DK Travel : Las Vegas : Places of interest

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Petroglyphs near Laughlin

Christmas Tree Pass and Grapevine Canyon, just west of Laughlin on Hwy 163, are the best places to see the fascinating petroglyphs incised into the cliffs of the canyons by the early Patayan group. The line drawings and symbols may have served as the road maps of their day, directing hunters and fishermen. National Park Service personnel have located more than 150 Patayan camp sites between Davis Dam and Willow Beach, which is 10 miles (16 km) from the base of Hoover Dam.
Rainbow Theatre

Children will find the dramatizations of folk tales, children’s classic plays, musical comedies, and fantasies such as No One Will Marry a Princess with a Tree Growing Out of Her Head absolutely riveting. Performances of several works are presented each year.
Scandia Family Fun Center

This is a miniature golf course with a Scandinavian accent – all the mini-buildings are patterned after those in northern Europe.
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay

It is truly awe-inspiring to wander within the special walkways of the 1.3 million-gallon (5.9 million-liter) tank and observe the thousands of weird and wonderful sea creatures swimming together. Look out for the arowana dragon fish – and, of course, 11 different species of shark.
Studio 54

Even celebrities have to eat: serious star-hunters should book a table at Studio 54 nightclub or one of the city’s Gourmet Restaurants.
Sunset Park

Undeniably the city’s most popular park, Sunset offers basketball, tennis, and jogging (see Tennis at Sunset Park); a place to fly kites and sail boats; some of the best picnic spots in town; and a swimming pool. There’s a dog run, too.
The Forum Shops at Caesars

Listen in on conversations between the robotic statues of Bacchus, Venus, Pluto, and Apollo at the Festival Fountain, and watch a mini-drama performed by another group of statues – Neptune and his feuding children – at the Atlantis Monument between the Cheese-cake Factory and Race for Atlantis. The show also features huge winged beasts and a dazzling, hi-tech wrath-of-the-gods firestorm. Some of the shops, too, provide entertainment: pop into Magic Masters and look out for a secret door leading to the replica of Harry Houdini’s library.
The Ice Gardens

It may be swimming weather outside, but kids who like to ice skate can cool off at the indoor Ice Gardens, where there are both hockey and ice skating rinks. Ice-skating queen Surya Bonaly works out at the rink when she is in town.
The Mirage Volcano

With displays like this, it is hardly surprising that the Mirage, when it was built in 1989, is said to have triggered the 1990s hotel-building boom. The man-made, multimillion-dollar volcano spews fire 100 ft (30 m) into the air every 15 minutes, every evening. Ingenious lighting and steam effects convey the drama of lava flows, while loudspeakers broadcast vivid sound effects.
The Sphinx at Luxor

It would be a shame (if hard) to miss the 10-story sphinx (larger than the original) guarding the Luxor Hotel-Casino. The best view of this Las Vegas landmark is as you come in to land at McCarran International Airport.