Free in Vegas

By E.C. Gladstone

Despite many cynical visitors’ impressions that everything at is expensive, truth is, you don’t need to bleed money in order to have a good time here. In fact, all around town — and on the Strip in particular — there’s an excess of free fun attractions, for families, couples, or anyone else.

Prove it, you say? OK, I will:

10) midway: One of the first free attractions on the Strip, the CC presents a rotating cast of classic circus performers every hour from 11 a.m. to midnight daily.

9) wildlife habitat: Over the property’s 15 acres of tropical gardens roam multiple bird species (flamingos, swans, cranes, penguins, etc.), while schools of fish swim in the ponds. Every morning at 11 a.m., curators offer a free presentation.

8) : The ever-changing floral displays here are always a thing of magnificent wonder, entirely changed 4-5 times a year by over a dozen horticulturalists. Bellagio’s Dale Chiluly glass ceiling in the adjacent hotel reception, and the free Richard Macdonald art exhibit in the lobby of O Theatre are also both worth your time.

7) Silverton Lodge aquarium: Featuring 4000 tropical fish (plus stingrays and sharks) in 117, 000 gallons of salt water, the octagonal tank presents afternoon/evening interactive shows with mermaids and scuba divers. There are also jellyfish in the Mermaid lounge and a few more tanks in the adjoining Bass Pro Shops…Another impressive 50, 000 gallon salt water aquarium can be found behind the animatronic Fall of Atlantis statues (a bit clunky themselves, but worth seeing once perhaps) inside Forum Shops at . And if you happen to be at the Mirage or, both have nice fish tanks in their reception areas.

6) : This enclosed habitat inside the casino must be seen (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily) — first, just to believe that there are actually real lions in there, and then to catch their handlers at play with the fearsome cats (usually more awake at night).