Everyone knows Las Vegas for its casinos, its major, glitzy shows, and luxurious hotels. For those who aren’t keen on gambling, there is more out there to see and do in Vegas.
Flashing neon lights and towering hotels line The Strip in Las Vegas. So many options are available to place that bet. Glitzy live shows are held, along with the chance of an instant Vegas wedding with “Elvis Presley” officiating!
Besides all the fun and glitz, and the chance to lose your monthly wage, Las Vegas has some other great attractions to visit, including a place where neon signs go to die, a pinball machine museum, and a wonderful habitat of colorful birds.
1. The Neon Museum
All that neon-lit sky in Las Vegas has become one of the most iconic sights of the century. It is a mixture of kitsch, retro-modern, and burlesque. Many of the neon displays dating from the Golden Age in Vegas were produced by Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO). It turns out the Salt Lake-city-based company never throws anything away.
As neon signs are updated, the removed displays are kept by YESCO in a storage yard in Las Vegas. Spreading over a three-acre plot, colorful neon displays can be seen. Some of the neon pieces date from way back in the history of Las Vegas. One is the original Aladdin’s lamp from Aladdin Casino. Others are the Silver Slipper, Binion’s Horseshoe, and the famous Golden Nugget.
In total, there are more than 150 decommissioned neon signs lying in the storage yard. Daily tours are available and can be booked online on the Neon Museum website. The best time to tour is after sunset when some of the neon signs are lit up.
2. Pinball Hall of Fame
In these modern times, video and virtual reality games are popular. However, way back when pinball machines were the best way to have fun. The Pinball Hall of Fame has a treasure trove of vintage pinball machines, with the original dinging bells and flashing lights.
The Pinball Hall of Fame is housed in an unassuming building, close to the Las Vegas Strip. It is popular with locals and visitors alike. In total, there are over 200 games. Most are pinball, but some are sports-themed games. Another is a peculiar safe-breaking game. All machines date from the 1940s era right up to the modern-day. Even better, the pinball machines can be played, just like in the old days, most at 25 cents a time. Some areas low as 10 cents to play, while the newest pinball machine costs $1. The money earned here goes to charity.
3. Flamingo Habitat
While Las Vegas features iconic views from all over the world along The Strip, including a copy of the Eiffel Tower, an Egyptian Sphinx, the New York City skyline, and even the Grand Canal of Venice. For something totally different, Vegas also offers a tiny piece of tropical Florida. This is known as the Flamingo Habitat.
This wonderful place is located on the grounds of the Flamingo Hotel on The Strip. While Las Vegas is surrounded by desert, the wildlife-habitat spreads over 15 acres of lush tropical gardens, right in the heart of the city. Here pathways wind through the gardens, where swans, parrots, pelicans, and hummingbirds can be seen. Besides the exotic birds, koi fish and turtles can also be spotted.
The attraction is crowned by Flamingo Island, a place where dozens of pink Chilean flamingos pose elegantly and feed in the water, which is crowned by beautiful waterfalls. Visitors can enjoy daily presentations at 8:30 am and 11 am each day.
Enjoy the colorful and fascinating side of Las Vegas next time you visit Nevada!
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