[h=1]Las Vegas: The offbeat and the outrageous[/h]
Thinking of spending a few days in Las Vegas? You won’t be alone: In 2012, a record 39.7 million conventioneers and visitors spent time there. Beyond the casinos and the Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas, we think some of these cheap and/or offbeat attractions may be adding to Sin City’s allure.
1. Pinball Hall of Fame
Part museum, part arcade, the nonprofit Pinball Hall of Fame began when “a group of guys who each had some machines decided to put their ‘babies’ together in one place,” says museum co-director Charlotte Owens. Today, 250 vintage, classic and modern-day pinball machines are onsite, and each can be played for between 25 cents and $1.
“So unless you’re a really bad pinball player, $20 should last you for several hours,” Owens says.
Tip: The Pinball Hall of Fame doesn’t charge to host birthday parties and other events and has served as the backdrop for several weddings.
2. Machine Gun Las Vegas
Fun with firearms? That seems to be premise at Machine Gun Las Vegas, where packages with themes such as World War II ($199.95/person) and Femme Fatale ($109.95/person) are not cheap, but are definitely offbeat and a safe and supervised way to try firearms ranging from pistols and automatic machine guns to historical guns and one-of-a-kind weapons.
Tip: Family fun with guns? The add-on kids’ package at MGV lets the little ones fire a .22 rifle and a .22 laser-sighted pistol.
3. Score! Sports Museum
Described as “the Smithsonian meets Disneyland — for sports fans,” Score is a multisport hall-of-fame attraction at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. In addition to more than 200 pieces of sports memorabilia, including a Babe Ruth jersey, there are interactive sports-themed activities such as the Dangle Zone stick-handling exercise. “Guest stick-handle through a maze of sensors and see how they compare to their favorite NHL players,” says Adam Suissa, Score’s chief operating officer.
Tip: Suissa says the best time to visit Score is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays, when sports celebrities may be onsite for one of the live radio broadcasts.
4. National Atomic Testing Museum
No need to wear lead-lined clothing to the National Atomic Testing Museum, which documents the history of the development and testing of the nuclear bomb. Visitors can watch a simulated bomb blast at the Ground Zero Theater and view food, comic books, cookbooks, games and other items sporting nuclear-related imagery from the Atomic Age of the 1950s and ’60s.
Tip: One popular exhibit explores the myths and realities of Area 51, a restricted area of Edwards Air Force Base in southern Nevada where some believe the government studied aliens and alien spacecraft said to have landed near Roswell, N.M., in 1947.
Thinking of spending a few days in Las Vegas? You won’t be alone: In 2012, a record 39.7 million conventioneers and visitors spent time there. Beyond the casinos and the Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas, we think some of these cheap and/or offbeat attractions may be adding to Sin City’s allure.
1. Pinball Hall of Fame
Part museum, part arcade, the nonprofit Pinball Hall of Fame began when “a group of guys who each had some machines decided to put their ‘babies’ together in one place,” says museum co-director Charlotte Owens. Today, 250 vintage, classic and modern-day pinball machines are onsite, and each can be played for between 25 cents and $1.
“So unless you’re a really bad pinball player, $20 should last you for several hours,” Owens says.
Tip: The Pinball Hall of Fame doesn’t charge to host birthday parties and other events and has served as the backdrop for several weddings.
2. Machine Gun Las Vegas
Fun with firearms? That seems to be premise at Machine Gun Las Vegas, where packages with themes such as World War II ($199.95/person) and Femme Fatale ($109.95/person) are not cheap, but are definitely offbeat and a safe and supervised way to try firearms ranging from pistols and automatic machine guns to historical guns and one-of-a-kind weapons.
Tip: Family fun with guns? The add-on kids’ package at MGV lets the little ones fire a .22 rifle and a .22 laser-sighted pistol.
3. Score! Sports Museum
Described as “the Smithsonian meets Disneyland — for sports fans,” Score is a multisport hall-of-fame attraction at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. In addition to more than 200 pieces of sports memorabilia, including a Babe Ruth jersey, there are interactive sports-themed activities such as the Dangle Zone stick-handling exercise. “Guest stick-handle through a maze of sensors and see how they compare to their favorite NHL players,” says Adam Suissa, Score’s chief operating officer.
Tip: Suissa says the best time to visit Score is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays, when sports celebrities may be onsite for one of the live radio broadcasts.
4. National Atomic Testing Museum
No need to wear lead-lined clothing to the National Atomic Testing Museum, which documents the history of the development and testing of the nuclear bomb. Visitors can watch a simulated bomb blast at the Ground Zero Theater and view food, comic books, cookbooks, games and other items sporting nuclear-related imagery from the Atomic Age of the 1950s and ’60s.
Tip: One popular exhibit explores the myths and realities of Area 51, a restricted area of Edwards Air Force Base in southern Nevada where some believe the government studied aliens and alien spacecraft said to have landed near Roswell, N.M., in 1947.
