15 Best Free Attractions Las Vegas NV

Did we get to all of Travel and Leisure’s 15 Best Free Attractions Las Vegas NV?

15 Best Free Attractions Las Vegas NV

You know the saying “timing is everything”. Well it’s true. The day before we left Redlands California for Las Vegas, I received an email from Travel and Leisure about the 15 best free things to do in Vegas. I immediately printed the list! Now I feel compelled to share it with you.

1.  Visit the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign

Start your Las Vegas vacation, like we did, with a visit to this iconic attraction. You certainly can’t visit Vegas without at least going by the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and taking a    few pix. We took several to commemorate our trip to Sin City!

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign debuted on the Las Vegas Strip in 1959 and has quickly become one of the most popular attractions in Clark County. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places to coincide with Clark County’s centennial celebration.

I thought this was a cool fact – in 2014, the County collaborated with several organizations to install solar panels at the sign. These panels provide enough electrcity to completely offset the energy used by the sign!

2.  Travel the world without leaving Vegas

Even if you don’t gamble, like us, there are countless shopping and dining option to check out at the city’s famous casino hotels. You can “visit” Paris at Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino; Venice at The Venetian Resort and New York City at New York New York Hotel and Casino. The St. Mark’s Square, Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty replicas are among these hotel highlights.

3.  See the floral displays at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

It’s free to see the impressive seasonal floral displays inside the Bellagio. I do suggest that your check the Bellagio website before you go just to check for what will be on display during your visit.

4.  Catch a water show at the Fountains of Bellagio

Another awesome free attraction is just outside of the Bellagio. The Fountains of Bellagio are a Vegas icon. There are free water shows running multiple times every day.

5.  Snap a photo of the colorful “Seven Magic Mountains”

You may have seen these colorful stacks of boulders over on Instagram. The artist, Ugo Rondinone, said that “Seven Magic Mountains elicits continuities and solidarities between human and nature, artificial and natural, then and now. What centers this amalgam of contradictions is the spiritual aspiration, one that bruises, elevates and transcends.”

The location for Seven Magic Mountains was chosen for its proximity to Nevada’s legendary Jean Dry Lake where Jean Tinquely and Michael Heizer created significant sculptures. Seven Magic Mountains is one of the largest land based art installations in the United States completed in the last forty years.

This is totally worth the 20 mile drive to experience. The colors are sensational. As hard as we tried to get all seven “mountains” in one photo, it was impossible. The closest I could come to success was to get six clearly. But if you look very carefully you can see the edges of the seventh one behind the one with the green boulder on top.

6.  Shop ’til you drop at The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace

Sin City might be best known for gambling and shows, but it’s a really great shopping destination as well. Technically, if you buy something, this is not free. But just window shopping is free and fun when you are strolling by The Forum Shops incredible array of high end stores in this Roman inspired setting.

7.  The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian

While we are on the topic of shopping, The Forum Shops at Caesar’s isn’t the only Italian themed shopping mall in Vegas. After all, more is more in Vegas baby! Keep shopping at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. And while you’re there you can even take a gondola ride, but that’s not free.

8.  Gawk at the Hand of Faith gold nugget

The Golden Nugget Hotel has the amazing Hand of Faith, 61 pound, gold nugget on display in the lobby. That’s 875 troy ounces of gold folks. WOW!!! At the price of gold right right now that it is worth a fortune. It was valued at $5 million in back in 2012.

In the September, 1980, Kevin Hillier took his new metal detector out for a spin in his tiny hometown of Wedderburn, Australia. Instead of a bottle cap or a paper clip, he found a 61-pound golden nugget barely a foot underground. He was paid over a million dollars for his find by the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. Not a bad day’s work.

9.  Stroll down the Linq Promenade

Go for a walk down the lively Linq Promenade and you will find plenty of shopping and dining options along the way.

10. Spend a day by the pool

After living in south Florida for 38 years it was far too chilly for us to lie by the pool. But for most people a day at a gorgeous hotel pool is a wonderful option. Our RV park had a lovely pool that we might have used had the weather been warmer!

11. Visit Fremont Street

The Fremont Street Experience offers casinos, entertainment and much more, including free nightly Viva Vision shows on the world’s largest video screen.

We enjoyed this so much that we visited twice!!!

12. Watch a volcano erupt at The Mirage

It seems as if nearly every Las Vegas hotel has a crowd attracting gimmick which is exactly what makes them so much fun. The Mirage has a volcano that erupts periodically. Make sure to check their website  for the scheduled eruption times.

13. Shop around converted shipping containers

The Downtown Container Park is an outdoor shopping complex that’s perfect for when you want to explore another part of Las Vegas. It has lots of shopping, dining, entertainment and more. Many of the stores and eateries are housed in converted shipping containers making this a very eco-friendly location. Even some of the art on display is make from “found objects”.

14. Enjoy fine art at Aria

Find interesting art from the Aria Fine Art Collection on display throughout the resort. The brochure with is available on the resort’s website, will show you where to find these works and provide more details about their artists.

15. Visit a chocolate factory and cactus garden

This is a twofer. Visit the Ethel M Chocolate Factory to see how everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure is made. There are self guided factory tours that are free and chocolate samples to enjoy.

Of course, the chocolate at Ethel M’s is so tempting that we couldn’t walk out without purchasing a few more delectable pieces!

Ethel M’s is celebrating their 40th anniversary. In 1981, Forrest Mars Sr, unveiled an unexpected oasis of freshly crafted chocolates in the desert outside of Las Vegas in Henderson. Forrest and his team went to great lengths to create their unique chocolates and fillings with the highest focus on quality. They used recipes that were inspired by his mother, Ethel Mars.

To this day, each piece of their chocolates are made in small batches with no artificial preservatives, using only the freshest and finest ingredients available.

And while you are there make sure to take a leisurely stroll through their Botanical Cactus Garden. This magical garden will take your breath away!

Hard as we tried, we could not get to all of these free attraction in our week staying in Las Vegas. We managed to squeeze in 8 of them. But have no fear. The Traveling Locavores already have a return visit book for early 2022!