Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority 3150 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 892-0711 (702) 892-2824 (fax) Population 258295 Time Zone Pacific Latitude/Longitude 36.18° /-115.12° Today's Forecast HIGH: 77 LOW: 50

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Attractions

The famous Las Vegas Strip is lined with magnificent hotels and casinos where you can catch a show or try your luck at any number slot machines and table games. Free street entertainment abounds -- from the dancing fountains at the Bellagio to the pirate fights at Treasure Island. And, the trend toward family-friendly casinos means there are plenty of places to take the kids. Some of them are free, as well, like the Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand and the fish feeding shows the Silverton Hotel. If you like predators, you'll find them in various sizes and kinds swimming through the 1.6 million gallons of seawater at the Shark Reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay. At the Mirage, jungle beasts prowl and bottle-nosed dolphins cavort at Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

Circus Circus has Adventuredome, a glass-enclosed amusement park where the rides come with a view of dinosaurs and replicas of Grand Canyon waterfalls. More free entertainment is offered at Circus Circus with, what else, circus acts performed on the Carnival Midway from 11 AM til midnight. The bravest of thrillseekers can challenge themselves by ascending to the heights of the Stratosphere Tower where three extreme machines -- Big Shot, X Scream, and Insanity -- await.

Be sure to see the Fremont Street Experience -- a nightly light show, Vegas style. After dark, the 90-foot-high canopy covering five city blocks evolves into colorful, computer-generated, moving images created by over two million lights. More glitz is on display amid the exotic showbiz memorabilia at the Liberace Museum and among the classic cars and celebrity vehicles on view at the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace.

But, Las Vegas, for all the bright lights and noise, is more than just gambling and casinos. The Las Vegas Art Museum maintains on ambitious program of presenting the best in contemporary and challenging artwork. The Nevada State Museum and Historical Society at Lorenzi Park has exhibits devoted to the history, biology, and anthropology of Nevada. Wildlife dioramas and robotic dinoaurs may be seen at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History, Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, and a campus-wide arboretum and Xeric Garden. For a glimpse of the city's past, you can go to Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park, a refurbished 1850s fort containing antiques and displays on local history, located in downtown Las Vegas. Clark County Heritage Museum in Henderson has items from early mining and railroad days and the remnants of a ghost town.

Las Vegas has long been noted for its championship boxing matches, pool tournaments, and other sporting events. Local fans can root for the Las Vegas 51s, the triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers who play in the Pacific Coast League at Cashman Field, the Gladiators of the Arena Football League and the Wranglers of the ECHL, who both play at Orleans Arena, and the NCAA basketball and football exploits of the UNLV Rebels. Motor sports enthusiasts can head for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway; the complex include a 1.5-mile superspeedway, 2.5-mile road course, dirt oval, drag strip, and go-kart tracks.

West of Las Vegas, Bonnie Springs, Old Nevada, a recreated Old West mining town with gunfighters and saloon singers is found on the road to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a spectacular natural region of steep canyons and sandstone mountains with a 13-mile scenic drive. Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, about 20 miles east at Boulder City, are two more sights that you should not miss during your trip to Vegas.

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