Alongside the glitz and casinos is a city of sculptures, superb restaurants and the Super Bowl. Tristan Parker learns about the surprising side of the city from three locals
SHARE
There’s no denying Las Vegas’s status as a bustling, glamorous metropolis. But many people don’t realise there’s another side entirely to the city, one which defies its big-screen image and reveals a diverse cultural hub with plenty to say.
Throughout the city you’ll find cutting-edge art galleries and eye-opening museums, globally acclaimed sports events and access to some of the United States’ finest natural parks, packed with incredible scenery and wildlife.
Best of all, it’s a cinch to uncover this side to the city, especially when you hear from the people who know Las Vegas better than anyone: the locals. Three knowledgeable residents gave us their tips for experiencing a very different Las Vegas to the one you think you may know.
Add to that insightful recommendations from another savvy team who know the city inside out – Virgin Atlantic staff and cabin crew – and you’ve got everything you need to plan a memorable holiday.
Book now with Virgin Atlantic to make it happen: with daily flights from London Heathrow, award-winning onboard service, great in-flight entertainment and delicious food in every cabin, your journey will be a breeze.
Our mission at The Neon Museum is to celebrate the city as a whole and how we are different. The museum is two things, really. If you’re looking for an iconic Vegas backdrop for your Instagram shot, this is the place to be, whether you want the 82ft-tall Hard Rock guitar or the Stardust casino sign, which has so much nostalgia tied to it.
But you can also learn about the fascinating people who have helped develop and transform the city, including some of the biggest names in entertainment, as well as designers, architects and civil rights activists.
In terms of other museums and galleries that people should visit, the marquee names are the Mob Museum (officially named the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement) and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Whenever I travel, I always like to find venues that are a little off the beaten track and which focus on local artists. There are some great places to do that in the city, such as the Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center, which is dedicated to artists of colour here in Las Vegas, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous art.
When it comes to experiencing nature and being outdoors, Las Vegas has so much to offer. For starters, we’re located in the Mojave Desert, then there are national parks, gorgeous conservation areas, amazing trees and greenery, and the Grand Canyon is right next door to us. When we take people out on a Jeep tour, they can’t believe all these places exist so close to the city.
One of the most popular places among both locals and tourists is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area – just a 30-minute drive from the Strip. You can see the mountain ranges there from various parts of the city. There’s desert-like landscape, gorgeous red rocks, pine trees, waterfalls and snowmelt. It’s very serene and peaceful, and it’s one of those places that’s completely silent, which is remarkable when you’re there. We do an off-road tour to Red Rock in an open-air Jeep, which really gives people the feel of being out in the elements.
Valley of Fire State Park is about an hour away from most of the Las Vegas resorts, and it’s another place that’s just mesmerising. The iron oxide in the sediment of the rocks makes them a vibrant red. Lots of movies have been filmed there to use them as a backdrop.
There are also the bucket list destinations you can visit from Las Vegas, like Death Valley, the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. Another place I recommend is Eldorado Canyon, where you can see Techatticup Mine, one of Nevada’s oldest gold mines. It’s perfect if people want to feel like they’re in the wild, wild west for a day.
Road to happiness
Las Vegas will welcome you
with open arms
Dreamy sunsets
In Crete there’s plenty of time to unwind
It’s plane to see – top tips from Virgin Atlantic staff
Who knows Las Vegas better than the wonderful crew responsible for your seamless journey from London’s Heathrow? The friendly faces at Virgin Atlantic give their top tips for places travellers should visit while in Vegas.
Book now at virginatlantic.com
A mob museum,
Damien Hirst and an 82ft guitar – the Las Vegas you don’t know
How glow
can you go?
The Neon Museum offers a fascinating look at the
city’s past
“We have galleries that rival any in the country, but the experience of seeing our art is just a little different”
Aaron Berger, executive director, The Neon Museum
Really, though, the whole city is a museum. I saw my first Jeff Koons work here – Tulips at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel – and Damien Hirst has sculptures at the Palms Casino Resort. We have galleries in Las Vegas that rival any in the country, but the experience of seeing our art is just a little different.
If you’re searching for a stunning architectural building, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a great space. They also have a little cabaret and jazz venue called Myron’s, which is a wonderful place to drop in if you want to grab a drink and listen to some live music.
If you want to go more avant-garde, I love the Majestic Repertory Theatre. It’s a very small space where they do a lot of immersive productions that see the ticket-holders become part of the production.
When it comes to dining out, there are a million great places on the Strip, but personally I love to go to Main St Provisions in the Arts District, or Letty’s, which does Mexican street food. The best way to finish a night is at Freed’s, a family-owned bakery with four locations in Las Vegas that’s been around since 1959. You cannot go wrong with anything you order there.
What I really love about the city is that Las Vegas is whatever you want it to be. If you want to eat at a top-class restaurant and then go clubbing at some of the best nightclubs in the world, go for it. But if you want to get up early and see a stunning mid-century modern church designed by one of the first black architects accepted into the American Institute of Architects, we’ve got that, too.
That church, by the way, is the Guardian Angel Cathedral, designed by Paul Revere Williams. It has stained glass windows depicting the Strip and they even accept chips when they pass the communion plate.
There is no favourite activity in Las Vegas – it’s all about “What are you in the mood for today?” Because whatever that is, it’s here.
Holy roller
The Guardian Angel Cathedral has stained glass windows depicting the city’s Strip
Desert delights
Jessica Juadines, director of sales, Pink Adventure Tours, Las Vegas
Rock stars
Eldorado Canyon, site of an old mine; the majestic Grand Canyon; and
a stately
bighorn sheep
Hot-pink pursuit
Take a trip deep into Valley of Fire State Park
You can also spot a lot of wildlife in these areas. The bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire are really impressive. They almost camouflage into the background, so you have to know what you’re looking for, but once you see them, they’re amazing. You might also see a desert tortoise burrowing down in some areas.
Another thing that makes exploring the outdoors so appealing is the weather. With more than 320 days of sunshine a year, almost every day is beautiful. And on the very few overcast or rainy days we have, scenery like Red Rock still looks fantastic.
The Grand Canyon is a lot closer to Las Vegas than most people think, depending on which part you’re going to. The West Rim is only about two hours away, which is where you’ll find the Skywalk, the U-shaped glass walkway that attracts a lot of people. But most of the Grand Canyon National Park is around the South Rim. The climate also varies a lot in different sections: the North Rim can be covered in snow while there’s lots of sunshine at the South Rim.
Seeing all these areas is such a valuable thing to do, because it helps people understand why Las Vegas exists. All these places are part of the foundations for the city that we have, especially the Hoover Dam, which provides water to so many people.
My favourite place to go when I want to escape the city is Valley of Fire. The landscape changes so drastically on the way there, and it’s one of those places that puts things into perspective and makes you realise just how small you are in this big world.
I like to call Las Vegas the ultimate golf destination. No other golf destination in the world has our “19th hole” – the Las Vegas Strip. And then there’s everything surrounding it: major league sporting events, dozens of star concert headliners, great restaurants – everything is here. So, you play on some very good golf courses during the day and then the night just comes alive.
There’s some incredible golf here, but the draw for many people is that you can combine world-class golf with world-class dining, shopping, entertainment and other sports. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority dubbed us “The Greatest Arena on Earth”. What that means is that we have pretty much everything in the city. I’ve lost track of exactly how many sporting and entertainment arenas and venues we have, but it’s a huge number.
From a hole in one to F1
Brian Hurlburt, founding editor of lasvegasgolfInsider.com
“You can combine world-class golf with world-class dining, shopping, entertainment and other sports”
We have Allegiant Stadium – home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders – the Thomas & Mack Center, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Orleans Arena, the T-Mobile Arena… The list goes on and on. The city is filled with everything from hockey, football and boxing to Formula One, soccer and rugby.
There’s a deep history of professional golf in Las Vegas that dates back to the LPGA Championship in 1961. That tournament was played at what’s now called Las Vegas National Golf Club, and I think that’s a must-play course because of the history. Tiger Woods also won his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas in 1996 and the National was one of the three courses used. Shadow Creek is probably our most famous course – it’s like Las Vegas’s own St Andrew’s.
If people are visiting the city for the first time and want to play some golf, I’d recommend the three courses at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort designed by golf architect Pete Dye: Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain and The Wolf. They’re always in great condition. Then there’s Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas, a spectacular Nicklaus Design course.
Aside from golf, there are lots of other popular sports within the city. We now have the National Hockey League, and our team is the Vegas Golden Knights. That’s a big deal for us, and the city always gets behind them when they take to the ice. Then there’s the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. We’ve also got a Minor League Baseball team, the Las Vegas Aviators, and college teams for various sports. But what’s special about Las Vegas is that there are always so many big-time championships happening. The Super Bowl is coming next year, F1 racing is coming in November with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we have two annual NASCAR races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, there’s the Rock’n’Roll Las Vegas marathon where people run right down the Strip, there are huge bowling tournaments… whatever your favourite sport is, we probably have a championship for it.
SPONSORED CONTENT
Club class
Bali Hai Golf
Club is the only championship course on the Strip
“The Seven Magic Mountains art installation in the desert is amazing. Just a 30-minute drive from the Strip and beautiful at dusk and dawn. Secret Pizza at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is great for a very late snack. It’s open until 4am and the pizza is phenomenal.”
Josie, aircraft efficiency officer
“Visit the quirky and charming town of Seligman on Route 66, on the way to the Grand Canyon. It’s like taking a step back in time.”
Pierre, cabin crew
“Red Rock Canyon is ideal for a hike in the cooler months.”
Carly, cabin crew
“Lost Spirits Distillery, just off the Strip, is a brilliant evening out. It offers an experiential, interactive circus show – with rum!”
Tim, pricing manager
“The old neon sign graveyard – the Boneyard – at The Neon Museum is a unique place. Guided tours tell you all about the history of Las Vegas.”
Daniel, inflight services manager
“Mount Charleston, just an hour’s drive from the city, is a great place to hike.”
Kevin, flight service manager
“The absolute best cocktail bar in Vegas is The Golden Tiki. It’s around ten minutes from the Strip and is where the locals go. For shopping, head to the Downtown Summerlin shopping centre, which has more than 100 stores. They have absolutely everything!”
Andrew, airport manager (Las Vegas)
The great outdoors
The Seven Magic Mountains art installation, the Mount Charleston Wilderness trail and Seligman, where Route 66 lives on
Galleries galore
Afternoon delight
In every Virgin Atlantic cabin, you can enjoy a whole new world of dining above the clouds, including Mile High Afternoon Tea.
Screen time
Virgin Atlantic’s inflight entertainment system, Vera, provides you with hours of the latest movies, TV shows and music to keep you immersed for your whole flight.
Treat yourself
With Virgin Atlantic, you can order duty-free online before your flight and choose to get your shopping delivered home or direct to your seat on your next flight, so there's less to carry at the airport. Best of all, Flying Club members will earn
two points for
every £1 spent.
Flying high
Before your trip to
Las Vegas, join the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for free to unlock rewards and benefits, such as the ability to…
- Earn and spend Virgin Points on flights and holidays
- Unlock hundreds of rewards with Virgin Red, the airline's reward club
- Enjoy exclusive benefits as you move up tiers, such as Premium check-in or lounge access
The VIP treatment
Flying Club Gold Card members or those travelling Upper Class can enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Clubhouse at London Heathrow. It's more a five-star hotel than an airport lounge – the perfect place to relax before your flight.
Be a picky eater
Before your Premium or Upper Class flight, choose what you’d like to eat – then relax, knowing a delicious meal is waiting onboard.
Virgin Atlantic’s seasonal service from Manchester Airport to Las Vegas returns
June 2024 – and will be available to book here from July 7
Back by popular demand
Back by popular demand
Virgin Atlantic’s seasonal service from Manchester Airport to Las Vegas returns June 2024 – and will be available to book here from July 7