In 1994, Sam’s Town introduced an expansion to its locals-friendly hotel and casino: a 10-story hotel tower with a breathtakingly massive, glass-roofed atrium called Mystic Falls Park. The 25,000-square-foot atrium, surrounded by guest rooms, restaurants and shops, features tree-shaded paths and a multi-story waterfall. And no matter how many times you’ve visited Mystic Falls, you’re never fully prepared for the moment this serene environment is transformed by music, theatrical lighting, animatronic forest creatures and (checks notes) frickin’ lasers.
Vintage Vegas
“And, of course, you have the singing grizzly bear,” says David Strow, VP of corporate communications for Sam’s Town parent company Boyd Gaming. “It’s unique, to say the least.”
At 30 years old, the nearly-incomparable Mystic Falls Park fountain and light show is a local institution worth celebrating. It’s existed as long as the automated Strip spectaculars that inspired its creation, and has even outlasted some of them—Treasure Island’s pirate battle, for one, and soon, sadly, the Mirage’s volcano.
Generations of locals have taken out-of-town friends to Mystic Falls. (“You’re not gonna believe this.”) And families have added the show to their holiday traditions, when a special version of the show has those animated critters dressed up in Santa hats.
If you haven’t seen it, you need to get into your car right now and go. Grab a seat at the Ram’s Head Bar, or stand right in front of the Falls, where their spray may grant you “exceptional good luck and good fortune.”
The show runs three times daily Monday through Thursday, at 6, 8 and 10 p.m., with an additional 4 p.m. show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; for best results, go after sunset. We could continue to try to explain the charms of this singularly weird and wonderful attraction, but we’ll come up short. You have to go into the woods yourself.
“This really is a hidden gem,” says Strow. “People don’t expect that you would find this type of family-friendly entertainment experience on Boulder Highway, but it’s been there for 30 years now, and it continues to draw local residents every single day.”
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