Sometimes it seems like the only way to enjoy Vegas is to risk losing money gambling, paying a lot for shows, or eating at expensive restaurants. But there are tons of free things to do if you know where to look. Most of these are family friendly too!

25 FREE THINGS TO DO IN LAS VEGAS

1. Pinball Hall of Fame

Address: 1610 E Tropicana Ave Las Vegas NV 89119
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11AM-11PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-Midnight

Located just off the strip, the Pinball Hall of Fame is a 10,000 square foot building filled to the brim with pinball machines! It was fascinating to see pinball machines from the 1950s all the way to present day, and there were a handful of other classic arcade games too. If you don’t want to spend any money you can go take photos and watch others play. Who knows? You might even find a quarter lying around! If you do spend money here, also know that all your money goes to charity.

2. Fremont Street Experience

Address: Fremont Street Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: Every hour on the hour from dusk to midnight

Just a few miles from the strip is a strip of old vegas on Fremont Street that they’ve turned into a great area to walk around. One of the attractions there is the Fremont Experience where they have a lit canopy overhead with nightly light shows. There are 12.5 million lights up there!

3. Flamingo Wildlife Habitat

Address: 3555 South Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: 8AM-Dusk

Amidst all the flashing lights and noise of Vegas is a small piece of paradise. Check out the flamingo, exotic birds, fish, and turtles at Flamingo Hotel & Casino.

4. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Address: 3205 Nevada 159 Las Vegas NV 89161
Hours: Dawn til Dusk

Although the main entrance has a fee, you can check out the Red Springs Loop, which has a free parking lot outside of the Scenic Loop. Check out our post for more details.

More: Photo Guide to Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas

5. Lawn Games at Gold Spike

Address: 217 Las Vegas Boulevard North Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: Open 24 Hrs

This is a favorite hang out spot amongst locals! It’s free to enter and they have a backyard with giant lawn games and fire pits. With so much to do, you can easily have a great time here without spending a penny.

6. First Fridays

Address: Arts District Las Vegas, NV
Hours: Evening, varies month to month.

First Friday Las Vegas is an art walk / art festival that takes place in downtown Vegas once a month. It’s a great way to see the local side of Vegas and hang with the natives.

7. Las Vegas Welcome Sign

Address: S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89119
Hours: Open 24 Hrs

Touristy, yes, but you can’t visit Vegas without taking a photo next to the iconic welcome sign!

More: 101 Things to Do in Las Vegas – The Ultimate Bucket List

8. Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Address: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Open 24 Hrs

The Bellagio does an amazing job at updating their gardens seasonally. We did a post of their 2014 Christmas display, but there’s always something new to see each season.

9. Fountains of Bellagio

Address: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Mon-Fri Every ½ Hour 3PM-8PM, Every 15 Min 8PM-Midnight; Sat-Sun Every ½ Hour 12PM-8PM, Every 15 Min 8PM-Midnight

This is probably one of the most iconic attractions in Vegas and they keep it fresh by creating new fountain shows with new music.

10. Hot Springs at Goldstrike Canyon

Address: Great Basin Highway Boulder City NV 89005
Hours: Dawn til Dusk

This is a great day hike that takes you to clear hot springs near the Colorado River. It does require a bit of scrambling, but the beautiful walk is worth it. See more details & vlog here.

11. Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour and Botanical Cactus Gardens

Address: 2 Cactus Garden Drive Henderson NV 89014
Hours: 8:30AM-6PM Daily

Whether it’s Snickers, Dove, Twix, or M&M’s, we’ve all had Mars chocolate before. But did you know that after Forrest E. Mars, Sr retired, he created Ethel M Chocolates in his mother’s honor? This boutique chocolate shop is located in Henderson, NV and focuses on producing gourmet premium chocolates. Outside the building, there is a four-acre botanical cactus garden which features over 300 species of desert plants. It’s one of the world’s largest collections of its kind.

More: 49 Best Places to Eat in Las Vegas

12. Circus Acts at Circus Circus

Address: 2880 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Performance starting at 11AM daily

What’s better than a free circus? With acts flying through the air, jugglers, clowns, freestyle BMX, and more, there is plenty to keep you entertained.

Photo: Judy Baxter / creative commons

13. Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Address: 41 Costa Di Lago Henderson NV 89011
Hours: 24 Hours

There is a replica of the Ponte Vecchio bridge (original one is in Florence, Italy) at Lake Las Vegas. Take a stroll around the lake, browse the shops, and if you do want to take the romance up a notch, book yourself a romantic gondola ride so you can steal a kiss under the bridge.

More: Photo Diary of Our Romantic Gondola Ride

14. The Aquarium at Silverton – full post coming soon

Address: 3333 Blue Diamond Rd Las Vegas NV 89139
Hours: Open 24 Hrs

With over 4000 fish and 160 species from around the world, this aquarium is a great way to pass time. Kids especially love to interact with the mermaids. Mermaids Swims are scheduled Thurs 2:15PM-3:30PM, 5PM-6:45PM, 7:30PM-8:15PM; Fri-Sat from 2:15PM-3:30PM, 5PM-6:45PM, 7:30PM-9:15PM; Sun 11:30AM-12:45PM, 2:15PM-3:45PM, 5PM-6:45PM.

15. Downtown Container Park

Address: 707 Fremont St Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: Retail Mon – Thurs: 11AM – 9PM, Fri – Sat: 11AM – 10PM, Sunday: 11AM – 8PM; Restaurants & Bars
Mon -Thurs: 11AM – 11PM, Fri – Sat: 11AM – 1AM, Sun: 11AM – 11PM

See a piece of Burning Man, shop, and catch a show. Check out the musician line up and events here.

16. Fall of Atlantis at Caesars Forum Shops

Address: 3500 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11AM-11PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-Midnight

The Fall of Atlantis show is located in the heart of the Forum Shops and uses animatronic displays of fire, water, and nine-foot-tall talking statues.

Photo: Andrei Asinas / creative commons

17. Volcano at the Mirage

Address: 3400 South Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: 7PM-11PM every half hour

This volcano packs a punch with huge explosions, fireballs, and a soundtrack from The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart and Indian table sensation Zakir Hussain.

18. Paris Eiffel Tower

Address: 3655 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: 24 Hours

Although you have to pay to get to the top, you can take pictures out front for free. A fun fact: this remake was initially planned to be an exact replica, but because the airport is so close, they were forced to make it smaller so it wouldn’t interfere with air traffic.

19. Venetian Streetmosphere

Address: 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Noon, 1PM, 2PM, 4PM, 5PM, 6PM Daily

Created by classically trained singer, actors, and musicians, this “street” show in the Grand Canal Shoppes is a lot of fun and really gives you the vibe that you’re in Italy seeing street performers.

20. M&Ms World

Address: 3785 S. Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: 9AM-1AM

Their four-level store is full of color and wonderment. Create personalized M&M’s, take photos with their full-sized 18 NASCAR, and check out the free 3-D movie.

21. Hershey’s Chocolate World

Address: 3790 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
Hours: 9AM-10PM Daily

This 13,000-square-feet store makes its home at New York-New York Hotel. You can browse through all the Hershey’s products and if you can’t resist buying something, you can make customized chocolate bar wrappers and choose your favorite Kisses or Jolly Ranchers.

22. P3Studio at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Address: 3708 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: Wed-Sun 6PM-11PM

P3Studio features different international and local artists throughout the year so there’s always something new to see.

23. Hand of Faith at Golden Nugget

Address: 129 East Fremont Street Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: Open 24 Hrs

Found in Australia, this 61-pound golden nugget makes its home in the Golden Nugget lobby. It’s the biggest golden nugget in existence and second biggest ever discovered.

24. CBS Television City Research Center

Address: 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109
Hours: 10AM – 830PM

Have a say in what goes on TV by giving them your opinion!

25. Gold & Silver Pawn Shop
Address: 713 South Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: 9AM-9PM Daily

Famous for the TV Show, Pawn Stars, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is free to visit. There’s a gift shop and you can see items that have appeared on the show.

BONUS: Binions Million Dollar Photo

Address: 128 Fremont Street Las Vegas NV 89101
Hours: 10AM – 11PM; Must be 21+.

Take a photo with a million dollars. I’m not sure why I imagined that I could lay on top of the cash like in Breaking Bad, but because my expectations were off, it was one of my least favorite free attractions in Vegas. But free nonetheless! Sorry, I can’t hide my disappointment. haha

How many of these free things to do in Las Vegas have you done? What’s the some free things you enjoy in your town? Anything else you think deserves to be on this list?