11 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in Las Vegas

Looking for a fun (and sober) alternative to partying it up on the Strip? Consider trading in day drinking for time behind the wheel at the Speedvegas motorsports park—a lesser-known Las Vegas activity—instead. Packages allow you to choose from around 20 supercars and get the chance to make five or 10 laps around a racecourse, potentially reaching speeds of up to 130 miles (208 kilometers) per hour. No driver’s license? No problem. You can also book a ride-along package with a professional racecar driver in a Dodge Hellcat SRT.

There’s no better way to discover hidden Vegas treasures than with a local, especially if you’re in search of under-the-radar places to eat, drink, and be merry. Hit the strip with a Las Vegan guide who will show you spots you might not find on your own. Take a food-forward walking tour of the Strip and discover swanky speakeasies and casual places to eat on a budget. You'll even get to stop for a slice at the aptly named Secret Pizza.

Vegas doesn’t have to be all about slots and shows. One fun, unconventional thing to do in Las Vegas is to channel your inner child—on a massive scale—at Dig This Las Vegas, where you can take the wheel of heavy equipment such as bulldozers and excavators. You can even bring the kids! The smallest of children will need to stick with scaled-down construction trucks with the help of parents, but much of the larger equipment is suitable for tweens and/or teens.

If you like entertainment that verges on the weird and wacky, you won’t want to miss AREA15, an immersive arts hub in the heart of the Strip. The star attraction at this sprawling complex is Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, a surreal supermarket where the concept of reality is turned on its head. The complex is also home to the Illuminarium, an immersive 4k theater that transports you to other parts of this universe, from African savannahs to the depths of outer space. Other must-see attractions include virtual-reality dodgeball, a flight simulator, and even indoor ziplining.

Got some pent-up energy to get out? Skip the gym and head to the Wreck Room, a “rage room” filled with items just ready for you to destroy. Of course, you don’t have to be angry to have fun destroying things ... you could consider this sort of experience as simply great exercise! Put on safety gear, pick up a crowbar, and start smashing—without having to worry about cleaning up afterward. Book ahead to secure your spot at this offbeat attraction in Las Vegas.

Some secret gems of Las Vegas require trading in the city’s neon lights in favor of geologic landscapes. The Lost City Museum, about an hour’s drive out of town, is one such treasure. Here you can learn about the Puebloan people who lived in what's now known as Nevada for generations and see reconstructions of their traditional homes. Tours to the museum from Las Vegas often also stop at the nearby Valley of Fire State Park, where you can check out its well-preserved Moapa petroglyphs.

Many extraterrestrial aficionados believe that the desert of Nevada is a prime area for alien sightings. Whether you're a diehard skeptic or a true believer, you can have fun learning about—or, at least, speculating about—otherworldly visitors on an alien-themed tour. Cruise down the Extraterrestrial Highway (aka Route 375) toward Area 51, formally known as the Homey Airport (KXTA), allegedly a not-so-secret hub of alien research. By the end of your adventure, you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether the Area 51 story is a conspiracy theory or a government cover-up.

You may have seen Pawn Stars, the hit reality TV show focused on the inner workings of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Turns out, the shop is in Las Vegas—and it’s open for business. See it for yourself on a Las Vegas reality show tour, which will grant you skip-the-line access to what may be the world’s most famous pawn shop. You'll also visit a number of filming locations around town used for other reality shows, including American Restoration and Counting Cars.

There’s no shortage of unexpected adventures in Las Vegas and the surrounding area. For a step-back-in-time experience, you need only head around 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of town to the Pioneer Saloon in the old-timey town of Goodsprings. Not much has changed at this historic watering hole since the 1800s, and some people claim that some of the bar’s original customers still hang out there to this day—in ghostly form. Find out for yourself on a ghost-hunting tour or stop by for lunch after a 4WD adventure in the Mojave Desert.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to head out of the city—or even the state—for a different sort of adventure. One of the quickest and easiest ways to get out and explore is by booking a helicopter tour from Las Vegas, which will fly you over the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Hoover Dam, and the Strip itself all in one adventure-packed flight.

Much of Las Vegas’ history as an entertainment destination can be traced back to the Mafia, who were responsible for building and launching some of Sin City's earliest casinos and hotels. Learn about the mob’s early influence in the city, and its role in 20th-century American history, by booking a ticket to the Mob Museum, housed in a repurposed courthouse. Interactive displays and a hands-on crime lab teach you about some of the best-known mobsters in American history and the detectives who ultimately took them down. There’s also an underground speakeasy.