Free Shows in Las Vegas

This week’s new destination of Exploring New Places Podcast goes to Las Vegas, Nevada. We tell you all the free shows that are on display daily on Las Vegas Strip for the public, everything for free. 

As expected, we inform you about the history of Las Vegas as well as the Mob Museum. After tuning in, you will know how a New York gangster started the gambling mecca of the United States and how big of an impact he still has in Las Vegas in modern society. 

Additionally, we tell you all the stops that are a must-see when visiting Sin City; for example, the Bellagio, Venetian, Mirage Hotel, Caesar’s Palace, the Luxor Hotel, Fremont Street and more. 

Join us today and learn more about where to travel next to create new memories! 

Don’t forget that new episodes are released every other Friday at 7 a.m. (PST).

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Podcast Music
Track: Tropical Love — Vendredi [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/8C-9VIKe-VQ
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Transcript

GBS: Welcome back everybody! I hope everyone is doing well. It’s almost summertime and I’m so very happy about it. My favorite season is summer, although I love each season because each season has its beauty. 

GBS: I’ve been traveling a lot lately and I just want the weather to be sunny and the sky to be blue without clouds already. I love sunny days. Who doesn’t, right? The sun changes your mood, and it gives you the opportunity to do a lot more outside activities than when it’s cold. 

GBS: Anyway, I hope everyone is doing great. For today’s episode, we will be going over my Memorial Day weekend this year which was completely different than what I had planned. I wanted to talk about a beautiful destination that a lot of people don’t know about in SoCal, but it’s ok. It’s ok to pivot and change as you go. 

GBS: Next year, I will definitely talk about this destination since it’s a Memorial Day-related activity for family and friends. 

GBS: In the meantime, for this episode let me tell you that I ended up in Las Vegas with very short notice and it was my first time going there and I had a great time. I was visiting family members who live there and hadn’t seen them for a long time. Also, I ended up staying longer than anticipated, which was a good surprise I would say.

GBS: What a city is Las Vegas, I must say. I now understand why it’s called Sin City, hahaha. Truly it’s a sin city, hahaha. When you go, you definitely have to have an open mind about what you can potentially see there. It’s all fun and games, literally. 

GBS: I did not go to any clubs to dance. But, I did go sightseeing and we did a lot of walking around the Las Vegas Strip and the old Las Vegas. I took a lot of pictures, and it was a great time. 

GBS: I’m a big Formula 1 fan and I got to personally see where the track will be this November as well as the ongoing construction that is being finished for the Las Vegas race. I cannot wait to see how it will all turn out! Comment on our social media channels if you are too a Formula 1 fan. 

GBS: Ok, so back to what I will be talking about. I’m going a bit off-topic here, but I’m just so excited about it. Today’s destination will be all the free shows that you can go see on Las Vegas Strip. 

GBS: If it’s your first time going like it was for me. I’m so happy to share with you all the free activities that you can do while visiting Sin City. 

GBS: But first, allow me to tell you a little bit of the history of Las Vegas and how this city started off. According to Britannica.com, in the early 20th century a man named William A. Clark, who was a railroad mogul, decided to build a railroad that went from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. And, while building this, he saw that what is now Las Vegas Valley had the potential for development since there were springs found and a well could be added for people’s convenience. Long story short, he obtained land and water rights to the springs, and he developed a railroad depot or station. By the way, he was also a politician in Montana who utilized his influence to have all this construction done and legal. Clark had a lot of influence in developing the pipelines of that time. 

GBS: On May 15, 1905, Las Vegas was established. And, although there had been recent development in this area, the town grew up slowly except for a town that legally allowed prostitution and gambling. In 1910, Nevada passed a law that made gambling a crime which meant that casinos could no longer have operations. Therefore, casinos proceeded to resume their business underground and were running successfully. In 1931, the laws changed, and they allowed casinos to operate normally without going underground. 

GBS:  Now, Mr. Clark sold his share of the built railroad in the year 1921 to a company named Union Pacific Company. Soon after, Las Vegas Valley saw a sudden growth not only in tourism but with new residents. The census in 1900 reported only 30 people living in the area, and by 1930 there were 5,000 new residents in the area. That’s a lot of people and growth in a very short time!

GBS: At that time, one of the things that captivated people into staying in Las Vegas was the fact that people could divorce faster than any other place in the United States. People only had to reside for six weeks in the city to be allowed to file for divorce. At the same time, Hollywood stars would frequent this city which helped further develop the city. 

GBS: It’s so interesting to learn that most of the growth that this city made was during the Great Depression and post-World War II. Due to the high demand, hotels began hiring well-known singers for entertainment at their hotels such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis, Jr. 

GBS: It’s important to mention that Las Vegas’s casinos and hotels were involved with mafias. You can learn more about this by visiting the Mob Museum which tells you all about the criminal organizations, its people, what type of crimes they would do and how everything dissolved after the government found a way to dismantle these organizations. The very first major hotel and casino in Las Vegas was The Flamingo, founded by Benjamin Siegel who was a New York gangster. Siegel is attributed with helping develop what is now the modern Las Vegas Strip. His vision of having multiple gambling places came to life after establishing The Flamingo. 

GBS: He was killed in his mistress’s house that he bought for her in Beverly Hills shortly after the hotel had opened due to going over budget to open the hotel and casino. 

GBS: I don’t want to go in-depth because that could be another entire episode of how everything happened with these criminal organizations. But, it’s important for me to mention it because it is part of this city’s history. That’s why my recommendation for you is for you to visit the Mob Museum. Make sure you plan your visit and purchase beforehand because you get a discount for doing so, their website is www.mobmuseum.org. 

GBS: After the great success of the Flamingo, other casinos opened that you can still see today. For example, the Thunderbird (1948), the Dessert Inn (1950), Sahara (1952), the Riviera (1955) and others. 

GBS: Consequently to law enforcement dismantling these organizations, it opened the opportunity for corporations to open their hotels such as the Bellagio and Venetian. 

GBS: I’ve tried my best to summarize the history of this place, and it’s hard because there so many details that are important that helped form what Las Vegas is today. However, I’ve given you what you need to know when it comes to history. If you get the chance to really read all of it, and read in-depth about each person; believe me when I say that it has a very interesting history. 

GBS: My next talking point for today is where you can watch free shows in Las Vegas. 

GBS: My first option for you is one of the most iconic shows in the Strip. You can go see the Volcano at the Mirage Hotel. This show runs from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and it throws real fire, and you can feel the warmth when you’re standing right in front of the show. It’s crazy but so cool to see! The fire is synchronized with the background music, and it looks like an actual volcano erupting. By the way, if you’ve never seen this one, let me inform you that this volcano will be demolished since MGM sold the hotel to Hard Rock International. Meaning that they will build a Hard Rock Hotel on Las Vegas Strip.  

GBS: It has not been announced when this will happened but be on the lookout for this upcoming change. 

GBS: My second free show suggestion for you would be to go to the Bellagio and see the stunning flower display that they have. There are around 10 giant sculptures made completely with flowers. Lots of people go to take pictures there and there is no other word to describe it but stunning. Very beautiful to see! I remember my favorite one here was, the centerpiece that form two hands holding colorful flowers and water is falling in between the arms. This sculpture is enormous, and this is where most people take their pictures. 

GBS: I would be lying to you if I said that was my only favorite one because each sculpture is so uniquely different than the previous one. There was another sculpture that looked like Te Fiti from Moana. It’s so beautiful! I can’t even do it justice by describing it. But, the sculpture is a woman with her hand out, holding a butterfly. Her hair is made of yellow flowers and giant yellow roses and she looks, to me, just like Te Fiti from Moana. So beautiful! 

GBS: There are two sculptures with hummingbirds, which I also love. Again, giant sculptures and with lots of flowers. I’ve never seen sculptures like these and it was wonderful to see. 

GBS: My third suggestion for a free show is something that you cannot not do when going to Las Vegas. And, that is going to Fremont Street. Now, let me advise that there are lots of things happening here. For instance, lots of people smoking weed, drinking, people wearing thongs like it’s the beach, dancing, drunk people, people taking pictures, people watching free music shows, and there are other people doing ziplining across the super long ceiling screen. It’s a lot going on when you come here. 

GBS: While I spent my weekend in this city, Katy Perry was doing a free show to promote something as well as Mark Wallberg promoting his new tequila at one of the bars located in Fremont Street. So, if you’re lucky, you might see a celebrity for free while they’re promoting something for their brand. 

GBS: My fourth suggestion would be to see the water show at the Bellagio. Again, this show is completely free and depending on the song that they will be displaying for everybody that’s how high the water will go and from side to side; because the water is synchronized to the music. When I saw it, they played Celine Dion, Volo (Italian opera singers), and Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley. 

GBS: This show is every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the day. If you go during the weekend, they start at 12 p.m.; if you go on weekdays, they start at 3 p.m. But when you go you will see that the shows are very frequent for this one. 

GBS: Now, the must have’s on your list when visiting Las Vegas would be the Las Vegas sign, the Venetian, the Luxor hotel (I loved the architecture of this pyramid, so cool!), the Hershey’s factory, The Shops at Crystals, Caesar’s Palace and all else that your feet allow you to walk. It’s a lot of walking, but so rewarding when going for the first time. 

GBS: If you’ve been to Las Vegas before, what’s the one thing that you always do when going? Comment on our social media channels. 

GBS: Normally, this is the time when I would share my experience when going but what I’ve mentioned before is what my experience was. Somewhat calm and just a lot of walking and picture taking. There were some places where is what a bit of chaos, but it’s Las Vegas. What do you expect? 

GBS: I hope next time I go; I can go dancing and maybe see the Formula 1 race. One can dream, it’s free for everybody; to dream not to go to the race clearly. Hahahah! 

GBS: If I missed a show that you’ve seen and it’s free please do share on social media. What is one show not mentioned here that should be watched when going for the first time? 

GBS: Now, we’ve reached our time for our three fun facts about this week’s destination where you can create new memories. 

GBS: #1- According to westgateresorts.com, Las Vegas is the brightest place on Earth. NASA has taken pictures from above and this place shines brighter than Hong Kong. 

GBS: #2- Las Vegas Strip isn’t located in Las Vegas but rather in Clark County, Nevada. 

GBS: #3- There are over 300 weddings a day in Las Vegas. How crazy is this fun fact? 

GBS: I hope that you liked today’s episode. Very different and relaxed. As always, I appreciate you for tuning in to the Exploring New Places Podcast. Remember to share this podcast with everyone in your community, it helps us grow. Follow us on social media, our Instagram is @exploringnewplaces_podcast and our Facebook is @exploringnewplacespodcast. 

GBS: New episodes launch every other Friday on wherever app you listen to podcasts. If you like an episode, please be kind enough to leave a review sharing your experience with this podcast. 

GBS: Today’s been a very fun episode, but now it’s time to conclude. Until next time!