Las Vegas might seem like no place for children with a nickname like City of Sin. While much of the entertainment in Las Vegas is not suitable or even legal for people under 18 years old, there are also a lot of attractions that are perfectly kid-friendly. Las Vegas makes a great family vacation spot precisely because there is something for everyone.
If your children are thrill-seekers, Las Vegas is the perfect destination. Hotels like Circus Circus, the Stratosphere, Caesar's Palace and New York-New York all offer their own spin on thrill-rides. The Stratosphere's Big Shot shoots you 160 feet straight up into the air at 45 miles per hour overlooking the city lights. Circus Circus' Adventure Dome has the world's only double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster. Caesar's Palace has a 3-D motion simulator ride, and New York-New York's Manhattan Express is a barrel-roll-track roller coaster.
Whether your kids are interested in jungle cats or sea creatures, Las Vegas offers something for animal lovers of any age. Kids will love the dolphin habitat at the Mirage hotel where your family can take a guided tour and view the bottlenose dolphins. The 5,000-square-foot lion habitat inside the MGM Grand hotel offers views of lions at rest and play, all safely viewed from behind floor-to-ceiling protective glass. For more ocean creatures, visit the shark reef at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Over 2,000 different animals live in the reef which offers a true inside-view via a class-enclosed tunnel right through the water. The Silverton Hotel has a traditional aquarium as well.
Inquire with your hotel what shows are running when you get to town, or better yet, call ahead since many shows sell out weeks or months in advance. One consistently running family-friendly show is the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur hotel. A dinner show with knights and horses jousting in honor of a fair maiden will certainly engage your children. There is a permanent circus at Circus Circus. If you haven't seen it in another city yet, the Blue Man Group has a constantly running show for kids of all ages at the Venetian.
For other family-friendly ideas for fun, consider taking the family on a gondola ride in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. Gondoliers will serenade you while your kids feel like they are in Italy. Game Works is a massive, 55,000-square-foot arcade. Admission is free and games can be paid for on a per-game or per-hour basis. Though considered an arcade, GameWorks also offers rock climbing, ATV and Harley Davidson rides, and virtual bowling. Don't forget about the vintage Vegas classic, the Fremont Street Experience, a four-block long canopy of moving lights projecting a sound and light show overhead.
