Fun things to do near Vegas
April 06, 2025
My husband and I moved to the greater Vegas area from the Bay area, and found cool places to share. They are grouped by city name.
Vegas off of the strip
University of Las Vegas: Has a free-admissions art gallery featuring local artists.
Ailene Pasco: Venus at rest 2024
Nevada SPCA: This location near Allegiant stadium offers bunnies, cats, and guinea pigs. They also offer free biscuits to feed the doggos :)
Chinatown: Zen Curry restaurant has great curry and katsudon.
Silverton casino:
- Has a free family-friendly mermaid show happening every hour
- Is in the same building as the largest Bass Pro shop in the US. The shop has a large taxidermy collection of lions, bears, and even a giraffe. It has a large gun collection too
- Is close to the Lion Ranch Habitat, which has lions, ostriches, emus, and other animals
Lion brothers at the Lion Ranch, taken 2024
Boulder City
Boulder City is home of the Hoover Dam and antique stores; it's a half day-trip from Vegas.
Dilinger’s restaurant: this place has rifles for door-handles and offers American food, including sandwiches and chili soup without beans (because the chef doesn’t like beans).
- Has a museum inside chronicling how the dam was built and the history of the city
- Also has a local artist’s gallery; it's worth a look
Henderson
This town borders Vegas. It's quieter and you'll need a car.
Ethel M:
- Has a cactus garden with labeled plants; it's free to visit
- Sells high-end chocolates and has free samples inside the store
- Nearby is Mama Pam, a reliably good Thai restaurant
A box of Ethel M. chocolates showing the cactus garden
Bird preserve: This short and flat route is surrounded by birds. We saw ducks and hawks flying overhead.
Black Bear diner: This American restaurant offers comfort food in a homely setting.
The District:
- Is an upscale strip mall with a Whole Foods. It hosts local vendors on Saturdays
- Is close to Toro sushi, a reliably good restaurant. It has udon soups and katsudon too
- Is close to Paseo Verde library, the biggest library in Henderson. It has a cute cafe with fruits and relaxing music
These are some of the local highlights. There's more to Vegas than just the strip :)