Las Vegas With Kids: A Family Travel Guide
8 min read
Vegas with kids gets a lot of side eye, but the city has quietly stacked up enough family attractions to fill a genuinely fun trip. The trick is knowing which hotels and corners of the Strip are built for families and which ones to steer the stroller away from.
I have walked the Strip with families plenty, and the difference between a great kids trip and a miserable one comes down to planning around three things: the heat, the smoke, and the late night adult scene. Get those right and Vegas is a surprisingly good family destination.
Where to stay with kids
Some properties lean family, some absolutely do not. Good family picks include the Mirage area resorts, Excalibur and Luxor on the south end (theme heavy and budget friendly), and Park MGM which sits next to a pedestrian park area.
Circus Circus is the most overtly kid focused with its indoor Adventuredome theme park, though the property itself is dated. The trade off is real bang for the buck on family activities.
Avoid the party focused properties for a family trip. You want a hotel where the pool is a pool, not a thumping dayclub, and where the walk to your room does not run past a nightclub line.
Attractions kids actually love
The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is a legitimate, well done aquarium and an easy half day.
The High Roller observation wheel at the LINQ is a hit with kids, and the LINQ promenade has games and casual food.
The Adventuredome at Circus Circus is a full indoor amusement park with real roller coasters, perfect for a hot afternoon.
Free wins: the Bellagio fountains and Conservatory, the erupting volcano area attractions, the Flamingo wildlife habitat, and the M and M's and other candy themed stores that kids treat like attractions.
Off Strip family fun
The Discovery Children's Museum downtown is excellent for younger kids and a great escape from the casino energy.
Springs Preserve has trails, a museum, and gardens, a nice break from concrete and neon.
Red Rock Canyon for an easy scenic drive and short kid friendly trails. Hoover Dam is a real engineering wow for older kids.
Town Square and Downtown Summerlin are open air shopping and dining areas with parks and play spaces, far calmer than the Strip.
Surviving the heat, the smoke, the chaos
Plan around the heat. From late spring to early fall, do outdoor stuff early and retreat indoors midday. The pool is your friend.
The casino floor is smoky and you have to walk through it to get almost anywhere. Move through quickly and do not linger. Casino floors are also off limits for kids to stop and stand around, so keep moving.
The Strip changes character after dark. Past about 9pm the costumed characters, hustlers, and party crowds come out. Do your family stuff by day and call it earlier than you would on an adult trip.
Family logistics
Book a show the whole family can enjoy. Some Cirque shows and magic shows like Mac King's afternoon comedy magic are family friendly. Check ages before you book, since several big shows are adults only.
The Strip is long and kids tire fast. Use rideshare for the long jumps and do not try to march little legs four miles.
Many hotels have connecting rooms or suites that beat cramming everyone into one room. Worth asking about at booking.
Pack snacks and water. On Strip prices for both are punishing, and a melting hungry kid in 105 degree heat is nobody's good time.
David X Las Vegas earns a commission on bookings made through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes my honest take.
Frequently asked
Is Las Vegas appropriate for kids?
It can be, with planning. Stick to daytime attractions, family friendly hotels, and shows rated for kids, and avoid the late night Strip and the party properties. There is genuinely enough to fill a fun family trip.
What is the best Vegas attraction for young kids?
The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay and the Discovery Children's Museum downtown are both reliable hits. The Adventuredome indoor theme park is great for slightly older kids and beats the heat.
Can kids go on the casino floor?
They can walk through to get places but cannot stop or stand around the gaming areas. Plan to move through floors quickly, and know they are smoky in most properties.
