports leagues shunned the city because of concerns over sports betting. In 2003, the NFL rejected a Super Bowl ad from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to avoid linking itself to gambling. All that has changed. As legal sports betting has spread across the nation in recent years — to the point that leagues have partnerships with gambling websites — Vegas no longer holds some poisonous distinction. And pro teams have flocked here. Now you can attend home games of the Vegas Golden Knights (hockey), Las Vegas Aces (women’s basketball), Las Vegas Raiders (football) and, anticipated in 2028, the A’s (baseball). The NFL even staged the Super Bowl, America’s ultimate sporting event, here for the first time earlier this year, and a Formula 1 auto race late last year. “The last few months have been a whirlwind for the city,” says Kate Wik, chief marketing officer for the LVCVA.

The Mob Museum chronicles the history of organized crime in the U.S.

Courtesy Mob Museum

Go museum hopping — really!

Vegas may not be considered a center of culture and learning. But visitors can escape the bells and beeps of the casino floor for a quiet afternoon exploring history, especially niche interests.

Some examples: The Atomic Museum, which got a boost from the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site. The Mob Museum, which fittingly has a speakeasy, recounts the history of organized crime in the U.S. The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a feathers-and-sequins tribute to the city’s showgirls, while the Punk Rock Museum is a hard-core look at the punk scene where you can settle in and drink a rum and Coke served in a Pringles can, chips on the side.

Perhaps most Vegas of all is the Neon Museum, where the signs of yesteryear — including those of the shuttered Riviera, Stardust and Moulin Rouge casinos — still glow. “Las Vegas isn’t a sentimental town, so buildings that are seen as ‘economically obsolete’ are removed rather than preserved,” gaming historian Schwartz says. “At this point, blowing things up is the history.”

In a city where money rules, some free things to do

With all its bright lights and lavish lounges, Vegas can be a dizzying place for the budget-­conscious.

Some free attractions:

• What better place to start your Vegas vacation than at the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign? Snap a picture and go.
• To see animals, hit up the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, or head a few miles off the Strip to eyeball the 117,000-gallon Silverton Casino Lodge aquarium.
• At the Fountains of Bellagio and the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, watch the water dance, then stop to smell the flowers on display.
• Fremont Street Experience has free music and light shows on the overhead canopy.