Las Vegas Attractions: Bellagio Fountains, Pirate Battles, and more

Stratosphere Tower and Thrill Rides

The tower at the Stratosphere is over 1,000 feet high and features an observation deck with the best view of the strip (and Vegas for that matter), a revolving restaurant, and four different thrill rides on top.

We cover the rides in more detail on our thrill rides page. You should do at least one! The least scary is the Big Shot, since it doesn't dangle you over the edge like the other rides. At the very least, going to the top of the tower gives you the best view of Vegas. It's prettier at night, but during the day you can see the mountains all around you. Tower admission is $14 and most rides are another $12, but you can get a combo package (tower plus rides) for a discount. Vegetarians will be disappointed that there's not a single vegetarian entreé on the menu at the restaurant at the top of the tower.

Other odds and ends about the Stratosphere:

The Stratosphere is reputed to be able to withstand an 8.0 earthquake.

In two separate incidents, riders were left dangling a sixth of a mile above the strip for an hour and a half when the rides unexpectedly shut down.

The Strat has the dubious distinction of being the first casino added to the Hall of Shame by the world's foremost gambling mathematician, the Wizard of Odds.

The Stratosphere's website was listed as an example of poor design at Problem Websites.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum at The Venetian

Madame Tussaud's Celebrity Encounter features over 100 wax statues, is The Tussaud's first attraction in the United States and joins other Madame Tussaud'a attractions in London, Amsterdam, and Australia.

Some of the figures are really likelike and striking -- it's kind of eery since it feels like they're looking right at you. This is not the wax museum from your childhood, either, where all the figures were behind ropes and you couldn't get anywhere near them. Not-uh. Here all the figures are on the floor and you can mingle with them, or have your picture taken. All the girls were donning the bridal gowns they make available to have wedding pictures taken with George Clooney. Me, I stood eye to eye with Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame and asked, "You wanna start sumpthin', huh? Come on, captain, let's see whatcha got!"

Here's how you know the figures are authentic. You know how your internal proximity alert goes off in your head when someone stands too close to you? Try this: Move closer to one of the figures, and I swear, as soon as you cross that invisible "personal space" line, your mind will start feeling really uneasy as you move ever closer. It's weird, and neat.

Tickets are $23, and you can get a discount at the half-price ticket place I mention on the front page. See the official website for the museum or read a review at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton

CLOSED in 2008. This popular attraction closed in September 2008 after a nearly 11-year run starting in January 1998. The following description is here for historical purposes only.

STAR TREK: The Experience is an interactive adventure based on the voyages of the most exciting futuristic television series of all time. Visitors are immersed in a futuristic world where they see, feel, and live the 24th century! Enjoy the History of the Future Museum, Voyage Through Space, Deep Space Nine Promenade Shops and finally, relax and dine in Quark's Bar & Restaurant.

You'll enter the Starfleet Gallery Room where you'll be unexpectedly beamed aboard the Starship Enterprise, and taken to an exact replica of the Bridge. After receiving your mission instructions on the Bridge, you'll take the TurboLift to the Grand Corridor, a never-before seen area from the world of Star Trek, where you'll be escorted to the Shuttlebay. Here, you'll board a 27-seat shuttlecraft for the ultimate simulated journey through the Star Trek universe. ($25 for all-day pass) (from the Star Trek Experience website)

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Las Vegas Attractions

Stratosphere Tower and Thrill Rides

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum at The Venetian

Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton

Other Sites

(Also see our separate page about free attractions.)