Looking for an easy escape from L.A. for spring break? Las Vegas is a quick road trip or flight away. With temperate springtime weather, Vegas is a perfect getaway for families seeking indoor and outdoor fun.
Here are five of our favorite family-friendly Vegas picks this spring:
1. Shark Reef Aquarium: Dive Into Underwater Adventures
The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino will celebrate its 25th anniversary this summer with special events and activations. For now, visitors can view displays with more than 3,400 creatures from 140 species, including 14 types of sharks within 1.6 million gallons of water and 14 exhibits. Guests also can “dive” into the ocean depths through the immersive Undersea Explorer Virtual Reality theater. For an extra fee, kids (and adults) can feed sharks, sea turtles and stingrays. Tickets: $24 and up.
2. Sphere Experience: Futuristic Fun for the Whole Family
If it’s in your budget, Sphere is worth the splurge. At The Sphere Experience, guests can chat and even crack jokes with the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, Aura, and marvel at a 50-foot holographic wall. Included in the experience is a screening of “Postcard from Earth” from Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky.
The sci-fi-meets-nature, 4D film features seat haptics with active movement sensations, flashing lights, visual and sound effects and atmospheric simulations of fog, scents and wind. (Pregnant women and those with sensory sensitivities should consider whether it’s for them. Accessible seating is available upon request.).
Word to the wise: Lower seats are best if you tend to get queasy. In addition, Sphere’s spectacular spring lineup of multi-sensory entertainment features immersive concert film V-U2, plus shows by Dead & Company with John Mayer, the Eagles and Kenny Chesney. (Backstreet Boys will take the stage in July.) Tickets: $95 and up, depending on the type of event.
3. Family Pools and Movie Nights
Las Vegas resorts are renowned for their lavish pools, and poolside time is a fun way for families to spend Vegas downtime together. Non-gaming (aka no casino) resort Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas offers a high-class, low-key vibe for its hotel guests, with chaise lounges, cabanas and two pools (one for families, one for adults). Bonus: Parents can indulge in a range of restorative poolside massages while staying within earshot of splashing kids, including chair massage, chaise-lounge massage and traditional table massage in an open-air or private cabana. Try the signature Relaxation Massage, the Cabana Cool Stone Massage or the Lounging Around Focus Massage.
For extra relaxation or should the temps soar, cooling collagen masks are applied, along with nourishing massage oils and tropical scrubs to create an aroma sensory experience by the resort’s expert therapists (Dear reader: The massage I experienced on a scorching day last July from Alexandra was one of the best of my life). Guests come away refreshed — and with a small gift. “Our pool therapists always add a special touch by giving guests a little wellness takeaway so they can remember their massage experience they had at the pool,” says the resort’s spa director, Michelle Wilkos. Pricing: $200 and up.
MGM Grand Pool, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., features 6.5 acres of elaborate water fun, including four swimming pools, three whirlpools, cascading waterfalls and a lazy river (until 5 p.m.). Pool bars serve tropical drinks and poolside fare (and massage) is available. Cost: $50/all-day access per person; additional fees for food/drinks, poolside seating and cabanas. Free entry and seating for MGM Grand guests, depending on availability.
Resorts World’s Family Pool at its mega pool complex features a playful water attraction to cool off younger kids amid giggles. Reopens in May. Free for hotel guests.
To kick off pool season, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is offering Dive Into Bleau rates, with up to a 20% discount on hotel stays and a $50 daily resort credit. The Oasis Cinema Club at Oasis Pool is back every Friday starting May 2, featuring favorite family flicks such as “Barbie,” “Inside Out 2,” “Toy Story,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “The Incredibles” projected on a poolside screen. Enjoy a menu serving tasty takes on concession classics. Admission: $10 for non-hotel guests; free for Fontainebleau Rewards members, hotel guests and kids 5 and under. Daybeds and cabanas available for a fee. Tickets here.
Dive In Movies at The Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool, the Strip’s rooftop poolside (or in-pool) movie night, returns weekly on Mondays beginning May 19, inviting families to enjoy classic and recent blockbusters on the resort’s 65-foot screen, along with stellar views of the spectacular Las Vegas skyline. Premium daybeds and cabanas can be reserved with a food/beverage minimum. Admission: $15 for non-hotel guests, $10 for locals. Free for MGM Rewards members, hotel guests, first responders and military. Tickets here.
4. Beachy Vibes
At Mandalay Bay Beach, an 11-acre aquatic playground on the Strip, families can ride tides in the wave pool, play in the sand, flow along the lazy river under refreshing waterfalls, lounge in a lagoon, chill in a cabana and more. The Beach Bar and Grill offers bites and drinks at three bars. Cost: $30/weekdays; $40/weekends all-day access per person; additional fees for food/drinks, seating and cabanas; free for hotel guests.
5. Top Thrills: High Roller, Zip Line and Iconic Vegas Rides
Thrill-seeking kids and parents who want adrenalin-pumping fun can enjoy breezy aerial views while experiencing the highest amusements in Las Vegas (and even in the world).
High Roller Observation Wheel & Fly LINQ Zipline
The High Roller Observation Wheel is 550 feet high and is the tallest Ferris wheel in North America. The experience features 28 spherical (and, yes, air-conditioned!) cabins for up to 40 guests, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows for 360-degree Las Vegas views Extra fun: At night, the wheel glows, with changing colored lighting synced to hit songs. The full-rotation ride lasts 30 minutes. Tickets: $10 and up, free for kids 3 and under.
Bold ones can soar on the Strip’s only zipline, Fly LINQ. Riders launch from a 12-story tower and fly 1,121 feet from Las Vegas Boulevard, down The LINQ Promenade and finish at the High Roller at up to 35 miles per hour. Tickets: $49 and up; some discounts apply.
The Big Apple Coaster & Arcade
The Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York is the first in the world to include a 180-degree “heartline” twist and dive. The heart-pounding ride speeds up to over 67 mph — with twists, turns and loops, whizzing by Strip views. Catch your breath (or wait out the ride) at The Big Apple Arcade for family-friendly games. Tickets: $25 and up.
The Strat Tower
Four of the world’s highest rides are located in one place at The Strat in Las Vegas. The Tower (at 1,149 feet tall) is the highest observation tower in the U.S. Your bravest family members (at least 4 feet tall) can free fall 855 feet at 40 mph on the SkyJump or catapult 1,081 feet up — and down — on the Big Shot. Riders beware: G forces are real. (The X-Scream dangling teeter-totter is currently down for maintenance.) For a more mellow, but still breathtaking experience, you can enjoy unparalleled views of Las Vegas and beyond at the sky-high indoor and outdoor observation decks, plus food and drinks at the highest dining spot and bar in Vegas. Tickets: $21.95 and up.
Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck
If you’re in Vegas, but your heart’s in Paris (oui, c’est moi!) or you just want to take in an iconic, high-altitude experience with your family, you won’t want to miss out on the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck at the Paris Las Vegas resort on the Strip. A half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower landmark in Paris, France, the tower takes guests 46 stories (541 feet) high for 360-degree views. Mirroring the nightly, glittery illuminations of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Las Vegas attraction also offers a synchronized twinkling, colored lights event for all visitors to see for free on the Strip. The light show happens every night for 30 minutes from sunset to midnight. Tower tickets: $19 and up; some discounts apply.
There’s so much for families to enjoy in Las Vegas, aka “Disneyland East.” For more family-friendly ideas, including deals, visit Visit Las Vegas for the latest and greatest.
