Water that dances like ballerinas. Cannons that shoot water hundreds of feet in the air. Yes, the fountains that span the artificial lake in front of Bellagio Las Vegas have become one of the most iconic Vegas sights. It’s no wonder this is where the characters from the 2001 version of “Ocean’s 11” met to celebrate their big heist. The spectacle, designed by a company poetically named Wet, opened with the property in 1998 and today comprises more than 1,000 fountains in all, some shooting spray more than 450 feet into the air. The fountains go off weekdays every 30 minutes between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and every 15 minutes between 8 p.m. and midnight. They are even more frequent on weekends.
Unless you’ve got a bird’s eye view from a balcony suite at The Cosmopolitan, arrive early to secure a prime standing-room only spot along the Strip.
Other things to see : For a great aerial view over Las Vegas, or even the Grand Canyon, visitors may want to take a helicopter ride. Las Vegas has a number of companies providing helicopter tours that take visitors over Las Vegas and the Strip, or as far away as the Grand Canyon. This is a great opportunity for anyone with limited time to see not only Vegas, but the surrounding landscape and one of America’s most impressive and famous natural attractions. If you have a full day for exploring, try a 6.5-hour Grand Canyon 4-in-1 Helicopter Tour.
Free things to do in Vegas :
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas houses some of the best free art around: there are the so-called Wallworks-murals by artists like Kenny Scharf and Shepard Fairey-on the concrete walls of the parking garage; the eight light columns at check-in with constantly changing videos; and a residency space right on the mezzanine level of the hotel.
P3 Studio has hosted artists from Fab 5 Freddy to Shelter Serra, who work there for several weeks; passersby can wander in and often take part in an interactive art piece.
At Wynn Las Vegas, look for the 7-foot-tall, 2,000-pound Popeye sculpture by Jeff Koons right on the shopping esplanade that Steve Wynn purchased for $28 million, and the giant, mirror-polished stainless steel Tulips (Jeff Koons, $34 million) that sits outside the Wynn Theater.
And of course the casinos … You can familiarize yourself how this games plays, before visiting Las Vegas here at $ 3.65 million for the jackpot winner.
You can easily keep yourself entertained wandering the Strip – watch the gondoliers at the Venetian, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at New York New York, see the pyramids at the Luxor, visit the botanical gardens at the Bellagio, check out the vintage neon casino signs on Fremont Street in Old Vegas, or pose by the Las Vegas sign (south of Mandalay Bay on the Strip).
There are also free attractions inside the casinos. The Flamingo has a Wildlife Habitat, which is home to flamingos and other exotic birds, fish and turtles in 15 acres of gardens. The Silverton Casino has a huge tropical aquarium, complete with tropical fish and swimming mermaids. And the Cosmopolitan has its own modern art collection. Away from the casinos, the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame is free to enter and you just pay 25-50ยข per game.