By: Josh Bell By: Josh Bell | February 4, 2022 | Magazine, Events, Entertainment, List - Spotlight, List - Entertainment,
From surrealist experiences, to thrills and chills and interactive art, here are the best attractions in Las Vegas.
PHOTO BY KATE RUSSELL
THERE’S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE AT MEOW WOLF’S OMEGA MART AT AREA15.
If you just take a quick glance at Omega Mart, you might almost mistake it for a regular supermarket. That’s the deceptive charm of this massive art project from Santa Fe, N.M.-based collective Meow Wolf, which is the anchor tenant at the Area15 arts and entertainment complex. “I feel like we finally with this project are able to open up the throttle and realize some really big ideas that we never had the resources to do before,” says Corvas Brinkerhoff, Meow Wolf founder and Las Vegas executive creative director. Omega Mart looks like a grocery store, but the items on the shelves are grotesque parodies of typical supermarket fare, from Doomed Expedition gum to Nature’s Canvas Tattoo Chicken. The merchandise may be strange, but it’s also available to buy, part of the Omega Mart interactive experience. The store is really just a gateway into an alternate dimension that Brinkerhoff likens to an open-world video game. “It starts out, you’re in the grocery store and you realize that there’s something very unusual about this place,” Brinkerhoff explains. “And then as you kind of move down the rabbit hole, you’ll end up exploring this parallel dimension.” That dimension features art installations from dozens of artists, including many Las Vegas locals, and it tells a trippy story about a sinister company known as Dramcorp. “There’s a whole drama that unfolds in that world that you’ll have to go and see in person.” It’s easy to become immersed in that world, and a visit to Omega Mart can last for hours, as you discover new hidden elements to the story. “We’re trying to birth a new medium for storytelling,” Brinkerhoff says, and Omega Mart succeeds in doing just that. 3215 S. Rancho Drive, #100, 725.241.6300, omegamart.com
WHEN YOU NEED AN ADRENALINE RUSH, HERE ARE A FEW ACTION ALTERNATIVES TO GET YOUR HEART PUMPING. BY JOSH BELL
AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
Join up with some of Marvel’s greatest superheroes, including Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, to be part of a top-secret mission. The immersive experience also includes genuine props from Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, as part of an interactive exhibit that puts visitors right in the middle of an epic superhero battle. Treasure Island, 702.894.7626, stationattraction.com
CLIMB VEGAS
Remember the excitement of climbing on the ropes course at summer camp as a kid? Climb Vegas is like a supercharged version of that childhood experience, with elaborate ropes courses for both kids and adults, so families can take an adventure together. The three-level indoor facility features 17 different ropes course challenges. 3717 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702.952.9559, climb-vegas.com
DIG THIS VEGAS
Drive along pretty much any street in Las Vegas, and you’ll spot cones and road construction signs and heavy machinery. If that gives you a longing to try out some of those behemoths for yourself, head to Dig This Vegas, where anyone from age 8 and up can operate bulldozers, excavators and skid steers in an enormous sandbox. 800 W. Roban Ave., 702.222.4344, digthisvegas.com
EIFFEL TOWER VIEWING DECK
The original Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, is amazing, but does it have a view of the Las Vegas Strip? Ascend 46 stories to the viewing deck of the replica tower, and you can take a panoramic look at the surrounding Las Vegas sights while standing in an expert re-creation of one of the great wonders of the world. Paris Las Vegas, 888.727.4758, caesars.com/paris-las-vegas
ESCAPE BLAIR WITCH
When The Blair Witch Project came out in 1999, many viewers thought that its footage was real. The Blair Witch may be fake, but you can immerse yourself in that sense of reality in this escape room, which incorporates the mythology into a chilling experience full of puzzles and mysteries. 2121 Industrial Road, 702.333.0770, escapeblairwitch.com
ESCAPOLOGY
As far as escape rooms go, Escapology is the gold standard. The company’s escape games are detailed and engrossing, with more than just basic puzzle-solving. Check out escape rooms with themed elements from Star Trek, Agatha Christie, Scooby-Doo and more, for all skill levels. 2797 S. Maryland Parkway, 702.359.0805; 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702.953.5693, escapology.com
FLYOVER
The motion rides at FlyOver suspend riders in front of a wraparound screen more than 50 feet wide. As the seats swoop and dive, riders are further immersed in the experience via effects including winds, mists and scents of nature. Choose either a Wild West journey or an international trip to witness the beauty of Iceland. 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 866.498.2023, flyoverlasvegas.com
THE HAUNTED MUSEUM
Ghost Adventures star Zak Bagans has filled more than 30 rooms of a vintage Las Vegas house with paranormal artifacts. Exhibits include allegedly possessed items that Bagans has featured on his TV show, as well as macabre memorabilia connected to doomed celebrities like Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Michael Jackson. 600 E. Charleston Blvd., 702.444.0744, thehauntedmuseum.com
HIGH ROLLER OBSERVATION WHEEL
Possibly the best view of Las Vegas is available on the High Roller, the largest observation wheel in North America. Take a 30-minute ride in one of the High Roller’s 28 cabins to marvel at the beauty of Las Vegas, from the Strip to the surrounding mountains. Linq Promenade, 855.234.7469, caesars.com/linq
SAW ESCAPE ROOM
The Saw franchise is built around characters caught in elaborate traps, attempting to free themselves via cryptic hints and clues, and the Saw Escape Room meticulously emulates those movies. Of course, no one will meet a violent end, but you may have a pretty harrowing experience before emerging on the other side. 2121 Industrial Road, 702.625.8716, sawescaperoom.com
SLOTZILLA
SlotZilla launches riders from its slot machine-shaped base at the Fremont Street Experience across the length of the glitzy, canopy-covered street. Riders soar over the crowds below, for an exhilarating experience that’s part thrill ride, part bird’s-eye view of downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Street Experience, 702.678.5780, vegasexperience.com/slotzilla-zip-line
SPEEDVEGAS
Satisfy your need for speed when you race around the track at SpeedVegas in a high-performance sports car. Get behind the wheel of a Porsche, Lamborghini or Ferrari. The professionals will make sure that you stay safe while you get the most out of some of the fastest cars in the world. 14200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702.213.9068, speedvegas.com
The 100-acre SPEEDVEGAS Motorsports Park is home to Exotics Racing’s expert team of driving instructors and supercar fleet. PHOTO COURTESY OF SPEEDVEGAS
THRILL RIDES AT THE STRAT
If getting to the top of the tallest observation tower in the U.S. isn’t thrilling enough for you, then The Strat has some more daring experiences once you get there. You can be propelled 160 feet straight up on the Big Shot, spun around while dangling over the side of the tower on Insanity, or take a roller-coaster ride on the X-Scream. The Strat, 800.998.6937, thestrat.com
At the Strat’s Insanity, a mechanical arm extends 64 feet over the edge of the SkyPod, spinning passengers at speeds of up to 3 G’s up to an angle of 70 degrees. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE STRAT
VEGAS INDOOR SKYDIVING
Jumping out of an airplane isn’t the only way to go skydiving. Vegas Indoor Skydiving uses a massive 1,000-horsepower motor that whooshes patrons up into a wind tunnel. You can get the same sensations of free-falling and floating, and then head right back in to do it over again. 200 Convention Center Drive, 702.731.4768, vegasindoorskydiving.com
The Original Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit has social distancing circles programmed into the projection to maintain safety. PHOTO BY DENISE TRUSCELLO
FOR MORE WAYS TO STAY ENTERTAINED, CONSIDER THESE POPULAR OPTIONS.
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