Things to Do In Las Vegas for Teenagers

The Strat

The Stratosphere is a must-do in Las Vegas with teenagers. Whether your teen is someone who loves the thrill of heights or is more of the adventurous type who will instantly go for the thrill rides, the Stratosphere is destined to be a highlight of your trip. 

The Stratosphere tower hovers more than 1,100 ft above the ground, with both indoor and outdoor viewing decks that offer far-reaching views of Las Vegas, along with southern Nevada. Some speculate you can even see into California if the weather conditions are just right. 

The Stratosphere is also where you’ll find thrill rides that will definitely get the adrenaline pumping. 

SkyJump: For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, offer your teen the chance to jump from 829 feet in the air and propel toward the Las Vegas Strip at speeds of more than 40 mph. This ultimate SkyJump adventure holds a Guinness World Record and is guaranteed to earn your teen a few cheers from below. Jumpers must be at least 14 years old, 52 inches tall, and weigh less than 265lbs. 

New York New York Big Apple Coaster

The New York NY Big Apple Coaster is a New York City subway-themed ride found at the New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. If your teen thinks Las Vegas is a lame playground for adults, the New York NY Big Apple Coaster will have them changing their mind. 

Millions have taken the plunge and lived to tell about it. The ride starts by lifting riders 180 ft into the air, building to a speed of more than 67 mph. The first hill is an adrenaline surging 144 ft drop, followed by some upside-down twisty turns and loops. The ride comes to an end on the rooftop of the casino. Riders must be 54 inches tall, and no one under the age of 21 is permitted between the hours of 9 pm-midnight. 

LINQ Zipline – FLY

The LINQ Fly is the only zipline on the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s just waiting for you and your teen to team up for a group ride as you plunge over the most famous street in Las Vegas. Your fly starts by launching from a 12 story tower and carries you more than 1,100 feet above the Strip. This zip line reaches speeds of up to 35 mph and is suitable for passengers who are at least 40 inches tall, weighing between 60-100lbs. 

Ziplines on Fremont Street (during the day)

Ziplining over the Strip isn’t your only opportunity to see Vegas while flying through the air with your teen. The Fremont Street Experience offers a few different options for ziplining on Fremont Street. 

SlotZilla is a giant slot machine where your zipline adventure begins. Choose between two different ziplining experiences. The first is the Super Hero Zoom, which takes you 11 stories high and propels you through the air super-hero style (gliding stomach down, hands out in front), along five blocks of Fremont Street. 

The second option, Zip-Zilla, is a bit tamer. For this ziplining adventure, you’re seated in the harness and fly seven stories high along two blocks of Fremont Street. The SlotZilla zip lines have won multiple awards for the best amusement ride and best family attraction in Las Vegas. 

There is one caveat. Fremont Street is high energy, with all sorts of activities going on during the day. Once the sun sets, the family-friendly nature of Fremont Street is less predictable. It’s not uncommon to see more adult-themed street performers and just a general tendency toward more mature visitors. You might want to avoid Fremont Street at night with your teens and young children. 

What’s a trip to Las Vegas without a few iconic photos for your teen to post and brag about their adventures? The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was created in 1959 and has drawn countless visitors since then. 

The famous sign is located at 5200 Las Vegas Boulevard South, and if you’re lucky, you might find Elvis or a few other characters standing around to take a picture with you (small tip appreciated). 

With a vibe that’s a bit tamer but not lacking in things to do, the Venetian is a great place to spend some time with your teens. They might enjoy a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. Family gondola rides are a fun way to see this little spot of Vegas from a different perspective. There’s also the opportunity for a photo op with the gondoliers. A Grand Canal gondola wide is an ideal way to relax as a family. 

Located in the Grand Canal shoppes of the Venetian is also the famous wax museum, Madame Tussauds. Not your typical museum, Madame Tussauds features life-size, life-like statues of celebrities, musicians, athletes, superheroes, and more. Cozy up to a few and snap some pics, or engage in one of the interactive activities. 

Bellagio Fountains

The idea of sightseeing some fountains might not sound like a great time to your teen, that is, until they see the Bellagio Fountains up close and personal. The Bellagio fountains are one of the most iconic fixtures in Las Vegas. 

The fountains of the Bellagio are romantic, which may or may not be your teen’s thing. They’re also an incredible display spanning more than 1,000 ft with water that shoots an incredible 460 feet into the air. From a distance, the Bellagio Fountains are beautiful, but up close, they’re truly amazing. 

Fountain display times start at 3 pm and last through midnight, Monday-Friday, with displays starting at least once every 30 minutes. Display times begin at noon and end at midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Mirage Volcano

If the Bellagio fountains are a little too low-key for your teen, take them to Mirage Volcano for a sound and light show to ignite the sense. Located outside the main Las Vegas Boulevard entrance of the Mirage, the Volcano gets ready to erupt every night from 7 -10 pm, weather permitting. 

Each show, accompanied by music, starts with a few bursts and explosions of lava. Soon the eruption builds, and fireballs are shooting up to 60 feet in the air. The show lasts for about 10 minutes. The fireballs heat the area so much that nearby spectators get nice and toasty during the show. 

Shark Reef

The Shark Reef Aquarium, located in Mandalay Bay, is an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with more than 2,000 animals, including all sorts of sharks, piranha, giant rays, and other mysterious creatures of the sea. You can also find endangered green sea turtles and other rare species you’d otherwise not have a chance to see up close. 

The Shark Reef does offer interactive experiences, like diving with exotic sharks, feeding sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles, plus a VR undersea explorer theater. Due to Covid, some interactive experiences have been suspended. Check with the Shark Reef Aquarium for up-to-date options. 

Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat 

If you’re looking for a way to spend an afternoon with the family in Las Vegas, the Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat is perfect for kids and teens of all ages. The Secret Garde & Dolphin Habitat features exotic creatures, from majestic and mystical white tigers to playful dolphins. 

Normally, there are plenty of interactive activities at Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden & Habit, but many have been temporarily suspended due to Covid mitigation efforts. Continue to check back for up-to-date information on when meet & greets, painting with dolphins, yoga with dolphins, and other activities become available. 

Flamingo Habitat

Teens might think that a typical zoo is for kids, but chances are they’ll find something a bit different and exotic, like a flamingo habitat, to be something that captures their interest. The Flamingo Habitat, located in a lush, 15-acre space on the Flamingo Hotel’s grounds, offers the chance to experience flamingos, birds, exotic fish, and turtles in a beautiful environment. 

The Flamingo Habitat opens daily at 7 am and stays open until 8 pm. Also, as a nice bonus, the Flamingo Habitat is completely free to the public. 

ATV Tours

ATV tours are a fun way to do something with your teens that’s outdoors and away from the Strip. Even if your teen has never been on an ATV before, there are plenty of great tours with guides experienced in helping first-timers and young riders. 

SunBuggy Fun Rentals is one of the best family-friendly ATV tour providers. They offer family packages for dune buggy and ATV tours. Most ATVs are adult-sized, so suitable for older teens, but younger teens might be more comfortable with a dune buggy experience. 

Hikes at Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire

The lights, glitz, and action of the Las Vegas Strip are fun for a little sightseeing, but you want to show your teen that there’s more to Vegas than just hotels, casinos, and crowded tourist attractions. Just beyond the outskirts of Vegas, the natural world awaits with lots of great exploring and family-friendly hiking opportunities. 

Red Rock Canyon is a favorite stop. Red Rock Canyon offers more than two dozen trails and hikes, all of varying difficulty and skill levels, so you’re sure to find one that’s the perfect fit for your adventure-loving family. 

The Moenkopi Loop is a 2-mile trail that offers lots of views of desert flora and Triassic fossils. It’s classified as an easy hike and should take about 1.5 hours from start to finish. Perfect for teens who have a bit of an interest in archaeology or biology, as well as those who enjoy snapping nature pics, especially of the picturesque Wilson Cliffs. 

If everyone in your group is in solid physical condition and up for a bit of a challenge, a hike up Calico Tanks at Red Rock Canyon is one of the more strenuous adventures. But it lands you right at a hidden water pocket, not to mention an incredible view of Las Vegas. Plus, there are lots of opportunities to discuss the geology and history of the area. 

The Valley of Fire is another option for hiking with your teens. The Valley of fire is more than 40,000 acres of beautifully hued sandstone, petrified trees, and petroglyphs that are estimated to be more than 2,000 years old. There are multiple trails to explore at the Valley of Fire. Natural Arches is a 2.5 hike with a moderate typical grade that’s suitable for most fitness levels. 

Let’s be honest, no matter how many interesting sites there are to look at, strolling around Las Vegas can get to be more than a bit boring for many teens. Teens love to engage, have fun, and do things that offer more than just a tinge of excitement. Fortunately, Las Vegas is filled with places to race GoKarts that check off every one of those boxes. 

Vegas Superkarts is located just a few miles from the Strip and has some of the longest and fastest tracks in Las Vegas. Lots of hairpin corners, turns, and straightaways, where you can put the pedal to the metal, make this an adrenaline-filled adventure. Vegas Superkarts offers both adult and junior GoKarts for riders aged ten and up. 

If you’re looking for an indoor track that’s also kid and teen-friendly, Pole Position Raceway offers “arrive and drive” GoKart races for adults and youths that are at least 48 inches tall. They also have the Omni Arena, which is a VR experience where you can play VR games, destroy zombies, and basically take over the world with your friends. 

Big Bus Tours

Walking around Vegas with your parents can get to be a bit boring, but touring on a double-decker big bus is something else entirely. Big Bus Tours takes by Caesars Palace, New York New York, the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, the Venetian, the Bellagio’s Fountains, and a long list of Vegas landmarks. 

Choose between a day tour or a 2.5-hour nighttime tour on the open-air double-decker bus. Ticket prices are reduced for riders aged 2-12, but teens 12 and above will be charged regular adult ticket prices. 

Food Tour

A food tour is a fun way to experience the exciting culinary scene in Las Vegas. During a food tour, you’re guided to an average of 4-6 restaurants in Las Vegas. Depending on the tour, the selection of restaurants might be owned by celebrities, feature unique cuisines, focus on regional or cultural foods, or highlight the hottest restaurants in Las Vegas. 

Each tour features a tasting menu, where each restaurant on the tour serves one course. To make it even more fun, your tour guide will likely keep you in suspense about which restaurants you’ll be visiting and what’s on the menu. 

Additional drink packages are usually available for the adults, and most food tour companies will work to accommodate special dietary needs with enough advanced notice. Not all food tour companies allow guests under 18 or 21, so always check before purchasing tickets. 

Segway Tours

Teens will love the idea of riding a Segway through Las Vegas, especially with a guided tour that takes them through all the hot spots and tourist sights. A Segway is a self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized scooter that is ridden while standing for those that might not know. It’s a fun way to tour Vegas without the wear and tear to the bottom of your shoes. 

Segway tours are a fun group activity, and most tours accommodate guests that are at least 12 years old. Segway Las Vegas offers several tour types, their most popular being the Famous Las Vegas Segway Tour, with a one or two-hour tour option. You’ll cruise by all the famous landmarks and learn a bit about Vegas history in the process.

Climb to the Top of the Eiffel Tower 

Though it’s a bit far from Paris, the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas is one of the most popular tourist destinations for all ages. The Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel & Casino is a to-scale, half-size replica of France’s real deal. Take your teen on a guided tour, climbing to the top and taking advantage of a great photo op. 

The Eiffel tower also illuminates in a beautiful light show, featuring more than 800 white lights plus 300 colorful strobe lights that dance over the tower’s exterior. Light shows take place every 30 minutes from sunset to minute. 

The Mob Museum

In the mood for a little crime, maybe some espionage? The Mob Museum, located on Stewart Ave, just a few steps from Fremont Street, is one of the most fun, most inclusive museums to commemorate the illicit activities of the mid-twentieth century’s most notorious crime families. This is definitely not your typical art museum. 

Truly immersive exhibits, along with countless artifacts, help tell fascinating storylines of organized crime and clashes with the law. Exhibits cover the early days of the Mob on through to modern Mob activity. There’s also an underground speakeasy for parents to return to on their own for a few prohibition-era cocktails. 

The Boneyard at the Neon Museum

Las Vegas has a history that can be told in part through tales of the many iconic neon signs that have come and gone from the city’s landscape. The Boneyard at the Neon Museum pays tribute to the neon of days past with a collection of neon signs that have been put out to pasture. 

The main collection at the Boneyard includes more than 200 signs that have been rescued and restored. At sunset, the Boneyard comes to life as the signs are once again illuminated. Teens will have fun snapping pics with the signs and maybe learning a little about each origins. 

Hollywood Car Museum

The Hollywood Car Museum is the perfect spot to take car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike. The 30,000 sq ft museum is filled with all the legendary cars of Hollywood. The Batmobile, Knight Rider, Herbie the Love Bug, the Famous Delorian from Back to the Future, the General Lee, and the lineup of cars from Fast and Furious are all here, plus many others. 

The Hollywood Car Museum is open seven days a week, and children and teens under 16 get free admittance with a paid adult. 

Heart Attack Grill

The Heart Attack Grill looks innocent at first glance, like a cool dinner that’s made its way from the 1950s into modern-day Las Vegas. Get a little closer, and you’ll discover that the Heart Attack Grill is hardly your typical dinner. 

The menu is filled with a selection of Bypass Burgers and Coronary Hot Dogs. The fries are cooked in pure lard, and the milkshakes are made with butterfat. If someone in your group manages to finish the Quadruple Bypass Burger, they get escorted out by wheelchair. 

Some of the Heart Attack Grill humor might be best appreciated by adults, but the teens in your group are young and healthy enough to eat their way through the menu without worry of the coronary repercussions. Plus, they’ll think it’s a fun deviation from the typical burger joint. 

Find Secret Pizza

What teen doesn’t love pizza, especially if there’s something a little trendy about it? Secret Pizza is a hidden pizzeria in the Cosmopolitan that’s as fun to find as it is to devour the prize. Secret Pizza serves up New York-style pizza in one of the most casual little restaurants in the Cosmopolitan. The Pizza is great, but the adventure is even better. 

We’re not going to tell you where Secret Pizza is, but we’ll give you a hint that finding your way to the door includes following a trail of iconic album covers. The entrance to Secret Pizza is unmarked and unassuming, so if you’re not looking carefully, you might miss it. 

Dine in the Dark

Dining in the dark at Blackout is a fun but more mature dining experience your teens will enjoy. The premise is simple. You’re guided into a completely dark dining room where you’re presented with a 5-7 course mystery meal, with each bite being eaten without a hint of light. With your sense of sight minimized, other senses are heightened, including taste. 

Blackout is only open to guests 13 years or older, so it’s perfect for teens who are tired of going to all the typical family-friendly venues with lots of younger kids around. 

Got a teen that loves a good puzzle and a little adventure, too? Escape rooms are a fun way for the family to spend time together and find their way out of a sticky situation in the process. Las Vegas is home to some of the most intriguing, exciting, and challenging escape room adventures. 

Xterious Escape is one of the best escape rooms for a variety of ages in Las Vegas. They have about seven different escape room adventures to choose from, so you can choose the theme and difficulty based on your group’s interest and the age of your teens and any younger children. Xterious Escape doesn’t have an age limit, but they recommend you call if bringing younger children so they can recommend an adventure for you. 

The Escape Game in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace has four different games to choose from and all are family friendly with various difficulty levels. Teenagers will love the Prison Break, Gold Rush, and The Heist escape rooms. Next time you are in the Forum Shops for a little retail therapy, head over to The Escape Game for a 60-minute challenging adventure.

The Basement is an escape room combined with a haunted house experience. Expect a few thrills, chills, and surprises if you choose this venue. The slightly darker nature of this escape room makes it better suited to older teens. The Basement has an age limit of 12 and has special policies for guests aged 12-17. 

Not all escape rooms are suitable for children, but many have age limits of 12 or older, so make sure to check age limits before your teens arrive.

Fashion Show Mall

Fashion Show Mall is a huge shopping complex that’s located right on the Strip in Las Vegas. With more than 250 stores, including some high-end designers, the Fashion Show Mall is a favorite of shopaholics in Vegas. Bring your wallet and make sure there’s plenty of room on the credit cards before setting your teen loose in this shopping dreamland. 

Outlets

If your teen loves shopping, there’s nothing better than scoring some serious deals from the hottest brands and designers. Las Vegas offers two huge shopping outlet complexes – Las Vegas North Premium Outlets (located just minutes from the Strip) and Las Vegas South Premium Outlets (also not far from the Strip).

Look for outlets from Prada, Kate Spade New York, Tory Burch, True Religion, Versace, and more. Make a day of it and grab a quick lunch and maybe a special treat from the Godiva outlet while you’re there. 

Forum Shops

True shopping devotees know that the best shopping in Las Vegas happens at the Forum Shops located in Caesars Palace. More than 140 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues make up the Forum Shops, and your teen is sure to find some must-haves, no matter their tastes or interests. 

The Forum Shops features everything from trendy to classic, shops for all tastes, and some wonderful restaurants for either a quick meal or lingering a little longer and making it a special occasion. 

Grand Canal Shoppes

The Grand Canal Shoppes are something more than your usual collection of stores and boutiques. Located at the Venetian Resort, the Canal Shoppes have an unmistakable Italian vibe, not to mention the scenery, gondola rides, and beautiful atrium. 

Take your teen to all their favorite stores and visit a few of your favorites too. Spend all day window shopping or splurge a little before stopping for a delicious meal and gondola ride. It’s not quite the same as shopping along with a boutique-lined street in Venice, but it’s pretty close. 

Container Park

The Downtown Container Park is located on Fremont Street and has a reputation of being one of the most fun shopping venues in Las Vegas. Designed so that the building all look like shipping containers stacked on top of each other, you’re going to find an incredible variety of shops, boutiques, dining, and entertainment options. 

Unlike some other spots along Fremont Street, Container Park is very family-friendly. A huge children’s play area includes a 30-foot water slide. Your teens probably won’t be super interested in the play area, but its presence gives parents a bit of peace of mind that they’re in an all-age-inclusive area of Las Vegas. 

If you’re planning a trip to Container Park, don’t forget to check the schedule for special events (especially as Covid becomes less influential in determining the entertainment schedule).

The High Roller is the world’s tallest observation wheel, bringing guests up to 550 ft above the ground as each cabin reaches its highest point. To say that a ride in the High Roller will provide your teen with a unique perspective of Las Vegas is an understatement. 

Each ride in the High Roller lasts about a half-hour, but you should plan on an hour or so to accommodate boarding and exiting the wheel. Individual beverages can be brought on board the air-conditioned cabins, making this the perfect escape from the Vegas heat while enjoying a bird’s eye view of the city. 

Blue Man Group

The Blue Man Group is a performance that appeals to audiences of all ages, but teens will really appreciate the high-energy, modern, slightly edgy, and intensely interactive performances of three blue, bald men. The Blue Man Group show is filled with pounding percussions, lots of humor, music, art, science, and more than your average dose of theatrics tossed in. 

To make the occasion extra memorable for your teen, choose the VIP experience that includes VIP seating and a special meet & greet with the performers. 

Mat Franco Illusionist

Mat Franco gives his audience a clean, family-friendly performance while also leaving a few dropped jaws in his wake. His Vegas show is called Mat Franco Magic Reinvented Nightly, and he never fails to deliver unexpected and seemingly impossible illusions to his audience. 

Mat Franco rose to fame with his win on America’s Got Talent. As one of the hottest talents in the world of magic and illusion, Mat Franco offers his audience an interactive show that features hints of old magic combined with modern-day illusions. 

Wondering if there are things to do in Las Vegas for teenagers? The answer is yes, there are many things to do and see that your teenager will enjoy and remember for years to come. If you’re planning a Vegas trip, make it a family vacation that you can all enjoy together.