9 Best Free Things to Do in Las Vegas

The illuminated Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on South Las Vegas Boulevard is perhaps one of the most iconic sights in the city. The 25-foot-tall (7.6-metre) sign was built in 1959 and is one of the most recognisable structures in the city.

It rapidly became such a hit with people wanting their photo taken with it that a small car park had to be built in the median of the highway to prevent people stopping on the busy road. It’s especially attractive at night, but is obviously accessible (for free) at any time.

The Pinball Hall of Fame is a must-visit for any nostalgia lover and arcade enthusiast. Located right on the Las Vegas Strip, across the street from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, this unique museum is dedicated to vintage pinball machines from the 1950s up to the 1990s, offering a real trip back in time. The museum houses over 350 pinball machines that have each been meticulously restored.

The museum is free and open daily, and you can also play all the machines for just a small dime. Forget about gambling at the slot machines and poker tables; try your luck at The Pinball Hall of Fame instead and you’re sure to have fun while doing it.

Most hotels in Las Vegas have gardens, but the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens stands in a league of its own. The 14,000 sq ft (1,300 sq metre) area transform 5 times every year, with special displays of plants for Chinese New Year, spring, summer, fall and winter.

Expect to be enchanted by a stunning array of orchids, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and poinsettia, among many others. Conveniently located adjacent to the hotel’s lobby, the conservatory is also extremely environmentally friendly, with wilted flowers reused as compost.

The Grand Canal Shoppes of the Venetian Resort is an impressive recreation of the famously romantic canal city in Italy. While gondola rides are not free, you can enjoy watching the gondoliers navigate the canals and serenade their passengers.

Additionally, you can take a wander around the huge shopping emporium and enjoy the delightful design and exotic shopfronts. Don’t expect to snag many bargains though, as it’s mostly luxury lifestyle brands. This is a great place to get a taste of Venice without breaking the bank.

The East Las Vegas suburb of Henderson is home to gourmet chocolatier Ethel M Chocolates. The good news for budget travellers is you can take a self-guided tour for free. It’s not what you’d call a natural combination, but there is a 3-acre (1.2-hectare) cactus garden outside, which you can explore.

The chocolate tour allows you to look into the company’s kitchens while they hand-craft everything from pecan brittle to signature fillings. In the cactus garden, you can see 350 species of cacti and succulents, which recycle all of the factory’s wastewater.

The ARIA Fine Art Collection is one of the largest corporate modern art collections in the world. It is also one of the first in Las Vegas to be displayed in a public space. It features dramatic sculptures, paintings and installations by artists from around the world, with ambitious themes like the fundamentals of the human experience, the importance of a single human life and the dialogue between humankind and the world we live in.

The collection is located all around the ARIA Campus, including the ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, The Shops at Crystals and Veer Towers. Maps are available to guide you to each.    

It may not be quite on the same level as Vegas’s famous Cirque du Soleil shows, but the awe-inspiring circus acts at Circus Circus are fantastic and a free alternative. Inside the big top-style hall, you can see daily shows throughout the afternoon and evening, featuring a diverse range of performances. From clowns and acrobats to jugglers and trapeze artists, the acts cover everything you’d expect from a classic circus.

The international cast are extremely skilled and entertaining, making each show a delightful experience for visitors of all ages.

Watching the balletic display of the Fountains of Bellagio is one of the most iconic free things to do in Las Vegas. Over 1,200 nozzles in the 8-acre (3.2-hectare) artificial freshwater lake shoot jets of water up to 460 ft (140 meter) into the air, all choreographed to a diverse selection of soundtracks. From the iconic Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley to Céline Dion's My Heart Will Go On, these mesmerising water displays are synchronised perfectly with the music.

Barring any unusual weather conditions, there are shows every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after dark.

Fremont Street was basically The Strip before there was a Strip. Part of it was known as Glitter Gulch because of the huge number of neon signs for casinos there. The Fremont Street Experience is a covered pedestrian mall which spans the westernmost 5 blocks, including the Gulch. The impressive, illuminated roof covers casinos, restaurants, bars (all cheaper than those on The Strip) and a lively atmosphere.

Uniquely, you can soar over the street like a superhero on the SlotZilla ZipLine, though that part of the experience isn’t free.