When it comes to Las Vegas, the most common questions people ask are, "What is there to do?" and, "How do I get around the city to do it all?" Luckily, there are tons of wheelchair-accessible things to do in Las Vegas and several wheelchair-accessible modes of transportation that make it easy to get around the strip and the surrounding area.
The first stop on any Las Vegas trip is the strip, where you'll find hotels, casinos, and resort experiences with live shows, but beyond the strip you may not realize that there are unique museums and experiences that make Las Vegas memorable and fun. And now, getting around Las Vegas is easier than ever with the new monorail system, in addition to reliable bus tour options and taxis for adventuring beyond the strip.
Wheelchair-Accessible Things to Do in Las Vegas
Exploring Casinos and Resorts
Typically when visitors arrive in Las Vegas, their first stop on the trip is their hotel. Most hotel experiences in Las Vegas are resort-style, meaning they have a hotel, restaurant, casino, and show space all on the same property. This gives visitors a place to stay and a space to enjoy entertainment without having to leave their campus. This is also where most visitors think the Las Vegas experience ends — which is not the case! Most hotels are a great place to enjoy and relax, but there's plenty to do in Vegas beyond the hotel.
After checking into their room, many visitors want to explore the casinos, which is what Las Vegas is known for. Each hotel has their own casino floor with slot machines, table games, and drink service.There's also a restaurant or two and some shops for finding souvenirs and mementos. The casino and hotel will be wheelchair-accessible, as each resort complies with ADA regulations. For details about a specific hotel, casino, or resort experience, visit their website and check the FAQ section, or call a representative for answers to specific questions.
Shows
Each big name Las Vegas hotel will probably offer a variety of shows, both free and paid, from an act in the lobby to a big-ticket concert or performance in their theater space. These shows will also be wheelchair-accessible, either with specific seating or ticketing, or open seating for the general public. A visit or vacation to Las Vegas isn't complete without seeing a show! Check out the advertisements in your hotel's lobby and the flyers in the room, or look up the entertainment schedule online before you book your trip so you don't miss out!
The Neon Museum
A highlight of the Las Vegas strip is the sea of neon lights that illuminate the sky every night. These lights and signs are a huge draw to Las Vegas and create the fun and iconic atmosphere. The Neon Museum was founded in 1996 to collect, preserve, study, and exhibit the history of neon signs and lights used on the strip. This is a great destination for learning the history of Las Vegas and exploring their iconic signs. There are guided tours, specialty exhibits, and a boneyard of signs to get up close and personal with the history.
The Neon Museum is ADA-compliant and wheelchair-accessible. The walkways and pathways through the museum are fine gravel, which is easily navigated by both manual and power wheelchairs. Tickets are available online to ensure you have a tour or visit booked ahead of your stay.
The Mob Museum
Another great place to learn about the history of Las Vegas while enjoying the museum atmosphere is the Mob Museum. The Mob Museum highlights the history of law enforcement and organized crime in Las Vegas, all held within the 1933 courthouse and post office building, minutes from Fremont Street.
The museum hosts interactive exhibits and law enforcement artifacts, along with a speakeasy and distillery to highlight the Prohibition era. Las Vegas has a rich history and foundation in organized crime, especially in the early establishment of the Vegas strip. This is a great stop on any Las Vegas trip, as it gives unique insight into the history of Las Vegas and provides an interactive window into the past.
All exhibits at the Mob Museum were designed to be wheelchair-accessible and follow ADA guidelines. There are steps at the front of the museum leading to the front entrance, but there is a lift to allow wheelchair users to bypass the steps. There is also an elevator to provide access to each interior level. The museum strives to be as accessible and as inclusive as possible.
Fremont Street
Downtown Las Vegas offers a variety of things to do and it's all centered on Fremont Street. Beyond your hotel and the casinos, Fremont Street has something for everyone. There are historic casinos, a variety of shops & dining, live shows & concerts, and even zip-lining.
There are a variety of unique things to see on Fremont Street, from the World's Largest Keno Board at The D, to getting your photo taken with a million dollars at Binion's. The Golden Gate Casino hosts a variety of Las Vegas artifacts showcasing the hotel's history in Las Vegas. Visitors can see gaming ledgers, chip racks, and experience the early casino days.
The Golden Nugget has a 200,000-gallon (757,000-liter) shark tank available for viewing and a water slide that sends riders "through" the tank. The Fremont Entertainment District is another great spot for fine dining and enjoying the city, especially at night.
A highlight of Fremont Street is Slotzilla, a zip-line and zoom-line that offers a unique experience. This experience is somewhat accessible, as the ride is ADA-compliant. There is an elevator to take guests to each level and a supervisor escorts wheelchair users to the take-off deck with a Fremont Experience wheelchair. Wheelchair users will need someone to meet them at the landing platform with their personal wheelchair.
Hot Air Ballooning
To take your Las Vegas trip beyond the strip and the traditional Vegas events, you should definitely set up a hot air ballooning session. This is an amazing way to experience Las Vegas in a completely different light, from the epic view and sights, to the experience from beginning to end.
The best way to experience hot air ballooning in a wheelchair-accessible way is to work with Love Is In The Air Ballooning. You'll need to take a taxi to the airfield, but Las Vegas has plenty of wheelchair-accessible taxis on duty, day and night. Once you arrive at the airfield, you get to watch the team assemble the balloon and prep for flight.
Working with Love Is In The Air Ballooning is a unique experience because they have a wheelchair-accessible balloon, something many other companies don't offer. This specific balloon has one side of the basket that folds down, allowing you to wheel into the basket. It also has tie-downs and a harness to help keep wheelchair users secure throughout the ride. The best part? The basket has a clear portion, allowing wheelchair users to see through the basket and enjoy the view.
Getting Around Las Vegas in a Wheelchair
Las Vegas is a very pedestrian-friendly city, but there are also several options for getting around the city beyond walking or rolling.
Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is a great public transportation option because they are ADA-compliant. This means that the Monorail is completely wheelchair-accessible, with elevator service to and from each platform, in addition to flat platforms for easy boarding. This is a great way to travel from one end of the strip to the other quickly without having to navigate foot traffic or hailing a taxi only to get stuck in rush hour traffic.
Taxis
When you're planning your trip to Las Vegas, you're probably considering calling ahead for a wheelchair-accessible taxi service. Most of the time you won't have any problem finding a taxi that is wheelchair-accessible. It may be useful to keep a taxi service phone number on hand if you have to get to a show or event on time. But don't worry about getting a taxi on-the-fly, as you will find a ride in a short amount of time.
Buses
BigBus Las Vegas is a great way to work in a self-guided tour of Las Vegas with the use of bus transportation. This company uses hop-on, hop-off sightseeing with multi-day passes, so you can get on or off at your leisure and can use the bus as much or as little as you'd like. Using this tour as transportation will give you an interesting view and information about each location as you travel, as opposed to using a taxi or the Monorail which are strictly transportation. While they do have a fleet of wheelchair-accessible buses, be sure to call beforehand to make sure a bus is available.
Las Vegas is completely wheelchair accessible with amazing attractions, tours, and destinations to create your dream vacation. There are plenty of things to do, from the traditional Vegas experience of museums, restaurants, and Fremont Street, to more adventurous activities like zip-lining and hot air ballooning. With a little planning and preparation, you can have a completely wheelchair-accessible trip to Las Vegas and be planning your next trip before your vacation is over.
About the Author
After being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the age of two, Cory Lee's thirst for adventure never ceased. He went on many trips around the U.S. when he was younger, and then started taking things internationally when he turned 15. Since then, Cory has traveled to 21 countries across six continents, all while managing to start up his travel blog Curb Free with Cory Lee, where he shares his accessible, and sometimes not-so-accessible travel adventures with others. Cory is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). He has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, in a nationwide segment for CBS News, Lonely Planet, and many others. His blog won the 2017 Best Travel Blog Gold Lowell Thomas Award. He hopes to inspire other wheelchair users to roll out of their comfort zone and see all of the beauty that the world has to offer.
Cory Lee's ride is a Quickie QM-710.
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