As daily temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley climb into the triple digits and, you know, stay there, it’s tempting to beat a retreat—to stick to your home and to the pool. But you don’t have to abandon fun until October. There are all kinds of fun things to do around the city, from ice skating, to gallery shows, to escape rooms, to a classic night at the movies. In that spirit, the Weekly has drawn up an itinerary for you. Think of us as your people on the inside.
Fun at the Cinema
We used to just go to the movies. Didn’t even care much where we went, long as the multiplex was close to home and the screening began at a favorable time. Now, with movies on streaming and demand and with TVs in our homes the size of Volkswagens, we’re pickier about what we see and where we see it. If we’re going to see a movie just for the popcorn—like, say, the franchise crossover Karate Kid: Legends (May 30), the John Wick offshoot Ballerina (June 6), the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon (June 13), Disney/Pixar’s original Elio (June 20), the return of Bob Odenkirk’s unlikely action hero in Nobody 2 (August 15), or one of this summer’s three wholly unexpected comedy franchise reboots, Happy Gilmore 2 (July 25), The Naked Gun (August 1) and Freakier Friday (August 8)—we’ll probably go to one of Galaxy Theatres’ several Valley locations (Green Valley, North Las Vegas or the Boulevard Mall) or to Maya Cinemas in North Las Vegas, taking advantage of luxe reclining seats, impressive picture and sound and kitchen serving up hot snacks.
We could also go to one of those theaters to screen some this summer’s surprisingly robust crop of auteur-driven original films for adults, including Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (May 30), Mike Flanagan’s new Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck (June 6), the newest from Past Lives director Celine Song, Materialists (June 13), Ari Aster’s Eddington (July 18), Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (August 22), Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t! (August 22), Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing (August 29), and Sundance Festival breakouts Sorry, Baby (June 27), Oh, Hi (July 25) and Lurker (August 22).
This summer’s maximalist action blockbusters—The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25), F1 (June 27), Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2) and Superman (July 11)—will probably demand screens the size of a Volkswagen dealership, and we’ve got a solid choice of IMAX auditoriums in AMC Town Square, Brenden at the Palms, Regal Aliante and Regal Red Rock. Conversely, this summer’s big horror movies and bloodied, claustrophobic thrillers—Bring Her Back (May 30), 28 Years Later (June 20), I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18), M3GAN 2.0 (June 27), Together (July 30) and Weapons (August 8)— demand nothing less than the West Wind Drive-In and all the parked-car shenanigans that entails.
Downtown’s state-of-the-art independent, international and revival movie house, the Beverly Theater, will likely feature some of the Sundance films named above, along with the return of several themed film series that clicked with audiences last summer, namely its midnight screenings, Monster Mondays and retro summer blockbusters. (It’ll be amazing to see Who Framed Roger Rabbit on the big screen again, June 6, 7 and 11). Bobcat Goldthwait will do a Q&A following a screening of his 2009 Robin Williams comedy World’s Greatest Dad (June 2). And the theater will offer a limited number of free “emergency tickets” all summer long, but you must show up in person to claim them.
Finally, theSphere is presenting 1939’s The Wizard of Oz on its enormous screen in a mind-bending presentation enhanced by AI, beginning August 28. The pirated TikTok footage we saw from this presentation popped our ruby slippers right off. If you haven’t been to the venue yet, the wizardry is waiting. –Geoff Carter
Sporty Fun
Spy Ninjas HQ
It can be hard to move your body around in the summer because we’re cooped up inside avoiding the hundred-teen-degree heat. Thankfully, there are plenty of indoor options that get your blood pumping, not boiling.
Swingers
For the adrenaline junkies, try the longest indoor zipline in Las Vegas, which happens to be at Spy Ninjas HQ on West Sahara, along with lots of family-friendly entertainment, obstacle courses and activities. (Who’s down for smashing some fruit in the rage room?) Want to go fast? Reach up to 45 miles per hour at K1 Speed’s indoor go karting track. Laser tag at Battle Blast on West Sahara is another good option for those seeking high-energy activity.
Ice skating is great for more consistent cardio, and there are several rinks in town to choose from. Our favorites would be America First Center in Henderson and Las Vegas Ice Center on West Flamingo. Or if you prefer wheels to blades, try roller skating at Crystal Palace on North Rancho or Skate Rock City off Boulder Highway.
Crystal Palace
Swimming is another great way to stay in shape, and kids and adults are invited to learn to swim like a mermaid at the Silverton’s 117,000-gallon aquarium, mermaid tail included. Or jump around at an indoor trampoline park. Flip N Out Extreme claims to be Vegas’ largest, and there’s also Sky Zone. Both have multiple locations.
You’ve probably already heard, but pickleball is the cool thing to do now, and you can stay cool while doing it at Vegas Indoor Pickleball on West Sunset Road or Henderson’s Chicken N Pickle. Up for a little more competition? Swingers indoor mini golf at Mandalay Bay or bowling at Red Rock Casino, South Point or Sunset Station can let your competitive spirit shine. And don’t forget billiards halls like Griff’s on South Decatur or Good Timez on West Charleston—perfect places to unwind, shoot some stick and soak up the AC. –Shannon Miller
Fun for the eyes and ears
Atomic Museum
When sunbeams turn hostile, look beyond your screens and retreat to where the lights are low, the air is cold and the art hits both your eyes and ears. Stop into Left of Center Gallery, where Harold Bradford’s show A Purpose runs through July 26. After a life-threatening health crisis left his hands numb, he painted anyway. The work is raw, honest, defiant—proof that resilience and recovery lies in art. At the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, American Duet: Jazz & Abstract Art legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane play in the background while modernist brushwork swirls around you. Scan the QR code for the gallery’s compilation of songs and the canvas will riff back as you soak in the conversation between 34 contemporary artists and legendary jazz.
Need a reset? Arte Museum delivers full-body immersion through projection, scent and sound. One room smells like ocean spray, another like springtime in bloom. It’s grand, lush, overwhelming—and that’s the point.
Even if you don’t want to admit it, there’s nothing quite as grabbing as pop culture, and at Atomic Pop Culture at the Atomic Museum you can dive into the weird and wonderful social fallout during the mid 20th century. Take in historic artifacts that show that era’s fascination with atomic energy. At Windmill Library, Flatlays from the Office of Collecting & Design by Jessica Oreck (through July 27) is an ode to collection obsession—small objects, precisely arranged, each a world unto itself. It’s a celebration of the things we save and the stories they tell.
Punk Rock Museum
The Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s permanent art collection began in 1974 and has since ballooned to include over 400 works. Pieces: From the LVCCLD Permanent Art Collection at Whitney Library (through July 15) showcases 30 rarely seen works from that pool. This is a unique glimpse into Southern Nevada’s artistic history. Over at Summerlin Library, Walt Sturrock’s The Old School Art of Traditional Illustration (through September 16) features hand-drawn art over digital. Look closely and admire each thoughtful brushstroke in these traditionally approached pieces.
If you like your art with noise and edge, head to the Punk Rock Museum. Guided tours are part history lesson, part shout-along. End the day in a big way with one of the city’s newest immersive show about rock ‘n’ roll history Rolling Stone Presents: Amplified at Area15’s Illuminarium. The 360-degree setting will have you feeling like part of the band. Or just get face-to-fin with apex predators at Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. –Gabriela Rodriguez
Playtime
Pinball Hall of Fame
Las Vegas has long been the proverbial playground of America. People save up all year round to play in our little sandbox, and we locals have the luxury of it being in our backyards—so why not take a recess? Let your inner child (or real child) run free at Luxor’s Play Playground, which has more than 20 interactive games and puzzles. You can catapult off a trampoline onto a life-size bullseye, enter the ER with a game of Doctor! Doctor! or relive your childhood in an adults-only bounce house. While your adrenaline’s still pumping, pop over to Sandbox VR at Venetian for a virtual reality experience that will immerse you in the worlds of Netflix’s Squid Game, Rebel Moon and other pinch-worthy scenarios like zombie apocalypses and alien invasions.
If you choose to panic over any of this, do it at PanIQ Escape Room at Venetian, where brain-stimulating enigmas await. Families will get a kick out of finding the treasure of Atlantis, while friends should expect a spooky good time exploring the secrets of the Haunted Manor and more. Paradox Museum also offers its share of mind-bending fun on Las Vegas Boulevard. The 11,000-square-foot attraction winds and loops like a labyrinth, testing the human mind with more than 80 optical illusions and exhibits. It’s fascinating to feel your perspective shift to match the reality of the museum. Abandon all logic, ye who enter here.
After all that, it’s normal to need some fresh air. Luckily, Flyover can transport you into the great outdoors without setting foot outside. The attraction’s 65-foot spherical screen and flight-motion seats evoke a sensation of soaring across the world’s most majestic landscapes, the wind and mist enhancing your journey over the Canadian Rockies or Iceland’s glaciers. Families itching for more adventure should visit the Discovery Children’s Museum where a new Water World exhibit gives a crash course in sustainability and water conservation, allowing kids to explore interactive river channels, learn how dams are built and more.
Keep that hands-on experience going at the Pinball Hall of Fame, a 25,000-square-foot nonprofit museum dedicated to pinball and nothing but. Roaming through these neon aisles, hearing the addictive thunk and crack of flippers never gets old. And neither do we.
Game Nest arcade also keeps us young. This Chinatown gem offers more than 100 arcade games, from Japanese rarities like the racing series Wangan Midnight to rhythm games like Guitar Hero. If you want to feel like the star of your own game, visit the John Wick Experience at Area15. Through interactive missions and encounters at the Continental Hotel, you’ll immerse yourself in the Wick-verse of assassins. Enjoy your stay. –Amber Sampson
Creative Fun
Clay Arts Vegas
Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, so keep those hands busy! Start with a pottery class at one of the Valley’s many ceramics studios. Downtown, Clay Arts Vegas offers classes in 8-week packages including wheel throwing and hand building. In North Las Vegas, Animal House Pottery has four-week wheel throwing and hand building classes as well as private lessons. Closer to the center of town, Oasis Pottery holds intro classes multiple times a week, and offers day passes and a variety of class packages. At Town Square, pottery wheel classes are available at the The Pottery Shop, but pottery painting is really what they do best. And in Henderson,Common Ground Pottery offers hand building and a variety of throwing classes. Check the studios’ websites for guest artist workshops. And if you want to make it a thing and keep coming back, ask about memberships.
Idle minds aren’t good, either, so keep your critical thinking flowing with book clubs at The Writer’s Block. The Downtown bookshop will host Michael Chin on June 12 to discuss his new collection of stories This Year’s Ghost. Also at the Writer’s Block, UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute will hold a discussion about John Gallaher’s latest book of poems over pie on June 25. Bird enthusiasts can enjoy a discussion of Helen MacDonald’s H is for Hawk—part of the store’s birding book club—on June 30. There’s also the store’s Double Negative Book Club, exploring books and their on-screen adaptations. On July 2, they’ll be discussing Austrian Nobel laureate winner Elfriede Jelinek’s The Piano Teacher. Southern Noir master S.A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears will be the topic of the LGBTQ-focused July 7 gathering. Part of the Writer’s Block’s Bourbon Book Club, readers can enjoy some whisky while discussing Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose on July 24. –SM
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
