Stuff to do in Vegas (Free Stuff)* CLOWN FACTORY (tommEE's pick! clowns rock!)
Ron Leešs World of Clowns, 330 Carousel Parkway, Henderson, offers a 35-minute self-guided factory tour 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays (702-434-3920).
* FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE
The Fremont Street Experience, a pedestrian promenade in downtown Las Vegas, features a misting system,
retail carts, kiosks, free entertainment, and one-of-a-kind light and sound shows, with more than 2 million lights and 540,000 watts of sound. Light and sound shows begin at dusk daily and end at midnight. The Fremont Street Experience is on Fremont Street between Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard (702-678-5777 or 1-800-249-3559).
* 'WORLD'S GREATEST CIRCUS ACTS' AT CIRCUS CIRCUS
Aerialists, high-wire walkers, trapeze artists and clown shows are featured twice an hour 11 a.m.-midnight daily during "World's Greatest Circus Acts" on the Midway Stage at Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The current lineup of acts includes Gregory Popovich, who was once part of the legendary Moscow Circus; The
Pavlovics, an acrobatic duo from Lithuania; The Osorio Brothers, three high-wire-walking siblings from Mexico; and three trapeze troupes The Flying Vasquez, The Flying Cacares and The Flying Jimenez (702-734-0410). BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY
The glass-domed 90,000-square-foot conservatory at the Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, features 1,200 bins of exotic plants and flowers such as orchids, lilies and hyacinth. Displays are changed monthly (702-693-7111). BREWERY
Holy Cow! Casino, Cafe & Brewery, 2423 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers free tours of its Las Vegas microbrewery. Guided tours offered at 11 a.m. and 1, 3 and 5 p.m. daily. Self-guided tours are available 8 a.m.- midnight daily (702-732-2697). CAESARS MAGICAL EMPIRE
Caesars Magical Empire at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers free tours 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Guests can explore the catacombs en route to a 70-foot-tall central rotunda, where high-tech special effects are featured. Those who take the tour will receive a $10 discount on early dinner seatings (702-731-7333).
CHOCOLATE FACTORY & CACTUS GARDENS
Ethel M Chocolates, 2 Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson, offers free tours of the chocolate factory and its 2-acre botanical cactus garden. Twenty-minute, self-guided tours are available 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily (702-433-2500). CRANBERRY WORLD WEST
Cranberry World West, 1301 American Pacific Drive, offers a theater, exhibit hall, museum, juice-sampling center, demonstration kitchen and gift shop. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Sundays (702-566-7160). DESERT DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
The Desert Demonstration Garden, 3701 W. Alta Drive, was developed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District to educate the public on landscaping in the desert. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, excluding holidays. Staff docents
are available 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays to answer questions and give guided tours (702-258-3205). DON PABLO CIGAR CO.
The Don Pablo Cigar Co., 3025 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers free tours of its factory. Hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Mondays-Saturdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays (702-369-1818). DRAGON BATTLE
A battle between a fire-breathing dragon and Merlin the Magician takes place every hour on the hour dusk to
midnight daily, weather permitting, in the moat at Excalibur, 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. South (702-597-7777). THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO
The Fountains of Bellagio at Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, span more than 1,000 feet with fountains
soaring as high as 240 feet in the air. The shows are choreographed to music ranging from the classic arias of Luciano Pavarotti to the romantic stylings of Frank Sinatra. Performances take place every half-hour 3-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and noon-8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. After 8 p.m., performances are every 15 minutes until midnight (702-693-7111). FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL AT FORUM SHOPS
The Fountain Festival at the Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, features Bacchus and his entourage in a realistic, animated robotic show that includes lasers, music and sound effects. The show starts at 10 a.m. daily and runs every hour on the hour. The Forum Shops at Caesars features more than 100 specialty
retailers and upscale restaurateurs in a re-creation of an ancient Roman Forum streetscape with classic columns, arches, a skylike ceiling, and central piazzas with ornate fountains and classic statuary (702-893-4800). LION HABITAT
The MGM Grand Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is a multilevel habitat featuring four waterfalls, overhangs, a pond and Acacia trees. The habitat can house up to five lions. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily and photo opportunities are available 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays. Photos are available for $20 each. The lion habitat retail shop is open 9 a.m.-11 p.m. daily (702-891-7777). LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS SHOW AT FORUM SHOPS
The Lost City of Atlantis show is in the Roman Great Hall in the Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and features a fountain, lifelike animatronic characters, lasers, fire, steam and a 50,000-gallon saltwater
aquarium. The show starts at 11 a.m. daily and runs every hour on the hour. The Forum Shops at Caesars features more than 100 specialty retailers and upscale restaurateurs in a re-creation of an ancient Roman Forum streetscape with classic columns, arches, a skylike ceiling, and central piazzas with ornate fountains and classic statuary (702-893-4800). M&M'S WORLD
M&M's World at the Showcase Mall, 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. South, features Ethel M Chocolate's flagship store on the first floor; a 8,500-square-foot retail store on the second floor; M&M's Racing Team retail store on the fourth floor; and Colorworks where visitors can select their favorite colors of M&M's. Hours are 10 a.m.-midnight daily
(until 1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays) for M&M's World. Hours for M&M's Academy are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays- Saturdays (702-736-7611). 'MASQUERADE SHOW IN THE SKY'
The "Masquerade Show in the Sky," an indoor entertainment experience featuring a cast of 36 performers, five floats, elaborate costumes and four different themed parades, is presented on the hour every other hour from 2 p.m.-midnight daily, except Wednesdays, at the Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road. There are no performances Wednesdays. Guests may participate in the sky parade for $9.95 (702-252-7776).
MILLION DOLLAR DISPLAY
The Million Dollar Display at Binion's Horseshoe, 128 Fremont St., is a Las Vegas tradition. Created in 1954, approximately 150,000 people per year pose in front of the display (702-382-1600). MYSTIC FALLS PARK
Mystic Falls Park, a unique 25,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled indoor park, is in the center of Sam's Town, 5111 Boulder Highway. The park is the site of two of Sam's Town's restaurants, a logo shop, the revolving
Ram's Head bar and "Sunset Stampede," a dancing water, laser and light show. Show times are 2, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. daily (702-456-7777). PAHRUMP VALLEY VINEYARDS
Free tours and wine tasting are offered at Pahrump Valley Vineyards, 3810 Winery Road, Pahrump. The vineyard also boasts a gourmet restaurant and live entertainment Saturdays during the summer months. Hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily (1-775-727-6900). PIRATE BATTLE
The eight-minute Pirate Battle between the pirate ship Hispaniola and the British frigate Britannia on Buccaneer Bay in front of Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. South, features roaring cannons, exploding munitions, smoke and toppling mainmasts. The battle takes place every 90 minutes 4-10 p.m. daily (until 11:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays), weather permitting (702-894-7111). SHELBY AMERICAN INC.
Shelby American Inc.'s sports car museum and assembly area, 6755 Speedway Blvd., is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Free tours of the assembly area are offered at 10:30 a.m. or by appointment only at 3:30 p.m.
The museum and tour features the latest version of Shelby American sports vehicles, along with a dozen Cobra cars (702-643-3000). TROPICAL RAINFOREST
A tropical rainforest inside The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is housed under a 100-foot-high dome. The rainforest features palm trees reaching 60 foot, a cascading waterfalkl, lagoons and tropical flowers and plants, including elephant ears and orchids. There are more than 100 different types of plants in the rainforest (702-791-7111). VOLCANO
The 54-foot volcano in front of The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, erupts every 15 minutes dusk-midnight daily. (791-7111). WHITE TIGER HABITAT
The White Tiger Habitat, featuring Siegfried & Roy's Royal White Tigers, is available for public viewing 24 hours a day at The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South (702-791-7111). WILDLIFE WALK AND TIGER HABITAT
The Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. South, features a natural bird, wildlife and reptile habitat on the walkway between the two towers. There is also a tiger habitat outside the entrance of the hotel. Hours are 1-9 p.m. daily, except Fridays (702-739-2222). |
