Las Vegas, America’s “Sin City,” was officially founded in 1905, when the railroad began moving through Nevada. However, the area was occupied long before then.
The first occupants were the local Paiute nation, followed by a group of Mormon settlers from 1855-1857, and finally by Octavius Gass, who turned the place into a sort of tourist plantation until the railroad auctioned off the land.
Today, Las Vegas is a major cultural center and one of the most exciting cities in the United States. There are some truly unbelievable experiences to be had in this desert city, and we’ll talk about a few of them in this article.
1. Learn About our Nuclear History
You may have heard about the Manhattan Project in school, but probably never like this. The Atomic Testing Museum details the history of the project and how it was accomplished.
This museum features several artifacts from various stages of the Manhattan Project, from bits of aluminum taken from early reactors to an element that was created during atomic testing.
Even more interesting than the bomb itself, though, is the people who created it. Physicist immigrants from all over the world were gathered for the project, including one Italian, a handful of Germans, and several Hungarians, as well as a few natural-born Americans and a Brit. It was a moment in our history when we truly lived up to our ideals.
2. The Area 51 Alien Center
Admittedly, there are no aliens in this attraction, at least not that we know of. What is there is a museum dedicated to the history of the infamous base and how it became associated with aliens.
The two prevailing theories seem to be that it’s an Air Force base that builds experimental aircraft or a place that houses and researches alien technology. Some claim that both theories are true and that the experimental aircraft are built based on the alien craft that the government has captured.
Regardless of what the true story is, Area 51 and the Area 51 Alien Center (no affiliation) make for a fascinating experience.
3. Minus 5 Ice Bar
If you’ve ever been to an ice bar, you know what makes them so unique. Those who haven’t been in for quite a fun surprise. Ice bars truly live up to their name because almost everything in them is made from ice.
The whole experience starts when you pick up some winter clothing near the entrance. From there, you’ll go into an area consisting of multiple rooms filled with ice sculptures, where you can sip drinks from glasses made of ice.
There are three Minus 5 locations in Las Vegas, and each one of them is a fantastic location for a bachelor party, corporate retreat, or whatever you prefer.
4. See a Show
Broadway may be the place to go if you want to see a play, but everything else is in Vegas. Witnessing something amazing is simply a matter of choosing which ticket to buy.
Some of the most well-known options include Cirque du Soleil, Penn and Teller, and the Blue Man Group. Those are just a few of the many things to see in Las Vegas, however.
There are also old-school vaudeville, burlesque, and comedy shows, such as Absinthe and other shows developed by Spiegelworld.
5. Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum
Perhaps laughing isn’t your thing, and you don’t care for magic shows or circuses. You might try Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, a place dedicated to the unsettling, creepy, and just plain haunted.
As with most haunted things, there’s some debate over whether any of the attractions are haunted. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, though, there’s still plenty to terrify you.
From creepy dolls to death photographs of celebrities to items owned by serial killers, this museum has enough to scare even the most skeptical.
6. Bodies: The Exhibition
Another creepy and ultimately fascinating Sin City attraction is Bodies: The Exhibition. Using real preserved cadavers and organs, this attraction will give you a crash course on the human body that can only be rivaled by several years in medical school.
Not only does it show how our bodies work, but also what happens when they don’t. Among the many preserved organs in the exhibit are a smoker’s lungs and livers with cirrhosis.
As if that weren’t cool enough, Bodies is currently partnered with The Alternative Limb Project, a set of works by Sophie de Oliveira Barata, which seeks to de-stigmatize prosthetic limbs by making some of the most stylish and advanced artificial limbs in the world.
7. Go to a Casino
While casinos and other gambling houses exist all over the country in some capacity, this is Las Vegas. This city was quite literally built on gambling, both legally and illegally.
The roulette wheel and its ilk have become so integrated into the culture here that many of the most famous Las Vegas hotels have a casino built into them. These include the Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Mandalay Bay, and many others. If you’re planning a Las Vegas party, you have to have at least one casino on your itinerary.
Awesome Things to do in Las Vegas: A Guide
If you’re trying to throw a great party, Las Vegas is the place to do it. This city is home to some of the most magnificent attractions the world has to offer. We’ve discussed some of the weirdest things to do in Las Vegas in this article, but there are plenty more to experience.
You can learn more about Las Vegas and why you should visit our site. If you want to know more about Minus 5, feel free to contact us.