Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS 195
moving Trojan horse outside FAO Schwarz. They may also like to poke around
in the shops and marvel at the Atlantis fountain show.
Star Trek: The Experience (p. 186) deserves to draw families to the Las
Vegas Hilton, but it may be a bit much for younger children.
The ship battle in front of Treasure Island (p. 98) is sure to please, as will the
erupting volcano and the Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy and Dolphin Habitat
at The Mirage (p. 184), and the new Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
(p. 185). Ditto the various attractions at Luxor Las Vegas (the IMAX Theater,
p. 182; King Tut’s Tomb, p. 180; and simulator ride, p. 182) and Cyber Speedway
and Speed: The Ride (p. 185) at the Sahara.
Children 10 and up will love the many options for play (from high-tech to
low-tech, from video wonders to actual physical activity) offered at GameWorks
(p. 179), as will their parents.
Of moderate interest to youngsters are the factory tours in Henderson
(p. 192), especially Ethel M Chocolates, though they will like the free sweets
best. More educational is the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV (p. 182), but
only the reptile exhibit will really interest kids.
Appropriate shows for kids include Tournament of Kings at Excalibur,
Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage, Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo, and Cirque
du Soleil’s Mystère at Treasure Island. As a general rule, early shows are less
racy than late-night shows. All of these productions are reviewed in detail in
chapter 10.
Beyond the city limits (see chapter 11 for details on all of these) is Bonnie
Springs Ranch/Old Nevada, with trail and stagecoach rides, a petting zoo, oldfashioned
melodramas, stunt shootouts, a Nevada-themed wax museum, crafts
demonstrations, and more. Lake Mead has great recreational facilities for family
vacations. Finally, organized tours (see the next section of this chapter) to the
Grand Canyon and other interesting sights in southern Nevada and neighboring
states can be fun family activities. Check with your hotel sightseeing desk.
Kids should also be entertained by the personalized tours offered by Creative
Adventures (& 702/361-5565); see p. 197.
Specifically kid-pleasing attractions are described below.
Adventuredome This isn’t a half-bad place to spend a hot afternoon,
especially now that Circus Circus, the casino/hotel that built this indoor amusement
park, has undergone a face-lift. The glass dome that towers overhead lets
in natural light, a solace to those of us who look peaked under the glow of the
artificial kind. A double-loop roller coaster careens around the simulated Grand
Canyon, and there’s the requisite water flume, a laser-tag area, and a modest
number of other rides for kids of all ages. A dinosaur-bone excavation area will
provide a good time for preschoolers, and a place to rest for the supervising
adults. Video games and an arcade are separate from the attractions, cutting
down just a tad on the noise level. Jugglers and magicians provide impromptu
entertainment. Our only suggestion is not to leave kids here alone; they could
easily get lost.
2880 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (behind Circus Circus). & 702/794-3939. Free admission; pay per ride $3–$5; daily
pass $20 adults, $14 children 33–47 in. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Park hours vary seasonally but are usually
Mon–Thurs 10am–6pm, Fri–Sat 10am–midnight, Sun 10am–8pm.
Las Vegas Natural History Museum Conveniently located across the
street from the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum (described below), this humble
temple of taxidermy harkens back to elementary-school field trips circa