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Free or Cheap Things to Do in Las Vegas, Nevada

Time was, people wouldn’t blink at spending tons of cash in Las Vegas. Thinking about cheap things to do in Vegas seemed almost laughable.  Developers built more and bigger casinos, housing was booming, and tourists spent their vacation dollars at poker tables and extravagant live entertainment.  We’re not even talking that long ago - that time was just last year. Well. Since then, development and new housing have seriously stalled, the economy made most of us nervously hold onto our wallets, and Las Vegas has to regroup.

Not that it’s a complete bust in Vegas, of course; conventions and business travel are still going strong, and Cirque du Soleil isn’t exactly packing up and going home. Nevertheless, many of us are more carefully watching where we spend our travel budget this year. It’s good to know that there are some cheap activities in Las Vegas - we can round out a trip there with some nontraditional, cheap things to do.

Cheap Activities in Las Vegas, Nevada:

The largest open-air market in Nevada is right in North Las Vegas, at 2930 N. Las Vegas Blvd. The Broadacres Swap Meet has around 1,150 vendors and is open every day except Saturday. Sure, there’s some junk, but look carefully  - there are also plenty of vintage items like old casino signs and products, antique toys, and more. It only costs fifty cents Monday through Friday, or a dollar on Sunday to get in.

Six members of Bette Midler’s Band (there are 14 musicians total) perform as Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns every Monday at 10:30 PM at the Palms Casino at 4321 W. Flamingo Road. The show is free - that’s right, free - and really professional in that loose, jazzy way. It’s a cheap version of her big  “real” show, “The Showgirl Must Go On,” at Caesars Palace.

A great view of the Las Vegas Strip is a cheap thing to see; all you have to do is head up to the 64th floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. THEhotel at Mandalay Bay’s MIX Lounge is here, and the sights of the Strip in all its glittering, vivid glory are really a can’t-miss. The lounge is free until 10PM, and $20 Monday-Friday, $25 on weekends after 10PM. Of course, tourists are welcome to do more than just stare out the huge wall of windows - there’s a DJ, comfy couches, and drinks that, while somewhat free-flowing, do end costing a pretty penny.

Also at the Mandalay Bay, the weekly blues concerts showcase live music with the House of Blues. The current show, “Nothing But The Blues,” is a totally free thing to do, and really great. Shows typically run from 9PM to midnight.

Cheap things to buy at the shopping malls - plan ahead, and print out great-value coupons from Visit Las Vegas. (This link is a pdf.) Simply showing the printout will be good for redeemable gifts or discounts at the participating stores. The Shop Vegas Passport is a pretty good incentive to spend money while you feel like you’re saving some. It’s worth checking out, while the program’s still in effect.

The Pinball Hall of Fame sounds unusual, but it’s quirky and surprisingly interesting, too. Around a 15-minute drive from the Strip, the Pinball Museum is on 3330 E. Tropicana in Las Vegas, and the museum houses the world’s largest pinball collection. Yes, you can play them! Wouldn’t be much of a fun cheap thing to do otherwise, right? The collection spans from the 1950’s to the 1990’s, and the games still cost just a quarter or fifty cents to play.

As long as we’re on quirky museums, spending time at the Liberace Museum is a cheap activity during a Las Vegas vacation. Yes, there’s tons of glitter and sequins here, as well as that rhinestone-crusted piano. But the Liberace Museum, at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave, is a mere $15 to get in, or $10 for seniors and students.  A lot of Liberace’s famous, showy (some would say garish) costumes are on display here, and some of his oversize jewelry as well. It’s certainly memorable!

There is a cheap attraction at the Rio Hotel & Casino, at 3700 W. Flamingo Rd. The Show in the Sky includes a ride/tour. Billed as the “best free show in Las Vegas,” it’s actually $12.95, still very cheap for what tourists get. Masquerade Village’s Show in the Sky has three different shows, performed every hour from 7PM to midnight Thursday through Sunday. 25 guests can ride the floats with the dancers and musicians, parading on elevated tracks about the Rio’s casino floor.

We don’t have to go broke during a vacation in Las Vegas, though it’s easy to get caught up in the action at the blackjack tables (it’s not just me, right?) and spend more than we intend. With cheap eats and cheap or free things to do in Las Vegas, a vacation there can be both fun and budget-friendly.

Source: MudslideMama