Las Vegas is known for being a must-visit destination for adults. Don’t let all the exceptional nightlife, pool parties and elevated dining fool you — this also can certainly be an ideal spot for your family vacation.
If you’re looking for things to do in Las Vegas with kids, we’ve got you covered with our list of 26 fun, family-friendly activities.
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Attractions
1. Downtown Container Park
Venture to the Fremont East area of downtown and look for the giant, metal praying mantis. Here you’ll find a hub of fun and food for the whole family. Kids getting hangry? Grab a bite at one of the many eateries, while the big kids can get an adult beverage at Oak & Ivy. Treat the whole fam with a gelato sensation at Waffelato, and then let the kids burn off the sugar high in The Treehouse playground and 33-foot slide.
2. Hershey's Chocolate World
Head over to New York-New York Hotel & Casino for Hershey’s Chocolate World. This West Coast flagship store sells more than 800 candy and chocolate confections by Hershey brands, and you can even customize your own chocolate bars! Don’t miss the huge milk chocolate Statue of Liberty. The kids can even star in their own Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup TV ad through one of the store’s many interactive experiences.
3. Fun Dungeon
Don’t be afraid — the Fun Dungeon at Excalibur Hotel and Casino is an arcade for kids of all ages. This arcade is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and is the place to play over 200 games including carnival classics, vintage and new video games, games for little kids, and the World’s Biggest Pac-Man.
4. Shark Reef Aquarium
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino offers awe-inspiring tours under the sea through 14 shark habitats, including a shipwreck with 360-degree views of sharks and other fish. Experiential attractions include the Touch Pool, where you can dip your fingers into the water and touch rays, sharks or horseshoe crabs, to name a few of the oceanic creatures that rotate into this exhibit.
5. M&M's World
Take a detour to M&M’s World in the Showcase Mall. The store is 28,000 square feet of candy-coated chocolate goodness. Customize your own M&M’s using the personal printer to include unique messages and a variety of images — including Las Vegas-themed ones — and 16 different colors. NASCAR fans can also take a selfie with a replica of Kyle Busch’s 18 M&M’s race car.
6. Museum of Illusions
Be prepared to be amazed and perplexed at this museum housing immersive installations that are sure to captivate and maybe even confuse — in the best way possible, of course. Its mind-bending illusion rooms, including a mesmerizing vortex tunnel and a room that makes you feel like you’re upside down (what?!), are entertaining for the kids and adults alike. Who doesn’t like to experience a good mind trick or two?
7. Discovery Children’s Museum
Let kids be kids — while they learn — at the coolest museum in town. Located downtown, the nine themed, hands-on, interactive zones include The Summit, a 70-foot tower with 12 levels of science fun and climbing/sliding structures. Cool off at Water World or help build a community in EcoCity. Make sure to check out the featured exhibitions gallery for more interactive fun. With rotating exhibits throughout the year, there are always new experiences no matter when you visit.
8. Ethel M Chocolates Factory & Botanical Cactus Garden
Get a behind-the-scenes look of the daily operations of Nevada’s gourmet chocolatier and let the kids explore the factory’s Cactus Garden — Nevada’s largest botanical garden of its kind, featuring three acres of cacti, succulents and more. Bonus: Admission to the factory and botanical garden is free! Self-guided “aisle tours” also are free and open to the public, offering a peek inside the candy kitchen where handmade pecan brittle, as well as signature small-batch fillings like satin cremes and caramels for those delectable chocolates, are produced daily.
Outdoor Activities
9. The Tank
Pool season is in full swing and that means fun for the whole family, especially at The Tank, the pool at Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. It’s family-friendly, and the kids will love the slide that safely passes through an aquarium filled with sharks and into the pool.
10. Splash Zone and Pool
If sharks aren’t your speed, be sure to check out Circus Circus Las Vegas’ fun-loving pool, including a 50-foot slide tower with three different slides! Be sure to check out the Splash Pad, where kids (and adults) of any age can play the day away in this interactive water playground.
11. Lion Habitat Ranch
For an off-Strip animal adventure in Henderson, check out the Lion Habitat Ranch, an African lion sanctuary offering trainer tours, a painting giraffe and special events. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even feed the lions and the giraffes! Or maybe sit down and have a meal with family and friends at its Feast with the Beasts experience, as you eat surrounded by lions.
12. Springs Preserve
Located a few miles off-Strip, there’s plenty of kid-friendly activities at this 180-acre area of botanical gardens, walking trails, wildlife habitats, museums and more. Home to a large collection of Mojave Desert cacti and plants, a variety of wetland bird species and desert creatures, the space also offers a seasonal butterfly pavilion and rotating exhibits. You’ll get a look into how Las Vegas flourished from a vibrant desert to the phenomenal city it is today.
Kid-Friendly Shows and Events
13. Mystère by Cirque du Soleil
Want a show that brings impressive acrobatics, breathtaking leaps of athleticism and world-class stage production? Look no further than Mystère by Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island – TI Hotel & Casino. Crowned “Best Production Show” eight times by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, this show’s unique mixture of showmanship, drama and imaginative themes will capitative the whole family.
14. Oasis Cinema Club
There’s lots to take in at Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ Oasis Pool Deck, including its movie series allowing guests to experience blockbusters under the Southern Nevada sky. Family-friendly films are shown on a projection screen at the expansive pool complex, with selections including Barbie, Finding Nemo and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In true movie-theater-style fashion, the space will serve elevated treats to enjoy during the flicks — churro bites and fudge, anyone?
15. Jabbawockeez
Awarded “Best All Ages Show” and “Best Family Show,” an evening at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino to see the incredible, captivating and heart-pumping dance performance of Jabbawockeez is a must! With a multi-genre playlist and plenty of visual effects, the whole family will be enthralled.
16. Tournament of Kings
Cheer on your favorite valiant knight and eat with your hands at Tournament of Kings at Excalibur Hotel and Casino. Experience the Middle Ages and witness the glorious tale of King Arthur, live with knights and their magnificent steeds demonstrating their chivalry, honor and bravery as they duel it out. The impressive pyrotechnics and a delicious, hearty dinner are sure to make you feel like royalty.
17. Mat Franco
Discover what this America’s Got Talent winner has up his sleeve during his “Magic Reinvented Nightly” at The LINQ Hotel + Experience. Appropriate for those 5 years and older, prepare to see an exhilarating show that combines old-school magic and modern innovation, leaving you awe-struck and in wonder.
Amusement Parks and Rides
18. High Roller Observation Wheel
Take a break from the bustling crowds by taking the family on a ride on the High Roller Observation Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel at The LINQ Hotel + Experience in the heart of the Vegas Strip. At 550-feet high and 520 feet in diameter, the High Roller has 28 transparent (and air-conditioned) pods that can hold up to 40 people. The experience lasts 30 minutes and kids 6 years old and younger ride free! You can even book special events or take advantage of happy hour specials.
19. Thrill Rides at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower
Get the whole family’s adrenaline pumping with four of the world’s highest rides, 100 stories above the ground. Free fall 855 feet at 40 miles per hour on the SkyJump. Lose your voice as the X-Scream teeters 27 feet over the edge of the building at 33 miles per hour. Get shot sky high and try to enjoy spectacular views of the Las Vegas Valley on the Big Shot. If you haven’t had enough, take in some ’Gs — three to be exact — as Insanity spins you 900 feet in the air. After all this adventure, a nap may be in order.
20. Adventuredome at Circus Circus Las Vegas
Head to the Circus Circus Las Vegas big top and make your way to Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park with rides and attractions for kids, daredevils and kid daredevils! Attractions include mini-golf, mini-bowling, indoor rock climbing and bungee jumping, laser beam escape rooms, roller skating, midway games, arcades, as well as roller coasters and rides for any adventure level.
21. The Big Apple Roller Coaster
Fittingly located at New York-New York Hotel & Casino, The Big Apple Roller coaster is a loopty-loop coaster and the first in the world to include a 180-degree “heartline” twist and dive. For the true thrill-seekers and coaster-crazed kids in your family, this is one literal (and virtual) ride you must take!
Free Things to Do
22. Fountains of Bellagio and Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
At Bellagio, discover two incredible, free attractions. As you walk up to the resort, stop and watch the Fountains of Bellagio, a choreographed spectacle of water, music and light with shows starting daily in the afternoon and running into the evening. As you enter the resort lobby, head to the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, which is designed and created seasonally with colorful, real flowers. An impressive 14,000 square feet of gardens, there is plenty to see and appreciate in this magnificent horticulture achievement.
Kid-Friendly Dining
23. Rainforest Café
There’s plenty of family-friendly dining options, one of which is the exciting Rainforest Café, a popular restaurant situated right on the Strip at Harmon Corner. Upon entering, you’ll be transported to the rainforest and can dine alongside life-size animals. And with cheese sticks and kids meals’ options like quesadillas, mini hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese, it’s sure to delight the little ones.
24. Sugar Factory
The longtime confectionary shop offers a full food menu at Harmon Corner, with whimsical takes on kid-loving favorites. There’s the Sugar Factory Rainbow Sliders with colorful mini-hamburger buns, an entire menu section of loaded fries (yum!), tacos, pastas and more. Did we mention the Flaming Hot Cheetos Burger?
25. Forum Food Hall
Food halls are all the rage, and this one at Caesars Palace is a kid-pleasing hit. With two celebrity-chef helmed spots, the whole family is going to be fulfilled — choose from tenders and sandwiches at Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy! or delicious, hand-held delights at Bobby’s Burgers from Bobby Flay. You can also score Mediterranean plates at The Halal Guys.
26. The Park
Located between New York-New York Hotel & Casino and Park MGM Las Vegas, find a variety of kid-friendly options like the world-famous roadside burger joint Shake Shack for burgers, dogs and fries. And for sweet treats and coffee drinks, hit the screaming pink pop-up, Hello Kitty Café.
Discover additional kid-friendly Las Vegas show ideas and hotels that are perfect for the whole family as you make your travel plans to visit this incredible destination!