Las Vegas may be best known for its casinos and backroom deals, but there’s so much more to this desert fantasyland than just cards and slots. Here are six surprising activities in Sin City that prove there’s more to Vegas than meets the eye.
Get behind the wheel of impressive construction equipment at Dig This Las Vegas. This unique attraction allows guests to operate massive Caterpillar bulldozers and hydraulic excavators – sure to provide an exhilarating ride.
1. Columcille Park
Gambling may seem glamorous and glamorous, but its darker sides should never be underestimated. Success in gambling requires careful risk analysis and informed decision making as well as some luck in order to be achieved.
Upper Mount Bethel in eastern Pennsylvania is home to Columcille Megalith Stone Park – an elegant space of stone and spirit created by one man with the desire to create a sanctuary of rest for both sinners and saints alike.
The park, named for Scotland’s Isle of Iona, draws its inspiration from Celtic spiritual traditions. Iona served as an oasis for ancient Celts who believed the veil between heaven and earth was thin – its stone structures acting like portals into otherworlds.
Cohea began building his park in 1967 after having a dream about standing among Iona’s vast stones – often called an island of myths – as inspiration. Over 40 years, he crafted his American version – including a chapel dedicated to St. Columba and a 1.1-mile walking path for exploring them all.
2. Gravity Hill
Gravity hills (or “spook hills”) have long attracted those intrigued by paranormal phenomenon to roadside attractions that seem paranormally-inspired, including dead witches’ magic or magnetic vortices beneath the earth, or ghostly busloads of dead schoolchildren – for this reason alone they attract hundreds of visitors annually who set their car in neutral and watch as it slowly creeps upward what seems like a downward slope.
One such location can be found in Sterling, Connecticut – on Main Street’s Gravity Hill. According to local legend, Margaret Henry lives at the cemetery in Sterling and, to punish trespassers, bends the laws of gravity along this particular section so cars roll upward instead of downward.
3. Tour-Ed Mine
Are you looking for an adventure outside the neon glow of Vegas and something different? For an incredible tour experience, this is an excellent option. Join a full day tour to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon; book a romantic Gondola ride through its canals; or head out to Seven Magic Mountains and add color and personality to your social media feed!
Are you seeking something terrifying to get your heart racing? Check out Area 15 or Omega Mart – both are free to explore and designed to feel like alternate world warehouses! Additionally, Omega Mart features Datamosh bar which serves some unique cocktails! Or book tickets to Tour-Ed Mine haunted house experience for an affordable price and enjoy this unique haunted house experience with a cabin exhibit above ground and short video about coal.
4. Insectarium
Las Vegas offers plenty of unique gambling destinations. One such location is Insectarium, a museum housing insects and other arthropods.
Northeast Philadelphia attraction opened its doors to visitors in 1992 and features mounts, exhibits and hands-on activities such as petting a Madagascar hissing cockroach or touching a Chilean rose-haired tarantula; or crawl through a bungee spider’s web!
Insectarium offers more than just hands-on activities, it also features educational exhibits. The Model Roach Kitchen features an artificial kitchen infested with large roaches (Rich assures us none were found locally). There’s also an Insectarium Live Scorpion Box and a globe that illuminates with lighting to show where bugs originated from around the globe.
In recent years, The Insectarium has faced some difficulties, including a theft that saw approximately 7,000 insects, lizards and other creatures go missing from its facility in 2019. The theft was widely publicized; an IMDb documentary series last year brought back into focus this story of animal care expenses such as buying food and gas to travel shows. An employee at that time stated they still struggled to fund animal care expenses such as purchasing supplies to maintain animal care.
5. Sahara Hotel & Casino
Last year saw an exciting reemergence of Las Vegas’ historic Sahara Hotel-Casino as it made a triumphant return to its roots. Formerly known as SLS Las Vegas and then simply the Sahara, this property helped shape Las Vegas’ midcentury glamour while serving as Elvis Presley’s debut performance venue and hosting celebrities like the Beatles in its Congo Room.
Hotel guests can also enjoy gaming and entertainment at Chickie & Pete’s, an innovative sports bar offering Crabfries. Or test your luck at one of the 600+ slots ranging from pennies up to $25 denominations!
This hotel also houses the Mob Museum, which explores organized crime’s impact in Vegas through artifacts and theater presentations. You’ll hear stories of legendary gangsters such as Lucky Luciano, Mickey Cohen and Meyer Lasky; its interactive environments make for great experiences for tourists and locals alike! Furthermore, exotic cars can be rented on property or you can ride the Las Vegas Monorail directly across from it to navigate your way around.
