Theme Parks and Thrill Rides in Las Vegas
Las Vegas may not be home to world-famous mega theme parks like Orlando, but it does boast its fair share of roller coasters and amusement parks, some of which have broken world records before. With the following list of thrill rides in Vegas, you’re sure to get your fill of theme park madness while you’re vacationing in Sin City.
The Roller Coaster at New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
The Roller Coaster at New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino lifts you up 203 feet and drops you down 144 feet at speeds of 67 mph. It also turns 180 degrees, hangs you 86 feet in the air, and takes a heartline twist and dive, simulating a jet fighter’s barrel roll. The Roller Coaster snakes through recreations of famous New York City landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty.
Adventuredome
Adventuredome is a five-acre, indoor theme park behind the Circus Circus Hotel & Casino on the Strip. Adventuredome is an ideal destination for families with young children because it features plenty of rides and attractions for the little ones. Attractions at Adventuredome include a climbing wall, video arcade, mini-train ride, corkscrewing coaster, old-fashioned carnival games, and clown shows.
Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino
Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino is home to the Desperado roller coaster, which used to hold the record for the world’s tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster in the Guinness Book of World Records. The roller coaster’s first drop is 225-feet high, and the ride reaches speeds of up to 95 mph. Other rides at Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino include the Turbo Drop, the Vault a 3D Simulation, and the Adventure Canyon Log Flume Ride.
Stratosphere Thrill Rides
Located on the Strip in Las Vegas, the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower features the world’s highest thrill rides. Go to the top of the Stratosphere Tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, to enjoy four one-of-a-kind rides: SkyJump, Insanity, X-Scream, and Big Shot.
SkyJump is the highest controlled free fall in the world. Insanity the Ride features a massive mechanical arm that extends out 64 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower at a height of over 900 feet. It spins passengers in the open air at high speeds and propels them up to an angle of 70 degrees while offering breathtaking views of downtown Las Vegas. X-Scream propels passengers 27 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower and dangles them over the Strip before pulling them back. Big Shot catapults riders 160 feet in the air at 45 mph as their legs dangle in the Las Vegas skyline.
Speed The Ride at the Sahara Hotel & Casino
Speed The Ride at the Sahara Hotel & Casino, named Las Vegas’ best attraction by Vegas.com and the Las Vegas Review Journal, utilizes electromagnetic force to slingshot the rollercoaster out of the launch site and over the first hill. The rollercoaster travels at speeds of 70 mph, plummets 25 feet underground and through a misty tunnel, and ascends a 224-foot tower. When the rollercoaster reaches the top of the tower, it completes the entire journey again, but backwards the second time around.