We are thinking of visiting Las Vegas in October and would like to know if a lot of the attractions close for the winter. If so, when and for how long?
Here are the type of attractions we are interested in: dolphin habitat at the Mirage, the Aquarium at the Silverton, Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand, Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, CSN Planetarium and Observatory, Ethel M Chocolate Factory, Fremont Street Experience, M&M's World, volcano at the Mirage, Shelby Automobiles, canal rides and shopping at the Venetian.
Thanks for your help with this,
Gail
(Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Wow, that's a packed itinerary you have. You may run yourself ragged going to all those destinations, but you won't have to skip any of them. Much like Las Vegas is a town where clocks don't matter much, neither do calendars. The weather is mild during the fall and winter months — in fact, it's more likely to be hot in October than cold — so very few things in town shut down at any point in the year. Some hotels close their pools for the winter, but, depending on which part of the month you make your visit, even a good many of them will still be open.
About the only thing you could miss out on would be the Mirage volcano if there was heavy rain. Since it doesn't rain much in Vegas, you're probably safe there.
I like the items you have on your list, with the Shark Reek being a special favorite of mine. If you've ever been fascinated by Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, you'll love seeing them in the Mandalay Bay. Based on what you mentioned in your e-mail, here are some other attractions I think you may enjoy:
- The fountain show outside the Bellagio
- The art gallery inside the Bellagio
- The Secret Garden at the MGM Grand
- The wax museum at the Venetian
- The observation deck at the Stratosphere
Information on all those items can be found in our "Free or cheap" section on daytime activities.
It sounds like you're considering a fairly lengthy stay — longer than a weekend getaway, at least — if you're looking to pack all that sightseeing in. Here are a few coupon links from Hotels.com that may help shave a few bucks (or loonies, as the Canadian case may be) off the total:
Note: The landing page for those links says that travel must be completed by July 31, 2009, but I've seen another source that makes it sound like the discount would apply for any 2009 travel. So they may or may not work if your trip is in October, but it's worth a try.
As your trip gets closer, check back with us and we'll see if we can locate any discounts for shows and attractions.
