Forget the roulette wheels and showgirls. Las Vegas, the city of shimmering excess, has been quietly transforming into an unlikely family destination for years now. Yes, the air is still thick with smoke, and that one weird couple is still downing vodka sodas at the slot machines at 7am — but beneath all that glitz and glamor there’s a new, mutant Vegas, one that’s weirdly normal. Even, dare I say, educational.
Vegas, bless its polyester heart, has shed its adults-only reputation like a discarded feather boa, carving a kid-sized niche in its neon jungle. There are indoor theme parks, kid-friendly art installations, museums, ziplines, and game arcades. There are magic shows, circus shows, immersive theater shows. There are food halls catering for every dietary need. There are posh steakhouses that won’t look down their nose at a 10-year-old excited to try her first A5.
For too long, parents bringing kids to Vegas have thought themselves confined to the Splash Zone at Circus Circus, the rollercoaster at New York New York or the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur. But that’s all changed. Below you’ll find a tried-and-tested itinerary that dives headfirst into this technicolor rabbit hole, confidently navigating the glitter-bombed labyrinth of the Strip to reveal a halfway decent family vacation that will actually leave everyone satisfied.
Here’s to a new side Vegas that’s so surprisingly delightful even the most skeptical parent wouldn’t dare bet against it.
Day 1 — Indoor amusement and a mind-bending shopping mart
Our odyssey begins at Area15, a sprawling, technicolor playground that’s part interactive art installation, part high-tech amusement park. Think Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory reimagined by David Bowie — with a zipline.
At the core of Area15’s ethos is the celebration of artistic innovation. Here, artists and technologists collaborate to create dynamic environments that designed for all levels of immersion, from virtual reality adventures to interactive art installations. Every corner of Area 15 is an invitation to explore and engage — which means you’ll need at least a good six hours to do it. (More if you have over-excited teens.)
The biggest drawcard, perhaps, is Omega Mart, a creation of the Santa Fe-based art collective Meow Wolf. Known for their groundbreaking approach to immersive art experiences, Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart is a fantastical supermarket whose fun and playful products — Gender Fluid Sparkling Water; Nut Free Salted Peanuts; Plausible Deniability Laundry Detergent; and Vegan Goat Pus, among others — reveal a lore so deep and so entangled that it will take you weeks to unravel it all.
The items on display playfully critique consumer culture while serving as gateways into a labyrinth of surreal art and intricate storytelling. Each product, aisle, and freezer door serves as a portal to otherworldly spaces. Expect to get lost many (many!) times as you navigate the hidden rooms and interactive installations, from luminescent forests to futuristic landscapes. Whimsy, satire, and gadgetry all find a home here.
If your brain is still working after Omega Mart, head on up to Haley’s Comet, an indoor zipline that last approximately 90 seconds but is enormously fun. Outside, the Liftoff ride promises more prolonged thrills: it’s a slow-moving observation tower that slowly rises over 100 feet in the air, giving everyone seated at the round, open-air table a breathtaking view of Las Vegas. It looks tame from the ground, but once you’re up, watching your legs swing wildly with absolutely nothing between you and the ground below, well — let’s just say 10 minutes is more than enough.
Eat: La Pizza e La Pasta, inside Eataly Las Vegas
La Pizza e La Pasta, located within Eataly Las Vegas, specializes in Neapolitan pizzas (i.e. charred crusts and fresh toppings), plus and a variety of fresh pasta dishes. Much like Eataly itself, the ambiance here merges the bustling energy of a market with fresh ingredients, many of which are either cheese or truffles. Not that there’s anything wrong with that: in fact, this is the perfect place to introduce kids to more elevated Italian cuisine that won’t cost a fortune. For example: my 14-year-old ordered the fettuccine with truffle butter ($33) and decided to live it large by adding the $20 shaved black truffle supplement — it was their first time eating truffle, and, perhaps not altogether surprisingly, they demanded truffle at every meal thereafter.
See: The Beatles LOVE by Cirque due Soleil at The Mirage
Since its debut in 2006, The Fab Four-inspired Cirque du Soleil show has been twisting and shouting its way into the hearts of Las Vegas audiences, proving that all you need is to make a Beatles song come to life is a lot of acrobats. (And a few special appearances by the boys themselves, courtesy of original Beatles producer Sir George Martin and his son Giles, who put together the music for the show using the original Abby Road Studio masters.) Housed in The Mirage, the show celebrates the career-defining moments and songs of the the lads from Liverpool with an extravaganza of aerial flips, vibrant costumes, and visual effects so good you start to wonder if you accidentally took a trip of your own. It’s a blast for kids too: between the high-flying acrobatics and universally catchy tunes, LOVE is essentially a Beatles-themed playground.
Day 2: The best magic show in Vegas, a neon graveyard, and a luzury steakhouse where kids are treated like gods
Imagine a graveyard, but make it fabulous. That’s the Neon Museum in a nutshell, a dazzling final resting place for the city’s most iconic neon signs. Here, you can stroll among the glowing relics of casinos past, each sign telling a tale of high rollers, eloped lovers, and buffet dinners of questionable quality. Part history lesson, part art show, the outdoor museum has the benefit of also being entirely Instagrammable. (If you have teens, this is crucial.) It also proves history can be vibrant, interactive, and engaging. Just make sure you go at dusk for maximum impact, and watch the kids do impromptu scavenger hunts between Elvis Presley’s electrifying visage and the ever-grinning Stardust cowboy.
Eat: Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SAHARA Las Vegas
Bazaar Meat is not your average steakhouse. This is where you bring your kids to show them what real steak tastes like — and possibly ruin all future birthday parties at pizza places. The menu is a little showy (see: cotton candy foie gras) but ultimately unmatched when it comes to technique, from the giant pork-skin chicharrón to the massive bone-in ribeye so tender it practically serenades you at first bite. The chefs here really are magicians with meat. If you want to go the whole hog — and why wouldn’t you, really, since you’re already here — get the A5 wagyu selection, a preselected tasting of the best A5 wagyu cuts served beneath a small bonsai. (Flashy, but delicious.)
Yes, the whole experience is on the pricey side, but think of this more as a rite of passage into the world of fine dining, making it the perfect place to introduce kiddos to the joys of a perfectly cooked steak. And, if you’re in luck, you might land the best server in the entire restaurant: Elias Makridis, the restaurant’s Meat Captain (yes, this is an official title), who will go out of his way to make sure the whole family feels like a million bucks. Just be prepared for the “But why can’t we have this at home?” conversation on the way home.
See: Penn & Teller at The Rio
Penn & Teller’s show in Las Vegas is like the cool uncle of magic shows: it knows all the tricks but refuses to play by the rules. Stationed at the Rio, this duo has been debunking the typical rabbit-out-of-a-hat routine longer than some of their audience members have been alive, making it a hit with older kiddos who think they’re too cool for more traditional magic shows. It’s a show that challenges you to think, laugh, and question. Just don’t blame me when your kids start trying to saw the furniture in half at home.
Day 3: The Grand Canyon and brunch at the Bellagio
Just a hop, skip, and a helicopter ride away from the neon lights of Vegas, the Grand Canyon’s awe-inspiring vistas will make even the grumpiest kid look up in wonder. Head towards the South Rim for classic views, or the West Rim if you’re feeling daring enough to tackle the Skywalk: a glass bridge that suspends you 4,000 feet above the canyon floor, offering views that are both spectacular (the canyon) and terrifying (the sheer amount of people on the actual Skywalk). Just make sure you pack plenty of water, snacks, and sun protection because there will be very long waits for everything from getting into the park to lining up for a $14 hot dog. But hey, nature.
Eat: Sadelle’s at the Bellagio
Sadelle’s is the perfect spot to elevate your older kids’ brunch game beyond the realm of mere pancakes and syrup. There are towering stacks of bagels, fish so fresh it practically swims onto your plate, and enough Instagram-worthy moments to keep everyone’s social media feeds buzzing. The menu is a mix of sophisticated and the-basics-done-right: think avocado toast, eggs Benedict, six different types of omelets and salmon towers that require a building permit. Don’t leave without trying the house-made cheese blintzes. One word of caution: like all good things in Vegas, anticipation is part of the experience. Yes, there’s a wait, but at least you’re in the Bellagio’s famous inner courtyard, where there’s bound to be a bombastic holiday-themed display to keep you occupied while the line inches forward.
Day 4: Noodles, (another) zipline, and way too many fish
Say what you will about it, but the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is still a jackpot for families in Vegas. It’s at least 90 minutes of good, cheap fun, offering kids up-close encounters to a bunch of fascinating sea creatures without the need for a scuba certification. There are sharks yes, but also sting rays in the touch pool and a shipwreck exhibit, where you can watch a nearly cinematic standoff between sharks and sea turtles. The price of admission is a drop in the ocean — sorry — compared to most Vegas attractions: at $29, it’s one of the best budget-friendly options for families.
Finally, no Vegas trip would be complete without a giant zipline. The Fly LINQ lets you soar above the Las Vegas Strip like a superhero with a gambling addiction. This is wilder than your average above-the-shopping-mall experience: it launches you from a 12-story tower and sends you flying 1,121 feet over the promenade at The LINQ. Imagine being shot out of a cannon, with better views and less risk of a wardrobe malfunction. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the city long enough to leave you buzzing but short enough to have you lining up to do it all over again. A blast for older kiddos — just make sure you check the height restrictions before you go.
Eat: The Noodle Den at SAHARA
Dedicated to the art of dough, The Noodle Den is where the noodles are stretched, twisted, and pulled with the kind of flair usually reserved for Vegas shows. There’s even an ‘exhibition kitchen’ where you can watch the masters at work. The menu is diverse enough to please the pickiest of eaters, from spice-loving thrill seekers to those who prefer their adventure on the milder side. Don’t go home without trying the spicy wontons, and the black truffle pork Xiao long bao, which is so Vegas.
See: FlyOver Vegas
FlyOver is the kind of ride that looks tame in videos but actually feels pretty great while you’re on it — so much so that you’ll probably find yourself yelling ‘Woo!’ at some point. The motion ride combines motion seats, wind, mist, and scents with a 52.5-foot spherical screen to create the sensation of flight. The whole thing last about 10 minutes and you can pick between a number of different ‘shows’; the Iceland show is pretty solid choice, with its icy fjords and stunning plateaus. Just make sure you don’t go immediately after a big meal — just in case.