Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/836019
and AEG Live. Inside, college basket- ball, UFC, and huge concerts fill the massive space—and soon NHL hockey. 3780 Arena Dr., 844-582-7362; t-mobilearena.com TAO NIGHTCLUB After more than 10 years, Venetian's Asian-inspired club, Tao, continues to appeal to the celebrity set. Kardashians abound. INSIDER TIP: Since Tao has orchestrated so many bachelor/ette par- ties, it now has entire departments to help plan them for you. Venetian, 702-388-8588; venetian.com XS The most expensive nightclub ever built when it opened in 2008, the aptly named XS is also one of the top- grossing clubs in the world. Look for a gold bas-relief entryway, gold-plated chandeliers, and gold-embossed crocodile VIP booths. Alesso, Diplo, Marshmello, the Chainsmokers, and more will be holding court here in 2017. Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-0097; wynnlasvegas.com MUSEUMS, GALLERIES & CULTURE BELLAGIO GALLERY OF FINE ART In partnership with museums (includ- ing Boston's MFA and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego) and foundations around the globe, the BGFA is the city's foremost destination for marquee shows. Bellagio, 702- 693-7871; bellagio.com DISCOVERY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM Even the local children's museum has flash to spare in Las Vegas. Here, visit- ing young ones can create computer art, play the laser harp, enter into the virtual eye of a hurricane, and even earn a paycheck working in the eco- friendly Green Village. 360 Promenade Place, Downtown; 702-382-3445; discoverykidslv.org MARJORIE BARRICK MUSEUM OF ART The Marjorie Barrick Museum, part of the University of Las Vegas's College of Fine Arts, houses pre-Columbian art and cultural objects from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica, as well as contemporary art from artists associ- ated with the Las Vegas valley. 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, 702-895-3381; unlv.edu/barrickmuseum NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM This surprising and engaging institu- tion—a Smithsonian affiliate—tracks the development of the US nuclear pro- gram from the Manhattan Project through today. Don't miss the simulator that allows you to experience bomb testing as Vegas residents used to—from an "outdoor" seat looking out onto the action. 755 E. Flamingo Road, 702- 794-5151; nationalatomictesting museum.org THE NEON MUSEUM The so-called "neon boneyard" has housed more than 80 relics of Vegas's neon sign history since it opened in 1996. Fronting it all is the beautifully restored La Concha, an iconic midcen- tury hotel moved here to serve as the quirky cultural site's visitors center. INSIDER TIP: For extra drama, reserve a night tour, when the neon signs are all lit up from below for show. 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N., 702-387-6366; neonmuseum.org THE SMITH CENTER Downtown's performing arts center is home to the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and dedicated Broadway and Cabaret Jazz programs. The Art Deco-style masterpiece also hosts a fantastic lineup of traveling Broadway shows, visiting orchestras, and more. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000; thesmithcenter.com SPRINGS PRESERVE This 180-acre, $250 million Mojave Desert preserve, three miles west of the Strip, takes visitors through galleries, botanical gardens, and a living collec- tion of Gila monsters, foxes, and that other kind of Vegas nightlife—nocturnal critters like recluse spiders, sidewind- ers, and black widows. The best biological resource in southern Nevada, it's also one of the state's oldest archaeological treasures: Nomadic Native American tribes lived at the Springs 12,000 years ago. 333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702-822-7700; springspreserve.org Great outdoors: Springs Preserve. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC JAMISON/STUDIO J INC. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 97