Las Vegas Secrets, Revealed: 9 Best Hidden Gems

When you think about visiting Las Vegas, you probably picture gambling, Cirque du Soleil shows and wild pool parties. Those are certainly major draws, but there’s also so much more than that to see, do and experience.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some secret Las Vegas attractions and hidden gems for you to discover. Keep on reading to find out what else this entertainment capital has to offer.

• Rock out in the Mojave Desert
• Go back in time at a pinball museum
• Imbibe at an underground speakeasy (or two!)
• Stroll through a colourful graveyard
• Grab a slice from a top-secret pizza shop
• Get lost inside a fake supermarket
• Shop ’til you drop at a shipping container mall
• Take a scenic drive to escape the Las Vegas hustle
• Place your bets at the horse races

The Big Apple Coaster, giant M&Ms, the Bellagio Fountains. While there’s certainly a lot to look at on Las Vegas Blvd, you’d be remiss not to venture off the Strip to see Seven Magic Mountains.

This stunning art installation from Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone (comprised of seven towers of stacked neon-coloured boulders) opened in 2016 and was only supposed to be on view for two years — but almost a decade later, it’s continuing to captivate travellers. And according to the Seven Magic Mountains website, the producers are currently working on a plan so that it can remain in place at the “mid-way between the natural and the artificial” for many more years to come. 

If you want to escape from the flashing lights and jangly sounds of the slot machines, this isn’t the hidden gem for you. The Pinball Hall of Fame gives off pretty much the same vibe as a casino — but with an added dose of nostalgia.

Thanks to a collector by the name of Tim Arnold, there are more than 700 pinball machines and vintage arcade games on display here. Of course, they aren’t just there for you to look at! Many can be played for just 25¢ or 50¢ a pop, including Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Ball (one of only two officially licensed Looney Tunes machines ever made), the moon landing-inspired On-Beam and the circa 1933 World’s Fair Jigsaw.

Not only is the museum free to enter, but it’s also a registered non-profit that donates the majority of its excess revenue to charity. In other words, there’s really no losing here!

Sin City is full of secret speakeasies serving inventive cocktails and tasty bar snacks — you just need to know where to look. From the prohibition-era bar in the basement of a museum to a Singapore-inspired lounge tucked inside a food hall, here are a few of our favourite late-night spots:

• The Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Ghost Donkey at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den at Resorts World Las Vegas
• The Laundry Room at Commonwealth
• The Underground at The Mob Museum

(Yes… we’ve purposely been vague. Finding the exact locations of these bars and discovering how to get in is half the fun!)

When you think of Sin City, you probably think of kitschy neon signs. Las Vegas hotels, casinos, restaurants and other businesses began attracting patrons with these bright lights in the 1930s — when the Hoover Dam was completed and started providing electricity to the city — and have never looked back.

While there’s still plenty of neon on the Strip today, we recommend you also visit The Neon Museum (otherwise known as the Neon Boneyard). This is where you can view more than 250 decommissioned signs, including those from the once-iconic Stardust, Aladdin and Moulin Rouge hotels. In addition to providing you with a Las Vegas history lesson, this is a great spot for a photoshoot — you can even book them in advance!

Of all the hidden gems on our list, this is probably the most hidden. Secret Pizza, located inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel, is so far off the beaten path that many potential diners walk right by — which is a real shame because it’s serves hot pizza until 4am. Imagine how many more hangovers it could help prevent!

There are no entrance markings, so keep your eyes peeled for a narrow hallway near the third-floor food court and thank us later. Pizza is readily available by the slice, or you can order a whole pie to go. Bonus: it’s super affordable compared to most of the other dining establishments in the hotel.

Many of the attractions inside the Area15 entertainment district are exactly what they seem to be, and then there’s the Omega Mart…

It looks like your average grocery store, but once you step inside you’ll feel as if you’re in an entirely new world. Created by a collective of artists known as Meow Wolf, this immersive experience invites you to discover, play and explore your way through unique environments and innovative art exhibits. Wander the aisles and open all the doors (even the one labelled “JANITOR”); you never know what you’ll find.

There’s nothing wrong with shopping at the designer stores inside the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, but the Downtown Container Park is way more interesting! For one thing, it’s located on the historic Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. For another, it’s made entirely of shipping containers.

Its unique layout is perfect for travellers who want to spend an afternoon roaming and discovering new shops, from a vibey gifts and accessories store (Shop Mama Sage) to a western-inspired boutique (The Retro Cowgirl) and more. Need a little retail break? Pop into one of the restaurants for a bite to eat, enjoy live entertainment and other special events on The Lawn, or gaze up at the 40-foot Mantis sculpture near the park’s entrance.

Did you know that there are 12 national and state parks within driving distance of the Las Vegas Strip? That means, in case you need a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city, you have a lot of options.

Deciding which park you visit will ultimately come down to how much time you have (some are 4+ hours away) and also how desperately you want to escape the crowds. Valley of Fire State Park, for example, is lesser-known and won’t be as busy as, say, the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Here are a few of our favourite desert parks to explore:

• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Cathedral Gorge State Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Echo Canyon State Park
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Zion National Park

Sigma Derby mechanical horse racing games were once a staple in casinos, but now there’s only one remaining in the world — and it’s in downtown Las Vegas! This is a one-of-a-kind attraction and a true hidden gem that shouldn’t be missed, so make your way to the D Las Vegas Casino and join in on the fun.

Before each game starts, odds that range from 2:1 to 200:1 will flash on screen. You’ll then have 30 seconds to select which of the five horses you think will win and place your bet by inserting a quarter into the machine. And then they’re off! Whether you win or lose, you’ll get to cheer alongside the other spectators and make some new friends. 

 

Ready to discover these secret Las Vegas attractions and hidden gems for yourself? Check out our latest travel deals or contact our Travel Experts to start planning your trip!