In addition to all the free shows, Vegas offers up a wealth of other attractions that don't cost anything to watch or do.
Nothing saves cash or fills time like free attractions and things to do and Vegas has a lot of them. These are among the most popular and fun of the lot:
1] The Volcano at The Mirage. Every night the manmade volcano at the front of the resort erupts, exploding lava into the air. See it for free as it goes off every hour on the hour from 6pm (winter), 7pm (spring/fall) or 8pm (summmer) until midnight daily.
2] The Fountains at The Bellagio. Every evening, the fountains that run across the quarter-mile long lake in front of the resort come to life for a five to ten minute show combining music with lights and animated water blasts for an irresistible show. The $40 million Bellagio fountain show is equipped with 1,200 nozzles and 4,500 lights, making it one of the most expensive and ambitious water features ever done. Shows run every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of the year.
3] The Lion Habitat at MGM Grand. Sure it's a couple of lions in a huge glass cage, but they are so majestic and beautiful to watch. They are descendants of the MGM Studio lion and sometimes the trainers will even be inside playing with them. You'll find the lions out and about from 11am - 11pm daily.
4] Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens Tour. You get two-in-one with this attraction, that's a ten-minute or so drive east from the Strip. Take a self -guided tour of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and watch the candy making process from start to finish. At the end, grab one of the free samples of the gourmet chocolates and head outside to take a stroll through the 3-acre garden with over 350 species of cactus on display. Open daily, 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
5] Free Slot Pull at The Riviera. Near the entrance, you'll find a line of people waiting for their pull on a gigantic slot machine. Why? Because it's free and at the very least, you'll get a free deck of Riviera cards or a mug. Makes for a good souvenier or a gift for friends back home.
Vegas is full of free things to do and in my next article, I'll list even more free attractions.
Have I missed one of your free faves? Please drop me a line or leave a note in the comments.
