# What to do in Las Vegas if I don't gamble? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710 "2007-03-13T04:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lemonbalm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@Lemonbalm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemonbalm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/1 "2007-03-13T04:23:45Z")
I’m gonna be in Las Vegas for a day-long layover. Don’t want to gamble, don’t want to shop, don’t really want to spend much money. I’m more of a parks/gardens/museums type of girl. Anything like that in Vegas? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/2 "2007-03-13T04:46:03Z")
Drive around, maybe see the Hoover dam? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/3 "2007-03-13T05:16:41Z")
I had a great time just walking around the casinos, even aside from gambling. If you have an open mind and leave any cultural pretensions at home, some of the casinos are really great fun to walk through. Check out the designs, the light shows, the circus acts, etc. Also, splurge and go to one of the gourmet all-you-can-eat buffets. I can’t remember which one I went to (somewhere on the south end of the Strip, but they’re all over), but it was one of the best things I did there. You said you only had a 1-day layover; if you _can_ I second **JohnT’s** recommendation of going to Hoover Dam, but with such limited time it might be best to stay in town. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/4 "2007-03-13T06:27:02Z")
[QUOTE=Rodgers01] I had a great time just walking around the casinos, even aside from gambling. If you have an open mind and leave any cultural pretensions at home, some of the casinos are really great fun to walk through. Check out the designs, the light shows, the circus acts, etc. Also, splurge and go to one of the gourmet all-you-can-eat buffets. [/QUOTE] I definitely agree with the buffet suggestion. I recall the food being incredibly cheap. Also, just walk around and take in the garishness of the whole place. It really has to be seen to be believed. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/5 "2007-03-13T08:57:44Z")
Commit a crime. Hope that Grissom investigates you. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/6 "2007-03-13T11:04:02Z")
I just went for a weekend while my wife had a conference there. If you want to see nature, [Red Rock Canyon](http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/) is a beautiful place just a few minutes west of Vegas. It has a 13 mile scenic loop with plenty of places to pull off and view/hike and a nice visitor center. The only thing about that is you need a car to get there. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/7 "2007-03-13T15:32:13Z")
As I remember there is a chocolate museum/factory that was fun. Vegas also has a good zoo. The dolphin shows at the Rivera are fun. The mall show at Caesar’s Palace is great. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/8 "2007-03-13T15:45:36Z")
Look ahead and see if there are any shows that you’d like to see. Great thing about Vegas is the wide variety of shows in a wide variety of price ranges. I agree that just walking up and down the strip and looking at the casino’s is a lot of fun. There are a ton of museums in Vegas… **DMark** lives in Vegas, and has a [website](http://dmarkslasvegas.websiteofwebsites.com/) that may have some good information. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/9 "2007-03-13T19:37:35Z")
I hate gambling as well. When I went to Vegas I mooched free liquor while playing Keno and walked around looking at all the fancy casinos. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/10 "2007-03-13T20:54:54Z")
They have nice strip clubs… I hear. ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/11 "2007-03-13T21:16:04Z")
You could make reservations for tea at one of the fancy hotels, I would suggest the Four Seasons. Bellagio’s is fantastic as well, but they serve it in a lounge IN the casino, complete with cigar smoke. Bleah. It will be as expensive as a really, really nice lunch, but totally elegant. I think I’m going to go when we go to Vegas for \*\*Litespeed’s \*\*birthday in April 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/12 "2007-03-13T21:34:15Z")
Go check out the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Hotel. > **[Hotels in Las Vegas | Vegas Hotels | Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino](https://mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com/en.html)** > > Mandalay Bay offers an exciting Las Vegas Resort experience from the sandy beach to the beautifully remodeled rooms. Book direct for guaranteed lowest rates. I loved it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/13 "2007-03-13T22:24:45Z")
The Atomic Testing Museum on Flamingo is fantastic and will only set you back $10! ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/14 "2007-03-13T22:30:08Z")
Well… The Bellagio Fountain The Venetian Gondolas The Bellagio Art Gallery The Imperial Auto Museum Sigfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Encounter The roller coaster at New York New York (I think? right across from the MGM, anyway) Just walk on the Strip and people-watch There’s a couple of “Star Trek Encounter” type things that were highly recommended to me but that I didn’t have time to go and see. And… Since you seem to be a woman, “Scores” probably isn’t applicable, but how about Chippendale’s? J. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/15 "2007-03-13T22:37:21Z")
Drink! ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/16 "2007-03-13T23:21:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I definitely agree with the buffet suggestion. I recall the food being incredibly cheap. [/QUOTE] Yeah, there are cheap ones (as in $10 and under) but when I was there those didn’t seem much different than what you’d find in an average Bonanza. I say splurge, spend $25-$30 on a gourmet one – it’s still cheap considering the amazing food you’ll get, and the experience can’t be beat! ---
**Author:** ![ctywkr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@ctywkr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctywkr)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/17 "2007-03-14T02:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=Lemonbalm] I’m gonna be in Las Vegas for a day-long layover. Don’t want to gamble, don’t want to shop, don’t really want to spend much money. I’m more of a parks/gardens/museums type of girl. Anything like that in Vegas? [/QUOTE] Go shoot guns, there is a gun shop that rents machine guns. twenty to fifty dollars and a lot of fun. Its out on Tropicana past the Thoms and Mack center. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/18 "2007-03-14T03:36:11Z")
Well, you could always do what I do when I’ve gambled away all my money. Go to my room and cry. Drink all the booze in the mini-bar, because the room is on my friend’s tab. Sneak out the next morning before said friend wakes up and has to pay the bill. Vegas baby! I’m out there on Wednesday. I ain’t going broke because I have the perfect March Madness bracket! I AM making money there! Go UCLA and Long Beach State! ---
**Author:** ![Lemonbalm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@Lemonbalm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemonbalm)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/19 "2007-03-15T17:35:15Z")
Thanks guys for the suggestions, and especially the link to DMark’s website. I’m really looking forward to my day now! ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710/20 "2007-03-15T17:55:47Z")
Check [This Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=403336), some good suggestions in there, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-in-las-vegas-if-i-dont-gamble/395710.md?page=2)