Best Things to Do in Las Vegas: A Local's 13 Picks

At a glance

• Where: The Strip and Sphere sit in unincorporated Clark County; Downtown Las Vegas, the Neon Museum and Springs Preserve are inside the City of Las Vegas; Red Rock Canyon is about 17 miles west
• Free picks: Walking the Strip, Fremont Street Experience and its nightly concerts, and Downtown Container Park cost nothing to enter
• Best time: Evenings for neon and light shows; mornings for Red Rock Canyon and Springs Preserve
• Getting around: Las Vegas Monorail along the Strip; the free Downtown Loop shuttle downtown

The best things to do in Las Vegas are walking the Las Vegas Strip, spending an evening on Fremont Street, seeing the old signs at the Neon Museum, and driving the scenic loop at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Add Springs Preserve for the story of why the city exists, and a few offbeat museums for the rest of the trip.

That is the answer I give a friend who lands with a weekend and no plan. Below are 13 picks, each with what to do, how long it takes and one local tip. Hours and prices change, so check each official site before you go.

How we chose

Every pick below was checked against its own official site and was listed as open when we last looked. We favored places that are specific to Las Vegas over places you could find anywhere.

One honest note about geography. The Las Vegas Strip, Sphere, the Pinball Hall of Fame and the National Atomic Testing Museum all carry Las Vegas addresses, but they are in unincorporated Clark County, not inside the City of Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon is outside the city too. We say so on each pick. Downtown, the Neon Museum, Springs Preserve and the rest of the downtown picks are inside the city proper.

What are the must-do things in Las Vegas?

Five anchors cover most first trips: the Strip, Fremont Street, the Neon Museum, Red Rock Canyon and Springs Preserve. Do those and you have seen the glitter, the history and the desert.

1. Walk the Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip runs along Las Vegas Boulevard and is about 4.5 miles on foot from The STRAT to Mandalay Bay, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. It is in unincorporated Clark County, not the City of Las Vegas.

The walk takes a few hours if you stop. When your feet give out, the Las Vegas Monorail runs a 3.9-mile route along the Strip with seven stations, from MGM Grand to SAHARA Las Vegas, according to lvmonorail.com.

Local tip: distances look short and are not. Two casinos can be a mile apart across a parking lot and a pedestrian bridge. Pick one stretch, such as Bellagio to Caesars Palace, and do it properly. See our Strip area guide for more.

2. Spend an evening on Fremont Street Experience

Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall in Downtown Las Vegas, inside the City of Las Vegas, open 24 hours and free to walk. It has free concerts on stages through the night and the SlotZilla zipline overhead.

Plan two to three hours after dark. Free concerts typically run on three stages every night, and the canopy overhead lights up through the evening; check the calendar at fremontstreetexperience.com. SlotZilla riders must be under 6 feet 8 inches tall and weigh no more than 300 pounds.

Local tip: the canopy is the draw, so stand in the middle of the mall and look up rather than at the casino doors. Then walk one block east to Fremont East, where the neon signs are quieter. More in our Downtown Las Vegas guide.

3. Walk the Neon Boneyard at The Neon Museum

The Neon Museum, at 770 Las Vegas Boulevard North in Downtown Las Vegas, is an outdoor collection of retired casino and business signs from the city's history. It is inside the City of Las Vegas.

Allow about an hour. Admission is sold by time slot, guided tours of about 45 minutes are an add-on, and the museum keeps a later summer schedule, so book ahead on neonmuseum.org.

Local tip: go after dark, when the restored signs are lit. In the day you see shape; at night you see color.

4. Drive Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is about 17 miles west of the Strip on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, outside the City of Las Vegas. Its 13-mile Scenic Drive loops past sandstone cliffs and trailheads.

Plan half a day. Entry is typically charged per vehicle. From October 1 through May 31, vehicles entering the Scenic Drive between 8 am and 5 pm need a timed reservation booked on recreation.gov, separate from the entry fee. From November through February the drive typically opens at 6 am and closes at 5 pm.

Local tip: book the earliest slot you can get. The light is better, it is cooler in summer, and the trailheads are less crowded. Check redrockcanyonlv.org for current rules.

5. Learn where the name comes from at Springs Preserve

Springs Preserve, at 333 South Valley View Boulevard, is a 180-acre museum and garden inside the City of Las Vegas, built on the springs that gave the city its name. Las Vegas means "the meadows" in Spanish: Mexican scout Rafael Rivera reached the valley in 1829, and the green meadows he found around these springs gave the place its name.

Allow two to three hours. It has an 8-acre botanical garden, trails and the Nevada State Museum. It is typically open Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and Nevada residents pay less than visitors.

Local tip: go in the morning, walk the garden first, then do the museum when it warms up. Details at springspreserve.org.

What are the best museums in Las Vegas?

The best museums in Las Vegas tell the stories the casinos skip: organized crime, atomic testing, pinball, and desert wildlife.

6. The Mob Museum

The Mob Museum, at 300 Stewart Avenue in Downtown Las Vegas, is open daily and covers organized crime and the law enforcement that chased it. It is inside the City of Las Vegas.

Allow two to three hours. Inside is The Underground, a speakeasy and distillery with its own hours.

Local tip: buy tickets online; the museum advertises a discount for buying ahead. See themobmuseum.org.

7. National Atomic Testing Museum

The National Atomic Testing Museum, at 755 East Flamingo Road, tells the story of nuclear testing in Nevada. It has a Las Vegas address but sits in unincorporated Clark County.

Allow about two hours. It is typically open daily, 9 am to 5 pm, with the box office closing at 4:15 pm, and adult admission is listed at $29.

Local tip: this is a good pick for a hot afternoon. Check atomicmuseum.vegas.

8. Pinball Hall of Fame

The Pinball Hall of Fame, at 4925 Las Vegas Boulevard South, is a 25,000-square-foot hall of restored, playable pinball and arcade machines, mostly from the 1960s through the 1980s. It is in unincorporated Clark County.

There is no admission fee; machines cost 25 or 50 cents. An hour is plenty, and you will not leave with quarters.

Local tip: this is the cheapest good time on the south Strip. Hours are typically 10 am to 9 pm Sunday to Thursday and 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. See pinballmuseum.org.

9. Las Vegas Science & Natural History Museum

The Las Vegas Science & Natural History Museum, at 900 Las Vegas Boulevard North in Downtown Las Vegas, is a small natural history and science museum inside the City of Las Vegas.

Plan about 90 minutes. It is typically open daily 9 am to 4 pm and adult admission is listed at $14. It pairs well with the Neon Museum a few minutes away.

Local tip: families get more out of it than you would guess; it is hands-on and unhurried. See lvnhm.org.

10. Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park

Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, at 500 East Washington Avenue, preserves the remains of an adobe fort built by Mormon missionaries in 1855. It is inside the City of Las Vegas.

Allow 45 minutes. It is typically open Tuesday to Saturday, 8 am to 4:30 pm, with last entry at 4 pm, and admission is listed at $3, with children 12 and under free.

Local tip: this is the quiet counterweight to Fremont Street. Details at parks.nv.gov.

What can you do for free in Las Vegas?

You can walk the Strip, walk Fremont Street Experience, and wander Downtown Container Park without paying to enter.

11. Downtown Container Park

Downtown Container Park, at 707 Fremont Street in Fremont East, is a small open-air shopping center of boutiques, restaurants and bars, with a 40-foot fire-breathing Mantis sculpture at the entrance. It is inside the City of Las Vegas and free to enter.

Allow an hour. The park typically stays open until 1 am on Friday and Saturday and 11 pm the rest of the week.

Local tip: come at sunset, when the park runs a drum circle to wake up the Mantis and its flames shoot six stories high. See downtowncontainerpark.com.

What should you do with kids or a big night out?

Sphere and Discovery Children's Museum are the two to know: one is a spectacle, the other is a proper kids' museum.

12. See a show at Sphere

Sphere, at 255 Sands Avenue, is an entertainment venue whose official site lists current shows and concerts. It has a Las Vegas address but is in unincorporated Clark County.

Plan three hours around a show. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster and prices vary by show.

Local tip: look at it from the outside after dark even if you do not buy a ticket; the lit exterior is a show of its own. Check thesphere.com for what is on.

13. Discovery Children's Museum

Discovery Children's Museum, at 360 Promenade Place in Symphony Park, is a hands-on museum for young children inside the City of Las Vegas. Hours are typically Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday noon to 5 pm, closed Monday.

Allow two to three hours. General admission is listed at $20, with a $15 local rate for Nevada ID holders. More on the area in our Symphony Park guide.

Local tip: go on a weekday morning for the shortest lines. See discoverykidslv.org.

How do you see Las Vegas in three days?

Split it into downtown, desert and Strip days, and keep the museums for the hottest afternoon.

1. Day one, Downtown: Neon Museum at dusk, then Fremont Street Experience and Container Park. Browse the antique shops and galleries of the Arts District earlier in the day.
2. Day two, the desert: Red Rock Canyon in the morning (reserve your time), Springs Preserve in the afternoon.
3. Day three, the Strip: walk Bellagio to Caesars Palace in the evening, with Sphere after dark if you have tickets.
4. Rain or heat plan: Mob Museum, National Atomic Testing Museum, Pinball Hall of Fame.

For dining, browse food and dining listings. For dates, see Las Vegas events, and check the weather before any desert day.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top things to do in Las Vegas?

The top things to do in Las Vegas are walking the Las Vegas Strip, visiting Fremont Street Experience, touring the Neon Museum, driving Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and visiting Springs Preserve. Most visitors fit them into three days.

Is the Las Vegas Strip inside the City of Las Vegas?

No. The Las Vegas Strip is in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, not inside the City of Las Vegas. Downtown Las Vegas, including Fremont Street, is inside the city.

What are free things to do in Las Vegas?

Walking the Las Vegas Strip, catching the free nightly concerts at Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas and visiting Downtown Container Park cost nothing. The Pinball Hall of Fame on Las Vegas Boulevard South charges no admission, only per play.

How far is Red Rock Canyon from the Strip?

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is about 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. From October through May, vehicles on the Scenic Drive need a timed reservation booked on recreation.gov.

Can you get around Las Vegas without a car?

Yes, for the Strip and downtown. The Las Vegas Monorail runs 3.9 miles along the Las Vegas Strip, and the City of Las Vegas runs a free Downtown Loop shuttle in Downtown Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon is easiest with a car or a tour.