Hold your purses to yourselves. Today, we will tell you how you can enjoy your trip to Sin City without having to put a burden on your pocket all the while seeing, absorbing, and learning about the city that is Las Vegas. here is the list of top 15 free things to do in Las Vegas.
Get Mesmerized at the Bellagio Fountain Show
On the top of our list of 15 free things to do in Las Vegas are the Fountains of Bellagio. Now just because it is “free” it doesn’t mean it should be your run-of-the-mill pass-time activity. The Fountains of Bellagio are truly a spectacle to behold.
Spanning at a massive 8.5 acres in front of the iconic Bellagio resort is the man made lake. Underneath the lake is where science creates the magic. With 1,214 nozzles powered by several powerful motors, the water in the lake is thrown as high as 460 feet up the air! Combine that with nozzles that can direct water to swivel around and 4,792 lights, the Fountains at Bellagio truly encapsulate what Las Vegas is about: the spectacular theatrics.
These fountains were opened to public in 1998 and cost a whooping $40 million. But, you don’t have to pay a dime to watch them. On week days, you can watch this spectacular display every 30 minutes from 3 PM to 8PM and every 15 minutes from 8 PM onwards to midnight. On weekends these open at noon and run every 30 minutes until 8PM and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight.
We suggest you to catch the Fountains of Bellagio at night when the lights and music and water rising up truly make for an awe inspiring sight. Definitely worthy of the top spot on our Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Visit Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden
For our next entry in the Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas, we step into the Bellagio Hotel and Casino and no, you don’t have to pay a penny for it.
Only in Vegas would a 14,000 square feet conservatory be free to all visitors. You can easily access the Conservatory following the stunning floral sculpted glass ceiling “Fiori di Como” by American glass artist, Dave Chihuly by the side of the cashier in the Hotel’s lobby.
What you will be welcomed with depends upon the season you are visiting. The Conservatory generally opens in the second week of January with the Lunar show. In 2022, it opened on 8th January with the traditional Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger with traditional Chinese decorations. The flora around the garden followed the festival.
The Lunar New Year decorations for 2022 ended in early March. Spring shows lasted from Early March to early May. Currently, there is the Summer show going on with vibrant flowers and animals in their full swing. This will last up to September. Then you can see the Horticulture team change the decorations and the plants to Harvest season until late November.
The best time to see the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden in all it’s glory is on the Holiday show when lights and decorations and Christmas tree adorns the center. It lasts from late November to early January and is truly beautiful.
Visit the Aquarium at the Silverton Casino Hotel
You may not have enough money to play a game at the casino that you most probably will lose but the cleverly designed aquarium will definitely make a visit to the Silverton Casino Hotel worthwhile.
It’s definitely not the largest aquarium you can see but like so many things in Vegas, it’s made to be seen. The aquarium lies next to the casino area and holds 117,000 gallons of water in a curved display. The aquarium is home to thousands of tropical fish, three species of sting rays and sharks. Yes you heard that correct. The viewing area named as “Mermaid Lounge” also contains a separate 500 gallon aquarium for jelly fish. However, the most famous thing to see in Mermaid Lounge are the Mermaids! All the more fun if you are travelling with kids.
The Aquarium at the Mermaid Lounge in Silverton Casino Hotel is definitely one of the Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Wynn Botanical Garden and Lake of Dreams
While it is not as big as the Bellagio Conservatory Garden but it surely is one of the most Instagram-able spots in Vegas. And by God is it flashy. The Botanical Garden at the Wynn perfectly mirrors the city of Las Vegas in it’s colorful, glitzy and over the top make up.
You have the merry go round with white horses decorated as of they were straight out of an Indian wedding. The biggest attraction here is the hot air balloon tied to a circular flowerbed. From afar it looks like some weird parody of a balloon but as you get closer you realize that you are in a garden and the balloon is made up of flowers! Yes yellow, red, orange, blue flowers beautiful designed into a hot air balloon by designer Preston Bailey!
Nearby, you have the 3 acre Lake of Dreams. Now, the size of this thing can’t be captured properly by the photos but it has a 90 feet wall that acts as a support for the water cascading down and makes it feel like a waterfall. The top is lined by 1,500 pine trees and the 5./,500 LED lights and projectors make it feel like a real performance and not merely a projection.
And guess what! All of this for free. You don’t have to book a room at the Wynn or make a reservation at the restaurant. That’s why it makes it into our Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Soak in the Lights and Chaos at Fremont Street
The lights, casinos and people zipping above your heads all on one side but did you know that Fremont Street is just as old as Las Vegas itself? This 117 year old street was also the first street to be paved in Vegas and also the first street to get street.
lights. You get to soak in the history, the lights and the utter chaos of Fremont Street absolutely free.
The central attraction here is the barrel vault canopy called the Viva Vision Light Show. The 27 meters high and almost half-a-kilometer-long screen is made up of over 49 million LED lights and cost a whopping $30 million to build. The light show starts at 6pm daily and you don’t have to pay any entry fee. There are also three stages along Fremont Street where you can catch a concert by various artists for free.
Fremont Street for its most technologically advanced digital signage anywhere in the world and the free concerts, definitely make it into our Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Enter the Tropical Oasis, Volcano, and Aquarium at Mirage
It’s not huge, it’s not over-the-top glitzy and it may soon not exist but it’s iconic. The Mirage Hotel was one of the largest hotels in the world when it was built in 1989 and was the starting point of mega-resorts being opened on the Vegas Strip. But it is being sold to Hard Rock International who has plans of remodeling the Mirage. So, while there is still a chance enjoy the free sightings at The Mirage.
Soon after you enter the front gate, you are greeted by what appears like a set of some sci-fi movie set in some Tropical Rain Forests. But, it’s all real and not a prop. Under the 100 feet dome are palm trees, plants and flowers all making you feel like it’s a tropical oasis in the middle of the dessert. There is also the 20,000 gallon aquarium at the front desk which is 50 foot long. There are hundreds of types of fish in the aquarium.
However, the major attraction that is the front yard Volcano show. Fireballs and explosions are synchronized to the tune of Micky Hart from The Grateful Dead and Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain.
The floral atrium, volcano and aquarium are definitely one of the Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Take a Tour of Venice at The Venetian
The Venetian is among one of the most iconic landmarks in Las Vegas. Even long before I visited Las Vegas, I remember watching a documentary on how the Venetian was built with intricate care so as to mirror Venice. And you know what, it’s completely free of charge to take a walk around it.
Take a walk along the luxuriously paved pathways along the canals that start from the outside of the Hotel. The canals follow inside the main building which can only be described as luxuriously artsy. There are art installations everywhere. The ceiling is hand painted in Renaissance frescoes, there is the LOVE sculpture which is a popular photo point, you can see the Acqua di Cristallo at the Palazzo lobby and then you enter the main square: St Mark’s Square.
It may give you a feeling of being outside with it’s baby blue sky littered with powdery white clouds however it’s painted too. The canals continue here and you have bridges, towers and palaces made in the replica of Venice. It is also here that you can catch free shows by various artists.
For all it’s ostentatious display of wealthy architecture and bustling crowds that make you feel like you are in Italy, the Venetian makes our list of Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Window shop the opulence at Caesar’s Palace and see the Aquaris Aquarium.
It’s may sound like a weird and frankly stupid suggestion in an article that talks about “Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas” but let me make my case. The Caesar’s Palace is an attraction not just for people who have bottomless pits of cash but also for people looking to just take a stroll, for people who like doing photography and people who are just looking to bask in the opulence.
You can see luxury brands here, you can see world renowned restaurants like Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill but it’s not just limited to balming your eyes to someone else spending money. The design and architecture of the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace is absolutely breath taking. Nearby they also have the 50,000 gallon aquarium filled with salt water and more than 300 tropical species of fish.
For this the attractions at Caesar’s Palace make into our Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
Take a Walk at The Linq Promenade
The Linq Promenade comes alive at night. If you are someone who likes to take a stroll in urban settings, feeling the crowd and seeing the sights but isn’t a big fan of LED lights beaming down at you from the sky, then Linq Promenade is for you.
This open sky shopping area also contains the High Roller, which is the largest observation wheel in the world. It’s a pretty cool place to be in and definitely one of the Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
See What You Saw On The TV: Pawn Stars
There is something about seeing places you saw on TV in real life and what more aot place to do so that in Las Vegas. You can visit the Gold and Silver Pawn shop which has now become a tourist site. Infact, since opening, the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop has had to expand it’s area for the tenth time adding an extra 15,000 sq. ft and 30 new staff just to cope with the crowd. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Take a Break From The Las Vegas Glamour and Lights to See The Seven Magic Mountains
If the neon lights and LEDs and the overwhelming clamour of Las Vegas core is starting to get a bit on your head, them you can take a short detour. Around 10 miles from Las Vegas near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15, you can see seven brightly colored rock formations contrasting the arid backdrop of the desert.
Under the production of the Nevada Museum of Art and Art Production Fund, the renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone opened this art project named “Seven Magic Mountains” in 2016. It was only scheduled to be there for two years, however, it has been extended.
It requires no entrance fees and thus makes it to our Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas list.
Watch Runway Shows But At A Mall
The Fashion Show Las Vegas is an absolutely gigantic shopping mall spanning around 2 million square feet in area.
and has so many restaurants and retail shops. But that is not why it is here in this list of Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
The FSLV regularly holds live fashion shows where models walk on a eunway which rises from the ground and is retractable. Only in Vegas baby.
Visit the Downtown Container Park
Vegas isn’t only about hotel resorts and casinos whose building cost have more zeros that you can count without being bored. It is also about stories of revitalization through unorthodox ways. The Downtown Container Park is one such example. The brain child of Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project this park was opened in 2013 with an aim to inject life in the fading Downtown area of Las Vegas.
This park contains 43 large shipping containers and 41 cubes and has malls and boutique shops. The entrance to the Container Park has a giant metal praying Mantis that was initially made for Burning Man festival. Blaring music from it’s hidden speakers and shooting fire from it’s antenna it will surely make a stunning addition to your Instagram feed. Also, nearby is Love Locket where you can attach lockets of your and your lover’s names. The Park also holds many free concerts and programs bringing it into our list of Top 15 Free Things To Do in Las Vegas.
The Soul of Vegas: Downtown Art Murals
You may associate Vegas, and rightfully so, with the Vegas Strip, the Casinos, ostentatious Hotels and over the top resorts. But, away from all that showy and shiny outer layer, there is a Vegas that celebrates the free, the bold and the creative through it’s streets.
On the walls of Downtown Vegas there are murals painted on the buildings and walls like the D* Face mural, “Full Moon” mural on 7th St. and Ogden Ave and many more. It’s not just a place to click great pictures but also an inspiring site for budding artists and it is completely free of cost. It’s kind of ironic that at last, the greatest artistic thing that Vegas can offer has no fee to it.
Take a Photo With The Most Iconic Sign In The World
You have seen it in movies, you have seen it in cartoons, you have seen it in music videos. The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is one of the most famous signs in the whole world. Located in the Southern end of the Strip, a visit is a must to round out your trip to Las Vegas. But, be careful if some street performer offers to take a photo of you here in front of the iconic sign, you may have to tip them.
