8 Awesome Things To Do In Las Vegas
From Meow Wolf to a haunted museum, what to do on your Vegas vacation if you don't drink or gamble.
I love Las Vegas. I’ve been coming here since attending radio conferences in college. There’s a problem, though. I don’t particularly enjoy gambling and after a gastric sleeve surgery, going out to fancy restaurants and eating your weight in lobster or whatever just isn’t my bag. Oh and I don’t really drink much anymore? None of that matters, though, because it turns out there’s so much more to Las Vegas than you might expect.
So if you’re planning a Vegas trip or just want to know if it’s a place you’ll have fun, I’m here to help. After my extensive Vegas travels, I feel like I have a pretty good idea of the things you can do. Want to best an escape room or zipline over thousands of people? You can do that in Vegas. Want to have a glass of whiskey and a nice cigar in a quiet setting? Totally possible. What’s that? You want to get really high and play with robots? Vegas has you covered.
The Haunted Museum
If you’re anything like me, the TV in your hotel room is automatically tuned to TRVL when you’re in a hotel. For some reason, sleeping in a hotel means watching ghost shows. It’s with that in mind that my partner and I became obsessed with the show Ghost Adventures, hosted by dudebro Zak Bagans. You might know him as the guy screaming “SOMETHING TOUCHED ME DUDE” while being recorded with a night vision camera.
Did you know Bagans has his own museum in Vegas? It’s stuffed to the brim with “haunted” objects, including some seriously scary dolls, a recreated basement dungeon, and even haunted objects people at the museum advise you to acknowledge when you pass through the room.
When I did the tour, I upgraded to VIP and will never visit any other way. With the VIP upgrade you get access to certain areas of the museum others don’t (like the doll closet) and they give you a free T-shirt at the end. Not too bad. However, don’t expect Zak to be there giving you a tour. He’s likely busy screaming his brains out at a ghost in some abandoned church or something in New Orleans.The coffee
There are so many amazing coffee shops in Las Vegas, but I’m going to focus on the one I’m sitting in right now. That’s right, I’m currently in Las Vegas for a work event and decided to finally cross something off my to do list.
Gabi Coffee is a “hidden” coffee shop I learned about on TikTok a couple of years ago. This morning, I finally went and it met the hype. It can be hard to find and there’s no actual signage telling you that you’re here, but the address is 5808 Spring Mountain Rd #104, Las Vegas, NV 89146. When you get there, you’ll be greeted by a massive and old wooden door that’s like a portal into the most comfortable place around. Inside, there are trees, the chefs and baristas work in a tiny green house, the seating is wildly eclectic and looks like it’s been scavenged together by Wed Anderson--none of the chairs match the tables and, often, the other chairs at the tables. And they’re all so comfy. There’s even a staircase that exists solely for sitting on and drinking coffee
Like most destination coffee shops, they have an extensive “specialty” menu of wildly flavored drinks and I kind of want to try them all. Ultimately, though, I went with my standard almond milk latte and it was freaking delightful. I also ordered a breakfast sandwich (ham, egg, and cheese croissant) and it came with a salad. No, seriously. And it’s all amazing. Take a look.Anyway, go to Gabi Coffee & Bakery if you have the chance. The thing about Vegas is there’s so many unique experiences and I’d argue this is the most unique coffee experience.
Planet 13
Maybe coffee isn’t your thing. You might be looking for a more herbal remedy. Let me introduce you to Planet 13, a massive cannabis dispensary that also moonlights as a pothead playland. If cannabis consumption is your thing (and even if it’s not) you should make a pitstop here. Yes, there’s the actual dispensary (which is massive), but the fun comes from the rest of the place. There’s a robotics lab where you can watch robots fight with lightsabers. There’s also an incredible restaurant with a bananas menu, along with a bunch of other stuff you can do on site--including getting married.
Planet 13 definitely feels like another planet, with so many things to do, whether you get high or not. And don’t worry, they’re not sneaking cannabis into the meals at the restaurant or anything. It’s just a high-level restaurant that happens to be at a dispensary. (Cannabis is legal recreationally in Nevada.)Fremont Street
Fremont Street is the original Las Vegas. Before the Vegas Strip was all the rage, big things were happening down on Fremont--and they still are. Fremont is where you’re likely to find the best gaming, drinking, and eating deals. There’s also escape rooms, ziplines, tons of shopping, tons of live music, and so much more to do. It feels like what Vegas was before all the massive corporate casinos came to town. Did you know even the Vegas Strip used to look a lot like Fremont Street?Area 51 Road Trip
I’ve been camping to Area 51 three times in my life and each time was amazing. If you like to think about whether aliens are real or if you happen to be a massive X-Files fan, rent a car and drive to the middle of nowhere for this. It’ll take a few hours but it’ll be worth it because it’s just such an oddity. You’ll be driving down a dirt road and suddenly see a trespassing sign that threatens lethal force. Or you’ll see SUVs parked on mountains, drivers staring at you with binoculars. If you’re lucky, you might even get buzzed by a Blackhawk helicopter.
It’s important to know that Area 51 is an OFF LIMITS location. You cannot go onto the actual base and if you try you’ll probably be arrested, though legally they can also shoot you. So just pay attention to signs. And while you’re out there, stop at the Little A’Le’Inn for an Alien Burger.The Neon Museum
There is SO MUCH neon in this city. It should come as no surprise that there’s a museum dedicated to it. What might surprise you, though, is how excellent a museum it is. It’s almost a historical look back at Vegas. Old neon signs from casinos, shops, and more are on display here, making for one of the wildest collections of anything you’ll find here.KISS Mini Golf
I’ve never done KISS Mini Golf. But now that I know it exists, it’s moving quickly up my to do list. I can’t honestly fully recommend this but it’s mini golf based on the band KISS. Just go do it. I’m going to and it’s going to be amazing.Honorable Mention: Meow Wolf
The reason this is listed as an honorable mention is I haven't been, but am actually going in less than a month and will report back on it. Meow Wolf is an immersive experience company with cool projects popping up all over. In Vegas, they have Omega Mart--a grocery store with portals to other dimensions. Yes it sounds wacky, no I can’t buy my groceries there. It’s not an ACTUAL grocery store. But I truly can’t wait to get lost in there for a few hours.
Great insight! There are good art galleries to be found as well.
We’re going in January and must check out this coffee shop. Also if you haven’t been, Golden Tiki rules. They have a prop or two from Jungle Cruise and just some overall touches that make me think of Disney.