THINGS TO DO

The Southern Nevada Zoo
Lied Discovery Children’s Museum
M&M World
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
The Secret Garden of Seigfried and Roy
MGM Lion Habitat
Fountains at the Bellagio
Freemont Street Experience


THE SOUTHERN NEVADA ZOO
1775 N. Rancho Drive Las Vegas, NV 89106
(702) 647-4685
Adults: $8.00 / Children 2 and older: $4 (with coupon)
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily

The Southern Nevada Zoo is shady 3-acre park is located just 15 minutes northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. The zoo contains more than 150 species of plants and animals including a variety of endangered cats as well as chimpanzees, eagles, ostriches, emus, talking parrots, wallabies, flamingos, large exotic reptiles and every species of venomous reptile native to Southern Nevada. Forget Gibraltar, this is also the home of the last family of Barbary Apes in the United States. Bonus points: The zoo also features exhibits by the Las Vegas Gem Club and botanical displays of endangered cycads and rare bamboo. Discovery: The zoo offers a series of Desert Eco-Tours providing visitors with one-of-a-kind vacation experiences. Need to know: The Zoo’s website has a discount coupon for a child admission.


LIED DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
833 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 382-3445
Adults: $8.00 / Children: $7.00 [Military discounts available.]
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday / 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday / Noon – 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Lied Discovery Children’s Museum offers visitors more than 100 hands-on exhibits in the arts, humanities and sciences plus traveling displays, programs and entertainment, the museum is interactive and pure fun. Age specific areas include: Toddler Towers for visitors younger than five; six-12 year olds explore the Mechanical Forces Pavilion and those older than 12 may perform their own radio show. Checkout the first floor Bubbles Area; visit the interactive Water Table; try the Tennis Ball Launcher. From drop in science demonstrations to recording a song or playing a steel drum, the place is hands-on. Desert Discovery is an exciting new exhibit for children ages five and younger and their families.


M&M WORLD
Showcase Mall (next to the MGM Hotel & Casino)
3785 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV
(702) 736-7611
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday / 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. Friday – Saturday



SHARK REEF AT MANDALAY BAY
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-4555
Adults: $16.95 / Children 4 and under: FREE
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday / 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday



THE SECRET GARDEN OF SIEGFRIED & ROY & DOLPHIN HABITAT
Mirage
(702) 791-7188
Adults: $15.00 / Children 3 and under FREE
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Weekdays / 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Weekends
White Tiger Cubs Viewing Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Weekdays / 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Weekends & Holidays
Hours of operation are subject to change due to special events or inclement weather.


MGM LION HABITAT
MGM Grand
FREE
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily


FOUNTAINS AT THE BELLAGIO
Bellagio Hotel
FREE
Hours: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (show every 1/2 hour) / 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (show every 15 minutes) Monday – Friday
8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (show every 15 minutes) Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (show every 1/2 hour) / 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (show every 15 minutes) Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
*Schedule may vary.
**Shows are subject to cancellation due to high winds.


FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE
Downtown
FREE
Hours: Nightly, beginning at 6:00 pm (Unverified information, found at http://www.travbuddy.com/Fremont-Experience-v302592)

The Fremont Street Experience is a 5-block open-air landscaped strip of outdoor snack shops, vendor carts, and colorful kiosks purveying food and merchandise. Overhead is a 90-foot-high steel-mesh “celestial vault”; at night, it is the most successfully revamped Viva Vision, a high-tech light-and-laser show (the canopy is equipped with more than 12.5 million lights) enhanced by a concert-hall-quality sound system that takes place five times nightly. There are a number of different shows, and there’s music between the light performances as well. Not only does the canopy provide shade, but it also cools the area through a misting system in summer and warms you with radiant heaters in winter. It’s really cool, in that Vegas over-the-top way that we love so much. Go see for yourself; you will be pleased to see how a one-time ghost town of tacky, rapidly aging buildings, in an area with more undesirables than not, is now a bustling (at least at night), friendly, safe place (they have private security guards who hustle said undesirables away). It’s a place where you can stroll, eat, or even dance to the music under the lights. The crowd it attracts is more upscale than in years past, and, of course, it’s a lot less crowded than the hectic Strip. This helps give a second life to a deserving neighborhood. Note: A good place to view the Sky Parade light show is from the balcony at Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel.