Las Vegas is a mecca for family-friendly fun — especially when it comes to teenagers. Here’s a look at some activities — from mild to wild — that you absolutely need to add to your Las Vegas itinerary with teens.
1. Big Apple Coaster
If you think a hotel roller coaster won’t make you scream, you’re wrong. The Big Apple Coaster, which runs in and out of the New York-New York Hotel, loops, turns and twists adrenaline-seeking kids. Riders need to be 54 inches or taller to ride.
2. Madame Tussauds Las Vegas
See your favorite celebrities and all-star athletes recreated in wax at Madame Tussauds in the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes. The Marvel Super Heroes 4D Experience brings kids close to their favorite superheroes and ends with an animated 4D attraction that is included with general admission.
3. Gondola Rides
Mimicking the canals of Venice, the Venetian Resort offers indoor and outdoor gondola rides on its own version of the Grand Canal. Families float under bridges and along beautiful streetscapes in an experience that feels like the real deal in Italy.
4. Eiffel Tower
It may not be the original Eiffel Tower, but Las Vegas’s Eiffel Tower is still a sight to behold. The majestic structure rises 46 stories above the Las Vegas Strip in a half-size replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Families can enjoy the Eiffel Tower Experience, which takes visitors to the top observation deck for 360-degree views of the city.
5. Shows Along the Strip
Enticing travelers to visit resorts and casinos, the properties along the Las Vegas Strip pull out all of the stops, including some fantastic free entertainment that families can enjoy daily. At the Mirage, a faux volcano erupts every 30 minutes from 7 to 11 p.m. nightly (except at 7:30 p.m.), complete with fireballs and explosions. Of course, the Bellagio’s famed dancing water fountain, set to music, is not to be missed either. Visitors can catch the show every hour, but it”s the nighttime version with lights that really make it special.
6. SlotZilla Zip Line
In Las Vegas’s revitalized downtown district, kids can take a ride on the 77-foot zip line or the 114-foot-high zoom line, which depart from the world’s tallest slot machine, SlotZilla. The zoom line travels 1,750 feet along Freemont Street. Flyers must be at least 13 years of age, or accompanied by someone 13 or older. They must also weigh at least 60 pounds.
7. Stratosphere Thrills
For the truly brave, the Stratosphere Hotel features a number of thrill rides at the top of its tower, 108 stories up from the Las Vegas Strip. X-Scream is a coaster ride that literally takes riders 27 feet over the edge of the hotel. Insanity the Ride takes riders 64 feet over the edge of the tower and spins them with 4G force. Big Shot may be the tamest of the rides, strapping riders in before shooting them 45 mph and 160 feet into the air and up the tower’s mast.
8. Viva Vision Light Show
While visiting the Freemont Street Experience, families can witness the free nightly Viva Vision light show. The show is displayed on a 1,500-foot-long and 90-foot-wide video screen suspended above Freemont Street’s pedestrian mall. The six-minute shows are set to music and run every hour from dusk through midnight (1 a.m. in the summer).
9. Shark Tank Tours
The Golden Nugget Hotel offers Shark Tank Tours that take kids behind the scenes to learn about the animals and watch a feeding; it’s offered Thursday through Saturday. The hotel also features a rooftop swimming pool with a clear waterslide tunnel that runs straight through the shark tank!
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