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!
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Last Updated: June 7, 2021
25 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas
3215 S Rancho Dr, 89102, map
This is the hottest new attraction in Las Vegas that’s a mix of art, shopping, and food. It’s free to enter (though it requires tickets to control capacity) and there are plenty of murals and free art installations to browse. If you want to see certain exhibits, you can purchase tickets separately or as a bundle on the AREA15 site.
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.
More: Las Vegas Pinball Museum
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!
Pro Tip: They recently redid the ceiling and the screens are so much brighter and clearer now!
4. Flamingo Wildlife Habitat
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.
Although the main entrance has a fee (and currently a reservation system for a $2 extra fee to control capacity), you can check out the Red Springs Loop and the Kraft Boulders area, which has a free parking lot outside of the Scenic Loop. Check out our post for more details.
Local Tip: If you’re going to Red Rock to climb, please make sure it hasn’t been raining within 48 hours (sometimes longer). Wet sandstone breaks easily. Come climb at Refuge Climbing instead (come say hi to us at our home gym!).
6. Lawn Games at Gold Spike
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.
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.
8. Las Vegas Welcome Sign
Touristy, yes, but you can’t visit Vegas without taking a photo next to the iconic welcome sign!
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.
10. Fountains of Bellagio
This is probably one of the most iconic attractions in Vegas and they keep it fresh by creating new fountain shows with new music.
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.
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.
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
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.
15. The Aquarium at Silverton
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. Check their site for the most up-to-date info.
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
18. Volcano at the Mirage
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.
19. Paris Eiffel Tower
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.
20. Venetian Streetmosphere
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.
21. M&Ms World
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.
22. Hershey’s Chocolate World
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.
23. Hand of Faith at Golden Nugget
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
Have a say in what goes on TV by giving them your opinion!
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.
Map of Free Things to Do in Las Vegas
More Free Things to Do in Las Vegas
- Million Dollar Photo (map) – 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 below. haha
- Downtown Las Vegas Murals – Check out this video for some of our favorites.
Best Places to Stay
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?
SEE MORE FREE THINGS TO DO
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
Yolanda
20 Feb 2018Thank you for this post. Going there in may. Will look into some of these places. Only have as week. :)
Local Adventurer
13 Aug 2018Hope you had a great time, Yolanda!
Tim S.
21 Jun 2017Lovely post! I think the one part of Las Vegas people seem to forget about s how beautiful the surrounding desserts are and etc.
Esther JuLee
17 Jul 2017Thank you, Tim. Totally agree. There’s so much more to Vegas than the strip. :)