From historic sites to natural wonders and kid-sized amusement rides, you’ll find plenty of family fun in Nevada.
Family fun is easy to come by in Nevada! With outdoor recreation for all ages, great amusement parks, museums and special attractions geared especially for children, your family just can’t get bored!
Lied Discovery Children’s Museum
More than 100 interactive science, art and humanity stations set the scene for fun and learning at the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, one of the larger children’s museums in the country. Toddlers love the expansive first floor activities geared for the 5 and under crowd. Lots of opportunity here to stretch the imagination and play make-believe with dress-up clothes and various stages and sets, They can also make use of their energy at the Toddler Tower climbing, jumping and sliding. Older kids go upstairs to try the Echo Tubes or star in their own movie on the “green screen” before moving to the Music Station where a wave of the hand allows them to “play” more than 100 musical instruments. Exhibits and experiments rotate frequently so there’s always something new and exciting to discover!
Location: 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101
Phone: 702-382-3445
Website:www.ldcm.org/
Lehman Cave Tours
Over 300 rare shield formations decorate a beautiful marble cave filled with stalactites, stalagmites, helicites and flowstone in Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park. Rangers conduct tours and explain cave history and geology to visitors who marvel at what time and the steady effects of air and water have created beneath the Earth’s surface. The delicate ecosystem in the cave is unique, and part of a fragile environment that fascinates all who see it. While you’re at the park take advantage of other recreational options: hike the nature trails, attend an evening campfire program or ranger-led astronomy program, search for ancient rock art at Pictograph Cave or enjoy lake and creek fishing.
Location: Great Basin National Park
Phone: 775-234-7517
Website: www.nps.gov/grba
Wild Island
Near the cities of Reno and Sparks, family fun is easy to find: just head to Wild Island! This water park cools the summer heat and keeps fun in the sun going all day long. Young ones can play at the kiddie pool and big splashes can be had for the bigger kids in the Motion of the Ocean Wave Pool and on the twisty-turny tube slides. The Go-Kart Raceway is full-throttle fun and the Laser Maze is exciting and challenging. Coconut Bowl is a blast for the whole family, glowing by night with laser lights and rocking music! Plenty of arcade games provide hours of fun, and kids will love the indoor Pirate Cove black-light and laser mini-golf game.
Location: 250 Wild Island Court, Sparks, Nevada, 89434
Phone: 775-359-2927
Website:www.wildisland.com/
Hoover Dam
If you’ve never been to Hoover Dam, put it on your “must see” list! This engineering marvel was constructed in the 1930s and straddles the Colorado River, bordering between Nevada and Arizona. Building the Hoover Dam was vital to bringing much-needed water and power to the Southwest, and tours have been available at this National Historic Landmark since 1937. A spectacular four-lane highway bridge arches across the Colorado River, replacing the old two-way highway across the dam that could no longer handle the 14,000 vehicles that travel the route daily. The twin-rib arch span now echoes the curve on the dam. Tours are available all year, and the Hoover Dam Visitor’s Center is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on Highway 93
Phone: 866-730-9097
Website:www.travelnevada.com/destinations/hoover-dam/tours/
Lake Mead
This National Recreation Area offers year round outdoor activities the whole family will enjoy: swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, camping, kayaking and biking amidst the beautiful natural scenery. The park is home to thousands of desert plants and animals that have adapted to survive in an area where temperatures can be very hot and rain is scarce. The Lake Mead Visitor’s Center even offers a Junior Ranger’s Badge and certificate to kids who complete a number of activities.
Location: 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, Nevada
Phone: 702-293-8990
Website: www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm
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