Free and Fun in Las Vegas

If you are in Las Vegas on a house-hunting expedition, or for a great vacation or on business, you can get cheap thrills and freebies both on The Strip and around the city.  

1. At The Venetian.  Listen to the gondoliers sing as they paddle passengers along the canal.  If you are lucky, you may see a romantic wedding in progress in one of the gondolas.  There are also singers and entertainers in St. Marks Square. The cost: Free.

2. At The Rio.  Watch the Masquerade Parade in the Sky and the accompanying stage show.  The Parade runs late afternoons and into the evenings--on tracks high above the casino.  High-energy dancers and amazing acrobats toss strings of beads to the crowd so you may end up with a souvenir.  The cost: Free.

3. At Circus Circus.  Every day circus performers entertain guests on the casino floor. The cost:  Free.

4. At Caesar's Palace. Watch the mock Roman battle in the Fourth Rotunda and then be amazed as huge automaton statues come to life. The cost: Free.

5. At the TI.  Watch the Siren Show and see pirates encounter and battle scantily dressed sirens on the ship in front of the casino.  The cost: Free.

6. At the Bellagio.  First watch the extraordinary fountains in front of the casino, then go inside to visit The Conservatory, a huge garden exhibition just beyond the hotel desk. The cost: Free.

7. At the MGM Grand.  Visit the Lion Habitat and see these wild creatures up close. The cost: Free.

8. On Fremont Street. After sunset, look skyward to watch this two block long light show above Fremont Street downtown.  It plays nightly and is astonishing!  There are also street buskers and musicians along Fremont Street. The cost: Free.

9. In Green Valley.  Tour the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory and Desert Garden.  Wander through the cactus and succulent garden, then walk through the Chocolate Factory to see them mixing and hand-dipping the candies.  At the end you even get a free sample chocolate.  The cost: Free.

10. In Red Rock Canyon.   At the far western edge of the city, just beyond Summerlin, is the Red Rock National Conservation Area and the scenery is spectacular!  The cost: $7 per car. 

Stop by the Visitors Center then take the 13 Mile Scenic Drive through the Red Rock National Conservation area.  You are very likely to see rock climbers scaling the cliffs.  This site is a major international center for rock climbers.

11. Blue Diamond.  If you continue to drive on the highway through Red Rock Canyon as far as the village of Blue Diamond, you are likely to see wild burros along the road and wild horses munching on the lawns in the village.  Do not try to pet or feed these wild animals; the burros will bite, the horses will run away.  The cost: Free.

12. At Desert Shores.  Weekends bring out the model sailboats whose owners spend hours racing the miniature sailboats on Lake Rene in Desert Shores.  Stop by, watch the races, talk to the boat builders.  The cost: Free.