Looking for the perfect date night in Las Vegas? We got you. To mark our 3 year wedding anniversary, Kevin and I decided that a trip to Vegas was long overdue. So we packed our bags, the twins and all of their gear… Oh boy, I remember when date night wasn’t this involved!
Our bag are packed. But the bigger question, can we fit in?
Vegas has something for just about everyone. You’ll see the usual bachelorette parties, family vacationers and couples taking it all in. For the longest time, we swore off Vegas. In fact, we’ve written several guides about Vegas for those who (think) they hate Vegas.
Teaching our twins Ava and Aidan an important social media lesson as they turn 39 weeks old in Las Vegas.
It wasn’t until we dug in deeper — looking beyond the flashy lights and the all-you-can-eat buffets that we saw there was so much more. Whether you’re into museums or a romantic dinner out, we’ve curated our top picks for a date night in Las Vegas. Follow along our journey —
Date Night in Las Vegas for the Inner Artist: Area15
AREA15 is an immersive playground, all rolled into a vast and vibrant space. Opened in September 2020, AREA15 is one of Las Vegas’ newest attractions and one of its most exciting. You could literally spend your entire day (or night here). Throw an axe, wander through a bamboo volcano, race on a zip line, or explore other mesmerizing realms, there’s an experience for just about everyone.
Inside the wild, artistic world of AREA15.
When planning out your date night in Las Vegas, we suggest targeting 1 to 2 attractions to explore at AREA15. That way, you won’t feel rushed. The location is about a 5 minute drive (or Uber ride) from the strip, making it easy to come back and explore several times during your trip. Entry to AREA15 is free, and advanced reservations are highly encouraged. Reservations can be booked directly on the AREA15 website. That way, you can just show up, scan your tickets and head immediately inside to take in all of its fun.
Each experience inside AREA15 has a separate entry fee. At first, I was completely overwhelmed at where to start. I eventually narrowed it down to 2 main experiences. The first was Museum Fiasco ($17 per adult), which is an immersive sound and light spectacle. We made a reservation for 6:30 PM — that way, we had a full night to explore AREA15 and try out at least one more experience.
Upon walking into Museum Fiasco, I could see Kevin looked nervous. It was dark and the audio booms shook us to our core. But don’t worry, this isn’t a haunted house. I know better at this point in our relationship to spring that on him! Think of Museum Fiasco as more of an immersive art installation, meets a crazy Vegas club. Well, without the crowds. Perfect for COVID!
Inside Museum Fiasco at AREA15.
It’s easy to just get lost in the space, taking artistic photos for your Instagram page. We spent about 15 minutes inside snapping shots and maybe doing a few dance moves (which we’ll spare you from seeing). Kevin and I agreed it was unique. It reminded me of being in The Matrix. Or stuck inside a computer. And no, I wasn’t drinking yet.
After we left the exhibit, we read a sign explaining the concept of Museum Fiasco. It was created as an immersive audiovisual installation to explore the relationships between space, time and perception. And the exhibit was a “psychic journey of abstract geometry.” Wow, now that is deep. But if you’re like us, hey, you’ll love taking all of the fun photos inside. And maybe doing a few dance moves. From here, we moved on to the old school arcade bar where we killed some time before our next experience.
We love a good pinball bar. One of the fun activities you can do inside AREA15.
Our second experience was booked for 7:30 PM to check out Omega Mart ($45 per adult). This attraction is part of Meow Wolf, an interactive mind-bending art experience based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Just like in the original, Omega Mart is a self-guided experience where you can fully immerse yourself in a new world. For this exhibit, the theme is a supermarket that turns out to be so much more. Are you ready to enter the portal?
Inside Omega Mart in Las Vegas.
We spent about 1.5 hours inside taking it all in and getting completely lost. One thing you won’t want to miss? The giant slides. It felt like being back in elementary school as we lined up to take our turn. Though, the only difference this time, was that I had a glass of wine before (which I don’t necessarily recommend!).
Talk about a fun night. We wrapped up around 9PM and there is even a restaurant on site if you’re hungry. We ended up heading back to the strip where we grabbed late-night bites and drinks from Javier’s at The Aria Hotel. Talk about maximizing date night in Vegas!
For the Museum Goer: Real Bodies at Bally’s
Real Bodies at Bally’s was one of the most unique museum exhibits we’ve been to. True to the name of the exhibit, Real Bodies at Bally’s uses real human specimens to explore the complex inner workings of the human form. And the exhibit couldn’t be any more timely — updated to include the real-life impact that COVID-19 has on the body.
The museum is broken down into the major body functions including breathing as well as the the digestive, circulatory, pulmonary and reproductive systems.
The museum is a true Vegas hidden gem — tucked away on the bottom floor of the Bally’s Hotel on the Vegas strip. We love museums and learning fun facts that maybe one day we can guess on Jeopardy! One of the most interesting? If stretched out, your intestines would measure about 4 to 5 times your entire body height. Mind blown. It’s easy to forget that the displays are real bodies as it truly looks more like art, especially the section explaining the nervous and pulmonary system.
If you’re like us, and love reading all of the displays, expect to spend at least 1.5 to 2 hours inside. Beyond the general anatomy lesson, the museum also goes in depth on the spiritual and philosophical questions about death. You’ll read about the massive celebrations in New Orleans to eastern Indonesia where a funeral ceremony lasts for weeks. This certainly makes a unique date night. Admission to the museum can be purchased on the Real Bodies website for a special online price of $29.50 per adult, or in person at the exhibit (for $33.20 per person)
For the Mysterious: Las Vegas Ghost Tour
We love a good ghost tale. And clearly there are no shortage of stories in Las Vegas, aka sin city… A place that throughout the years has seen its share of theft, murder and even nuclear testing as entertainment for tourists back in the day. Can you imagine?
Vintage photo of nuclear testing in Vegas, once entertained tourists. Yikes!
Beyond the glitz and flashing lights of Vegas, there are morbid tales. And what better way to hear about it than on a ghost walking tour of the strip with Vegas Ghosts? Tours last about 1 hour ($21 per person), with an option to do an extended version with 1 hour of extra spooky tales (and just $5 extra per person). The meeting location is right on the strip by the Fashion Show Mall, making it super convenient.
Kevin is ready for some ghost tales. Meeting at the Fashion Show Mall.
My husband Kevin once again, asked his favorite question…This isn’t going to be scary, is it? Kevin, it’s a ghost tour! Our guide Cody did a great job keeping this upbeat (for a ghost tour). But why is Las Vegas haunted? Well, you’ll have to take the tour to get the full story. In short, death and murder has always been associated with Vegas, going back to the land grab from Las Vegas Paiute Tribe then later with the mobsters who weren’t exactly afraid to ‘pop off’ anyone who didn’t pay up.
Nearly every hotel on the strip has a ghost story to tell. Though you’ll likely never hear much about it in the news since it’s not exactly the image of Vegas.
There is big money in Vegas, and nearly every hotel has some sordid tale. This is the story of Vegas you won’t see in the news. Legendary celebrities like Liberace, Tupac and Bugsy Seigel, as well as ordinary individuals simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, are a part of the city’s infamy, their spirits linger on and curse the dice in Sin City. One thing is for certain. We won’t think of our time in Vegas ever the same way again, especially while staying at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, one of our favorites on the strip. Let’s just say, it’s seen its share of deaths with numerous falls (intentional or not) from its hundreds of balconies. Creepy! Advanced reservations for Vegas Ghosts are highly recommended and can be booked directly from their website.
For the Adventurous Foodie: Top of the World and The Strat
Looking for a memorable date night in Las Vegas? What could be better than a date night mixed with some death-defying adventures? Okay, we did just take a ghost tour so maybe I shouldn’t ask that? For our 3-year anniversary, I planned out a night at The Strat, located at the very north of the Vegas strip. This was one of the most incredible things we’ve done in Las Vegas on any of our trips. We suggest kicking off your night at the amusement park then getting dinner at Top of the World — both located on top of The Strat.
Ready for take off! Riding the X-Scream on the top of the Strat. Yep, this ride is appropriately named!
We kicked off our night around 6:30 PM, to enjoy Unlimited Rides atop The Strat’s 1,149-foot-tall tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. In fact, it’s taller than the Eiffel Tower and Seattle’s Space Needle, just to give you some perspective.
An unlimited ride wristband ($59) gives you access to the observation deck and the 3 rides on top of the Strat Hotel. Our recommendation is to call ahead to see what rides are open since wind, repairs or just generally bad weather can shut it down. During our visit, 2 of the 3 rides were open. First up, the X-Scream. Remember those super fun teeter-totters from your childhood? Well, X-Scream is sort of like that. Except it’s a bit more high-tech. And it sits atop the tallest building west of the Mississippi instead of in a kiddie playground.
Don’t try this at home, kids! I still can’t believe I convinced my husband to join me on this.
From here, we moved over to the other open ride called Insanity (once again, appropriately named). The ride dangles you high above the Vegas strip for some gorgeous views. Or if you’re afraid of heights, some therapy bills for later!
I’m loving Insanity. I never thought I’d say these words.
We recommend planning dinner at Top of the World at The Strat AFTER your amusement park adventure. As you can imagine, it wouldn’t be fun for anyone if you got sick on the rides. Plus, you can then just enjoy your meal and not feel rushed to take on the park rides afterwards.
For our date night in Las Vegas (and wedding anniversary), we made sure to book a window seat ($25 per person). The floor to ceiling windows will give you a complete unobstructed view of Las Vegas. Plus, it’s a revolving restaurant so you can see Vegas in all of its glory. Advanced reservations are encourage and can be booked here.
It takes about 1.5 hours to do an entire rotation and by the end of your meal you’ll get to see everything from the Vegas Strip to downtown Vegas, Fremont Street and beyond. The views are incredible from Top of the World, but so is the food. We were impressed by just how delicious everything was, right down to the bread basket with its cheese rolls and Plugra butter (a super tasty butter with a higher fat content. No wonder we ate it up so quickly!). We both ordered steak and clearly Kevin couldn’t pass up the chance for some mac n’ cheese.
Talk about a special night out! We can’t wait to celebrate many more occasions to come. After dinner, you’re free to wander the tower, grab a drink and look out at the sprawl of Vegas. What a town! And so many special hidden gems to uncover.
Looking for other ideas for Vegas? Check out our weekend escape guides in Vegas and the best things you can do in Nevada. Looking to go deeper into the desert? We recommend our perfect 2-day itinerary in Page, Arizona that takes you through the picture-perfect Antelope Canyon. Or if you’re more into quirky travel spots, follow our great American road trip along Route 66.
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