From the Pinball Hall of Fame to the Valley of Fire State Park, here’s how to get off the beaten track in Las Vegas!
Las Vegas; the city of neon lights, roaring casinos and extravagant resorts is a must-visit for anyone exploring the USA. This is the city that brought life to the dusty deserts of Nevada, and now Las Vegas attracts millions of visitors each and every year.
You’ll want to get grips with online slots by choosing a casino provider listed on casinos.com before you try your luck in Las Vegas’ historic casinos. If you’re anything like me, then once you’ve hit up the casinos and shows you’ll be wondering how to take a break from the crowds in Las Vegas’ lesser visited sites. Luckily, this is a big city, and there’s a lot to be discovered in and around the Strip, and way out in the desert too.
Whether you’re a seasoned Vegas connoisseur looking for something new or a first-time visitor hoping to escape the crowds, here’s how to get off the beaten track in Las Vegas.
Table of Contents
Las Vegas off the beaten track
1. Enter the Pinball Hall of Fame
If you fancy yourself as a Pinball Wizard, then make your way to Las Vegas Boulevard South, where opposite the garish lights of the ‘Vegas’ sign you’ll find the Pinball Hall of Fame.
This unusual museum is the work of the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, who are attempting to amass the world’s largest collection of pinball machines. With hundreds of pinball machines on display across 25,000 square feet of prime real estate on the Strip, they’ve probably won that accolade by a long shot.
The Pinball machines are all restored and kept in working order by a dedicated team of pinball mechanics that love the ‘sport’. That means you can practice your game, learn from the best players in Vegas and join the ranks of the all time greatest in the Pinball Hall of Fame.
2. Uncover the secrets of nuclear projects at the National Atomic Testing Museum
Leave the Strip behind you and head to East Flamingo Road, where you can uncover nuclear history at the National Atomic Testing Museum.
Given the remote nature of Nevada, the Mojave Desert was used extensively for atomic testing during the 20th century. The National Atomic Testing Museum tells the story of the Atomic programme from both a historical and scientific perspective, offering insights into the technology that made it possible.
Inside the museum, you’ll learn how atomic tests were carried out in the deserts and how the Manhattan Project led to the world’s first nuclear weapons. There’s a chance to dig deeper into the ethics (or lack thereof) of nuclear projects, while also learning more about the science at an atomic level.
You’ll also learn how the development of nuclear weapons led to the Cold War. One of the museum’s most fascinating exhibits is a genuine piece of the Berlin Wall, which remembers the fall of the Iron Curtain. If you love geopolitics, science or history, you’ll love the National Atomic Testing Museum.
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3. Tee-off at KISS Mini Golf
Embrace the mad atmosphere of Vegas with a few rounds of put-put at KISS Mini Golf. Possibly the quirkiest mini golf establishment in the USA, you’ll be teeing-off to the soundtrack of KISS.
Inspired by the heavy metal music of the notorious, black-clad band known as KISS, put away to tunes like Rock and Roll All Night as you headbang your way around the course. There are 18-holes to tackle, each of which is designed around KISS artworks and memorabilia.
You’ll find KISS Mini Golf at the RIO World Hotel and Casino. Once you’ve hit par on the course, you can also explore the equally unusual KISS World Museum.
4. Delve into true crime stories at the Mob Museum
Some of the most infamous monsters that ever pulled a Tommy gun lived (and committed notorious felonies) in Las Vegas. The city’s bars, hotels and casinos are steeped in mob history, and if you love true crime stories, there’s no better place to visit than the Mob Museum.
You’ll find the Mob Museum rather aptly located within a former federal courthouse where many mobsters were put behind bars. The museum tells the story of Prohibition, an era of history steeped in crime, as well as infamous mob moments like the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre and characters like Al Capone.
Once you’ve brushed up on your Mob history, enjoy a few refreshments the Prohibition Way with a pitstop at the Underground Speakeasy and Distillery.
5. Explore Nevada’s geology at Red Rock Canyon
Escape Las Vegas with a trip into the Nevada deserts, where spectacular rock formations await you in Red Rock Canyon.
This spectacular conservation area is a mere 17 miles west of the casinos and resorts that line the Strip. Enjoy a breath of fresh desert air as you tackle the hiking trails that weave through red rocks, gorges and canyons.
If you don’t want to brave the scorching desert heat, stay in the car and drive the 13-mile scenic loop through Red Rock Canyon instead.
Whether you’re hiking or driving, keep an eye out for the surprisingly numerous species of flora and fauna that inhabit this section of the Mojave Desert, including desert tortoises, bighorn sheep and burros.
6. Visit the scorching deserts of the Valley of Fire State Park
Can’t get enough of those desert landscapes? Then take a day trip to the Valley of Fire State Park, where red sandstone rocks litter a spectacularly remote section of the Mojave Desert.
Although it’s located a good hour’s drive from Las Vegas, the fiery scenes that await you in this underrated state park more than compensate for the journey.
The rock formations were formed over 150 million years ago from the shifting desert sands, making this an ancient place to visit. From a more recent (and human) perspective, the Puebloans carved petroglyphs into the soft rocks some 2000 years ago.
Much of this prehistoric rock art has been preserved by the arid conditions of the desert. Take the scenic highway through the Valley of Fire State Park and you can stop and see the petroglyphs while being awed by the dramatic red sandstone arches and rock formations that rise from the desert floor.
7. Find retro billboards at the Neon Museum
Las Vegas is defined by its glitzy, garish neon lights, but where do all those illuminations, billboards and signs go when they’ve reached the end of their lifespan?
If that’s a question you’ve been pondering, then head to the Neon Museum, which was founded in 1996 as a place where the city’s iconic neon signs could be preserved for posterity.
Since opening, the museum has saved many of Las Vegas’ most distinctive neon signs, treating them as pieces of genuine history rather than ditching them on a rubbish heap.
Step inside, and in the galleries and amongst the Neon Boneyard you’ll find signs that once stood at places like Caesars Palace, billboards that lit up the Strip at night and retro advertisements that showcase the nightlife and casinos of Las Vegas.
8. Dig into the past at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum
In most cities, a natural history museum would hardly be regarded as an off the beaten track destination. But given most tourists rarely stray from the strip, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum sees just a fraction of the visitors it deserves.
This intriguing museum takes you on a journey through the planet’s natural history, as you walk amongst dinosaurs and prehistoric relics from an age long since passed.
Part of the Cultural Corridor, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum explores the geological history of Nevada, the shape of the oceans and the composition of the world’s continents. There’s even an exhibition dedicated to Ancient Egypt, with the story of Tutankhamen offering a fascinating respite from Vegas’ resorts.
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9. Find freshwater at Lake mead
Just outside Las Vegas you’ll find the largest freshwater reservoir in the USA. Lake Mead is a watery haven compared to the deserts of Nevada, and if you need a break from the dusty heat, it’s a great place to spend the day.
Start by visiting Hoover Dam, the iconic work of engineering that created the reservoir. The lake itself straddles the border between Nevada and Arizona, and the national recreation area protects a huge area of some 1.5 million acres.
As well as lakes and waterways, you’ll find Lake Mead is home to mountains and canyons, making this an outdoor adventure playground perfectly located on the doorstep of Vegas.
10. Look for a chunk of the Berlin Wall in a Vegas bathroom
Las Vegas is an unlikely destination for Cold War historians, but you’ll already have seen one chunk of the Berlin Wall if you’ve visited the National Atomic Testing Museum.
That’s not the only hunk of historic stone to have been brought here from Germany when the wall was brought crashing down in 1989. Head to Main Street Station, and for peculiar reasons, you’ll also find another chunk of the Berlin Wall decorating the urinals in the mens’ toilets.
This small but impressive piece of the Iron Curtain is accompanied by photos of the Berlin Wall when it still divided the German capital into East and West, making this a must visit toilet spot for history aficionados.
Will you be getting off the beaten track in Las Vegas? Let me know in the comments below!
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