Typically, Las Vegas is known for being a playground for grown ups. But you may be surprised to learn how many kid-friendly attractions there are available for the pint-sized set.
My best friend and her 7-year-old son just returned from a family reunion in Las Vegas where they found there’s more for kids to do in Sin City than just kill time in family-oriented casino arcades with roller coasters. The following are their top picks for family fun in Sin City:
Lied Discovery Children’s Museum
Located about 10 miles north of the Strip, the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum is a haven for the adventurous kid. It offers a host of hands-on activities such as a pint-sized grocery store complete with miniature shopping carts and real cash registers. Naturally, a children’s museum in Vegas has got to have a little bling. The new “Neon Unplugged” exhibit explains just how the city gets its famous sparkle. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday noon–5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for children.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden
Chocolate and cactus? It may seem like an unlikely pair, but this is Vegas we’re talking about. The Ethel M Chocolate Factory sits about 10 miles east of the Strip. It offers the chocolate lover a behind the scenes look at how the sweet treats are made and packaged. Once you learn the tricks behind the treats you are escorted out the door and into the Botanical Cactus Garden full of ocotillo, prickly pear and other desert flora, but before you go (the highlight of the factory tour) you are allowed to pick out a free chocolate.
The Shark Reef
The Shark Reef is located at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino just off of Las Vegas Boulevard. It is home to a spectacular 95,000-square-foot aquarium filled with more than 2,500 fish and reptiles. It also boasts a 1.3-million-gallon tank, the third largest in North America. (All in the middle of a hotel.) The incredible exhibits include the rare golden saltwater crocodile as well as an Asian water monitor and endangered green sea turtles. The highlight for kids: a touch pool where they can pet a few bamboo sharks and horseshoe crabs. Admission is $15.95 ($10.95 Nevada residents), $10.95 for children 5-12, kids under 5 free.
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