Indoor Attractions in Las Vegas for Beating the Heat
by Lark Gould
Las Vegas is breaking heat records this summer but the city that never sleeps is also the city that never breaks a sweat. So, while much of what happens in Las Vegas these days takes place poolside around endless frozen cocktails whether in family waterparks, resort day clubs or even the city’s myriad adults-only sunning scenes, a universe of possibility awaits in clime-controlled indoor extravaganzas as only Las Vegas could create. The following is a look at what Las Vegas can offer to those who want to beat the heat and head indoors.
All-day altitudes
Flyover, a new attraction along the Las Vegas Strip, has taken huge cues from Disney and delivered a next-level immersive experience in 4D.
Using Disney Imagineering and movie-making wizardry, Flyover brings four film experiences that take watchers out of their chairs and plummets them into deep chasms, whooshes them through snowy forests, pushes them off cliffs, floats them over plains, immerses them in watery depths and flies them through cracks in the landscape. No Oculus headframes required. One simply needs a good half-hour and a willingness to let go and flow where the experience goes. They will feel the breezes, smell the aromas, undulate in the movements, hang tight with the spills …and, as with a wonderful vacation, come back to earth feeling refreshed.
The Las Vegas Strip attraction, just north of MGM Grand Resort & Casino, offers four themed experiences and each is its own destination: “Wonders of the American West”; “Believe Chicago”; “Legendary Iceland: Landscapes & Lore”; and “Windborne: Call of the Canadian Rockies”.
The Las Vegas attraction has 40 seats per ride, able to accommodate 80 guests per show in the four to five shows per hour offered. Each is roughly 25 minutes long, including a boarding gate experience, a pre-show and then – the ultimate flying ride.
Flyover Las Vegas runs 9 am to 9 pm or 10 pm, depending on the day and in true Las Vegas style, can be used to fit a variety of needs, whether buyouts for events, even add stage announcements, cocktail service and a scintillating variety of entertainment. Tickets are commissionable to agents and start, per person, at $32 per show experience. Contact: sales@flyoverlasvegas.com.
Mid-day magic
Las Vegas is the epicenter of afternoon shows, which become a perfect activity to schedule during the day’s hottest hours. Among those shows is the Nathan Burton Magic Show happening most days at 4 pm (Mondays and Tuesdays add 2 pm. Thursdays are always dark). The 70-minute show is located in a converted film theater within the Flyover complex, all anchored by the Lost Cactus Bar. The act itself is classic Vegas stage magic with plenty of jokes and wows. And the space and act can be considered for events and buyouts for right-sized groups.
Other mid-afternoon magic moments can be found at Excalibur with Mac King who runs shows Tuesday through Saturday at 3 pm. And, when floating women and cramped cages become tiresome, one can try some pampered pets. Gregory Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater happens at the V Theater of Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops. It’s an hour of cute cat videos in live mode next to derring-do dog tricks happening Tuesdays through Sundays at 2:30 pm. For blockbuster magic while the sun shines, head to the MGM Grand on Saturdays. David Copperfield performs his notorious feats at 4 pm for Saturdays-only afternoon spectaculars.
High noon indoor golf
Golfers need not give up their game in the 100+ degree heat. They can take their swings indoors with the MGM Grand’s Topgolf venue. What was once an outdoor funpark of rollercoasters and bumper cars is now the latest spot for swings and holes as pros and wannabes practice positionings within golf courses like none other.
Topgolf Las Vegas allows golfers to have the Strip as a vibrant backdrop while taking advantage of high-tech amenities. Toptracer tracking systems, for instance, brings instant replays on HDTV screens in each bay, allowing experienced golfers to analyze their swings and improve their accuracy. Furthermore, the targets are divided into zones, providing a challenge for skilled players to showcase their precision.
Those new to the game can aim for targets and score points while learning the fundamentals of club design and distance with the help of color-coded irons. To enhance the overall experience, Topgolf offers the expertise of their pro instructors who can provide valuable insights that lead to lasting improvements.
Unlimited game play passes are available on weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm. through August, in this four-level complex of climate-controlled hitting bays.
All-day museums
Las Vegas may not have a Met or Louvre to boast but it does have its style of odd museums to share, from the halls of haunted objects at the Zak Bagans Haunted Museum to the prolific art pieces of former resident artist Rita Deanin Abbey. It all began with the opening of the kitsch-packed Liberace Museum in 1979. Now the collection resides in the Liberace Garage housed in the former Las Vegas residence of Michael Jackson.
An easy hit for an afternoon of cool comfort and engaging edification is The Mob Museum, located in the historic former federal post office building in Downtown Las Vegas. The space is a go-to venue for events, if only for its immersive speakeasy attraction that serves cocktails in jars and tiny bathtubs. But the meandering around other floors of this comprehensive museum makes it a top target in the U.S. for anyone who wants to get their feet wet (or cemented) in solid knowledge of what made Las Vegas (and, indeed, many mainstays of this country’s economy) as can only be envisioned through a major Sin City attraction. Allow at least two hours. There is a lot of history here.
For true scares in this day and age, consider a sobering visit to the Atomic Museum, with input for the engineers that managed the test site nearby and now work with Area 51.
The Museum of Illusions opened last summer on the Las Vegas Strip as a novel backdrop for events and parties and a fun place to trip out on a sidewalk-melting day. It’s mostly rooms of lightshow effects amid mirrors and sounds with creative mind-bending installations that all come together in a warehouse setting along the Strip near the Crystals Shopping Promenade near Aria.
Similarly, the Paradox Museum, across the Strip from Park MGM
offers an illogically good time for those seeking a departure from the heat – and reality. With more than 70 exhibits spread across a vast space, visitors embark on self-guided journeys through the realms of science, art, and human perception. From immersive experiences to brain teasers, the museum provides an interactive adventure unlike any other. Each room houses a different marvel, some of which employ clever camera tricks to capture images that defy belief. Guests can engage in poker games with their clones, sit on sofas that disconnect their bodies, or stand beside mirrors that create the illusion of levitation. For selfie addicts, this spot is a must. Tickets start at $28 and can be bundled with Flyover admissions.
Escape Las Vegas
Escape the heat and escape Las Vegas in one of the many escape rooms to be found along the Strip. Escape Game at the Forum Shops at Caesars offers six themed breakout modes that go live at various times in the afternoon and evening. Experiences must be reserved and start at $42 per person. Large groups can be accommodated, making for the perfect bonding experience or bachelor/bachelorette activity. Numerous other escape attractions off the Strip turn up the heat in scare tactics and could be the right spots for Halloween fun in the fall.
