DT Alley is a unique hidden gem in Downtown Las Vegas!…read more There's several art murals and interactive displays from various local artists. You'll find them on Carson and 6th street, near Las Vegas Blvd and Fremont. The alley was once a dumpster with trash everywhere. One of the founders started to make a change, and years later the alley is transformed into a welcoming space of art, which includes the Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland. The place is described as a community space that "creates new experiences incorporating art and interactivity for locals and visitors through the use of murals, sculptures, innovative landscaping, and multiple intereactive moments." There's a wonderful mural of Tony Hsieh (1973-2020) as well as a Family 'Ohana mural, which is inspired by the founder as a tribute to families around the world. The interactive experience is a nice touch and includes a unique puppet theatre. And the alley library is very cool! The concept of take a book, leave a book is awesome!

I came upon this new public art space looking for a mural honoring the late Tony Hsieh, Zappos…read morefounder. To get to see the murals, there really is no street address. Halfway between Las Vegas Boulevard and and 6th Street along Carson, there is an alley which is the gateway to this public art. There are actually three ways of getting here--the one described and two others. Since the two alleys form a T, you could walk from Fremont Street halfway to Carson and that's a way in or you cold come from Fremont Street on 6th halfway to Carson and enter there. The alley extends north halfway to Fremont Street although you cannot see Fremont from the alley. It is, in fact, two alleys. The entrance from Carson goes to another alley that is perpendicular and this other alley also has public art in both directions. To my surprise, I see two women working to clean an area of the alley. I think they were volunteers. We chatted some and they made sure I didn't trip over their hose. One of the murals explains the dT-Alley and some of the things you'll see as you walk along. Artists are selected. It is not an area where just anyone can go and do a mural. I found the quality of the murals to be quite high and I chuckled when I saw the give/take library, the Puppet Theatre, and other areas like that. There are planters that are also painted. In reading their website, this is the first alley revitalization project in Las Vegas and the area opened in February. I took a lot of photos and enjoyed my Saturday morning walk. It's a great way to see some local color if you're in the downtown area. I could have put many more photos but it would take away some of your surprise if you visit. Suffice it to say, the photos I posted are only a fraction of the art there.

It's been a few years since I last stopped by the Caesars Forum Shops. I had an event at Carmine's…read moreon a Wednesday evening and had a chance to look at the Fountain of the Gods. The Forum Shops is like a gigantic Roman fantasy world. But with the Fountain of the Gods, it certainly elevates the experience and brings it to an entirely new level! Looking at those massive statues, and the water flowing from them was amazing! It's as if there is marble everywhere you look, and then on top of it, this magnificent painted sky ceiling over head! This type of atmosphere is something that only exists here in Las Vegas! What I like most about this place is that you don't have to spend money to go there. Just walk around, take pictures, enjoy the area! I was surprised how much detail the statues had, especially if your interested in either Greek or Roman Mythology! I love the whole area around the statue as well! With all of the shopping, great dining options, it's such a fantastic experience! I thought the Fountain of the Gods was worth stopping for, even if it's just for a few minutes while walking through Caesars Palace. It's one of those iconic Vegas details in the Forum Shops. Great photo op area too!

Fountain of the Gods is an enormous sculpture located in The Forum Shops at Caesars…read more The fountain is inspired by Roman mythology of abundance and vitality, featuring sculptures of Roman gods, mystical creatures, and a cascading fountain where water is symbolic of life and renewal. It's amazing to see the sculpture in person and is great for memorable photo ops!

This is near the center at Crystals. They have different size water vortexes that fill with water…read moreand change colors. It's interesting to watch.

In Las Vegas, amongst the glitz, lights, night life, booze, gambling and shopping (don't get me…read morewrong, these are all pretty fantastic in this 2 mile block of Southern Nevada along the world famous Vegas Strip!), art can often be an after thought. A moment in which in your burry eyed, foggy state of boarding your return flight home, you might vaguely remember a giant thing with tumbling numbers or a giant tree house looking thing you thought was a restaurant. But make no mistake, those items (which are indeed public art) have been placed there for you to see, experience, be mesmerized by and enjoy....whether you actually knew it or not. Crystals and the City Center area that surrounds it, is a treasure trove of some of the city's greatest contemporary, cool art installations. From the cool Mihajima Marks U.S debuted piece that went in to Crystals last year, to the funky cool tree house that houses Maestros designed by David Rockwell or James Turrell's Akhob located inside Louis Vuitton (appointments required, so call well in advance)...great art is everywhere at Crystals! Look up City Center Art Collection before you visit, for if art is your thing, this is a fun scavenger hunt around City Center, in addition to Crystals (the shopping entity at City Center). Most of the pieces are large and can make you travel around the entire site to discover. The art at Crystals can rotate from time to time, so keep your eyes peeled for new stuff during each visit.

Neptunes Fountain is a grand sculpture located inside The Forum Shops at Caesars. You'll find it…read morenext to an escalator near Kalifano and Casa Fuente Cigar Lounge. The story behind Neptunes Fountain began in year 1565 when Duke Cosimo I de' Medici first commissioned the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati to design and carve a fountain which would contain a magnificent sculpture of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Over the span of nine years and with help of several artists, Ammannati produced one of the most spectacular fountains in all of Florence, Italy. The face of Neptune is actually a portrait of Duke Cosimo. Neptunes fountain was intended to glorify but was not received well by the people of Florence. The sculpture went through years of vandalism and mistreatment, and had to be restored to its original glory which was completed in 2019.

Cool enough statue located in Caesar's Palace. It is located next to a cigar bar and next to an…read moreescalator. It is a cool part of the architecture of this particular hotel and a cool part of the Las Vegas landscape. All in all, it is a pretty cool statue in Caesar's Palace.

Bazar Alley is a cool art display by local artists!…read more You'll find it in the back of Huntridge Shopping Center. There's good parking. Amazing wall mural is viewable from the side of Savers, next to Yukon Pizza, and near Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. It's a nice alley for an art walk and drive through, and it's Free!

We just drove by through this parking lot. It's a cool spot to checkout, but no need to go out of…read moreyour way to see it.

The Las Vegas Showgirls Sign is an homage to the Las Vegas of old and is located more towards the…read moredowntown area of Las Vegas on a quiet and more seedy part of the Las Vegas Strip. It is not far from the Strat and again, offers us a glimpse into what Las Vegas was and I found it an interesting walk from my hotel. As I said, it does get more seedy down this area, homeless people sleeping on the street close to the sign, but I am glad that I came to check out this sign. If you are in the area, go check out this sign and take a moment to think of how Las Vegas once was.

Public Art in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada…read more.. Driving past this Landmark on Las Vegas Boulevard, I remembered that there was a check-in for the Las Vegas Showgirls Sign. I yelled out to my passengers (who are Yelp Elites from Honolulu) that this is an important site! I slowed the car down so that they could take photos for me! Thank you so much! I think we should return, get out of the car, and take different photos with the dice in the foreground and the poker chips on the sides!

The Praying Mantis at the downtown Container Park is one of the most unexpected and awesome public…read moreart displays in town. The giant insect towers just under 40 feet, and it looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.  This thing came to be at the Burning Man festival over a decade ago, and now it has become a centerpiece in the quirky Las Vegas Arts District that's loved by locals and tourists alike. The Mantis is pretty cool day or night, although the dramatic lighting makes for better photo ops in the evening. It used to shoot fire from its head, but I haven't seen it with the flames in years. Regardless, this is the perfect stop for anyone who is a fan of offbeat art, funky photo ops, or just a good dose of "only in Vegas" weirdness.

After enjoying our dinner at Ramen Boys, fellow Yelp Elite Nadine C suggested taking in an…read moreoff-strip show and walking before returning to our hotel. I wasn't sure where we were headed since we had trusted Nadine's expert navigation through Las Vegas over the past six days. She took us to places we've never been to but have only enjoyed reading about through other Yelp reviews since I started Yelp in 2013. I knew that Nadine drove us to the edge of the Downtown area as we went through a site that appeared to be residential yet surrounded by low-rise hotels, a couple of high-rises, and bright neon lighted signs. She asked us to keep our eyes peeled for street parking as we got closer to the destination, and as Lady Luck would have it, we scored a parking space within seconds of her request. She was also excited because as we exited the car, she directed us to walk to the nearby street corner. We first noticed the heart sculpture filled with padlocks that reminded me of the famed love lock bridge, Pont des Arts, in Paris, France. But, soon after, I was enthralled with the sight of an enormous 60-ft metal sculpture of a Praying Mantis and the entrance to Las Vegas' Container Park shopping mall. We noticed several people sitting on the bleachers facing the statue, and before I could step up to take a peek at the praying mantis' background placard, Nadine told me to stay in place since the show was about to begin. No sooner than I drew back, a voice announced the celebration of someone's birthday and several events around town. The colorful lights on the praying mantis flashed, lively music played, and its animatronics made this metal monster come alive. As I was taking pictures, several bursts of flames shot from the praying mantis' antennae with explosions, which made me jump out of my shoes and heart race. Other spectators danced around the area to the music and added to the entertainment. The fire show lasted several minutes, and we wandered around the Container Park shopping mall. The shopping mall features locally-owned boutique-like businesses with a "hand-crafted flair." From Container Park's Business Directory, we noted jewelry, art, toys, apparel, and pet supply stores. While browsing this mall, we found it to be a refreshing change from seeing the high-end or upscale stores on The Strip. At the center of the park, there was an interactive playground for adults and children, complete with a 33' tall slide and a NEOS play system. If we weren't feeling so full from dinner, my husband would have proposed that we play or challenge ourselves in the electronic play system. What's not to like? The Praying Mantis is Public Art with free entertainment, and the Container Park is a fun place to let their inner child out.

Vegas is not all about gaming. It is the ULTIMATE in first class, top-tier level entertainment,…read moreGREAT FOOD, tons of superb hiking options slightly outside of town, great museums and cultural centres and shopping for Dior, Prada and Cartier for the rich and famous. If you're not much into gaming (like us), stay off The Strip. You will not be bored, not even for a minute. We've been coming to Sin City for decades. Never tire of it. Thoroughly enjoying our stay. As always.

"Shut up and put your money where your mouth is…read more That's what you get for waking up in Vegas" - as Katy would say. Las Vegas, the city that stays active, awake and awesome in a variety of ways. From awesome annual conventions like Viva Las Vegas, the iconic rockabilly conventions I've been able to attend a couple times in the past, to Las Vegas Pride, sunny summertime vacations, special occasions like my double college graduation back in 2013 to just living the on as well as off The Strip dream there's so much to go and so many places to see. The power of Downtown Las Vegas via Fremont Street, the water show the Bellagio, adventures at Omega Mart aka Meow Wolf Las Vegas', The Sphere, tourist shuttles and helicopters to view all the nooks and crannies or strutting it up Las Vegas Blvd from the Mandalay Bay to The Strat (former the Stratosphere) for the full strip trip. Experiences and memories await and so luck should you partake in the call of slots, card games or opportunities of chance. Iconic buffets at The Wynn, Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, Excalibur (most affordable), Garden Buffet at South Point and numerous others. Epic shopping via Miracle Mill (Planet Hollywood), Forum Shops at Caesars, Grand Canal Shoppes via The Venetian, Fashion Show Las Vegas (next to Treasure Island) , and those great chainy favorites throughout, not to mention all the great outlet malls. Plenty of ways to get around and enjoy ever part of town and at any pace. "A little less conversation, a little more action please!" - The King of Rock n Roll