Over the Family Day long weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Las Vegas.  When many people hear about Vegas, they think gambling.  They think Ocean’s Eleven (or Twelve or Thirteen).  They think cheesy acts like Donny and Marie.  But that’s not what Las Vegas is all about.  There are other points of interest, ones which are even family-friendly as well.

Leopards from the Secret Garden

Dolphin Habitat

If you’re looking to become more “cultured,” you could head to the Gallery of Fine Art at the Bellagio.  The Gallery has hosted a variety of different exhibits, including Monet back in 2003.  The current exhibit, Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends is a partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, features works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, among others.  The Bellagio is also known for its beautiful Fountains of Bellagio, a complimentary water show which occurs several times a day.   They also have a botanical garden which changes themes several times a year. Not too far away from the Bellagio is the Mirage.  The Mirage boasts Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, which features white and white striped tigers.  The Mirage also has a beautiful aquarium, but perhaps the most interesting attraction is its “volcano,” a specatcular, where fireballs are sent 12 feet into the sky.

One draw back of some of these attaractions is the admissions price.  For example, the price to get in to the art gallery at the Bellagio is $15, similar in admissions price to many city museums.  However, while you can spend an entire day at a museum in Manhattan or London, a visit to the Bellagio’s gallery is complete in less than an hour. 

Of course, Las Vegas has very good shopping and boasts several outlet malls, including two owned by Chelsea Premium outlets.  The outdoor Las Vegas Premium Outlet includes stores like Burberry, Calvin Klein, Kate Spade and Coach.  The Las Vegas Center is a smaller, indoor mall with stores like Haggar, Nautica as well as a Zales outlet. 

Las Vegas also boasts many non-cheesy shows, such as Cirque de Soleil (the newest one, Love, featuring music by the Beatles, is playing at the Mirage) and many different kinds of restaurants.  There is plenty to do in Vegas for the non-gambler.