CLUBS, ARENAS & NIGHTLIFE

BROOKLYN BOWL

This cornerstone of The Linq combines a bowling alley with a restaurant and concert venue. One of the best freefor-all venues in Vegas, you can eat virtually anywhere in the cavernous space (Blue Ribbon comfort food is the order of the day), order from 17 beers —12 on tap—all while you bowl and listen

to live music, all at the same time. The Linq, 702-862-2695; thelinq.com

DRAI’S NIGHTCLUB

Victor Drai is credited with being the founder of the nightclub scene in Las Vegas, and was renowned for his after-hours basement club in Bill’s Gamblin’ Saloon. Bill’s is now The Cromwell, and Drai has built a glowing party scene on the roof, which has 150 VIP tables, night swim parties, eight pools, and incredible live music programming. The Cromwell, 702777-3800; thecromwell.com

HAKKASAN NIGHTCLUB

While other Hakkasan restaurants the world over get clubbier as the night wears on, the Vegas location combines the restaurant with a 75,000-square-foot, five-floor nightclub. In other words, come for dinner, stay all night. The winning DJ lineup also includes Zedd, Steve Aoki, Harwell, Tiesto, and newest resident, Kaskade, among others. MGM Grand, 702-891-3838; mgmgrand.com

HYDE BELLAGIO

Perched on the banks of Bellagio’s famous lake, this Philippe Starckdesigned nightclub is best known for its sprawling patio terrace and fountain views. The table located front-and-center is the one to reserve; various packages will give you the honor of pressing the fountains’ red button. Bellagio, 702-693-8700; bellagio.com

INTRIGUE

This Wynn nightspot comes complete with a waterfall, a glass-enclosed patio, and a club-within-a-club, The Living Room, for VIP guests. INSIDER TIP: Want to escape prying eyes? The Living Room has a strict no social media policy. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-7300; wynnlasvegas.com

JEWEL NIGHTCLUB

In its small (by Vegas standards) Jewel, Hakkasan Group’s latest Las Vegas venture is accessed through tunnel-like bronze arches. Inside, a richly toned room has a dramatic staircase that leads to five themed VIP boxes with a bird’s-eye view of the action below. Aria, 702-590-8000; jewelnightclub.com

MARQUEE NIGHTCLUB

The venue that reinvigorated Vegas’s nightclub scene remains one of the city’s most popular spots to catch EDM, rap, and hip-hop acts. Reserve bottle service or escape to The Library, with its fireplace, book-lined walls and sexy-librarian servers. Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

OMNIA NIGHTCLUB

Omnia is a massive showcase for celebrity DJS (think Calvin Harris, Zedd, Afrojack) that’s a four-story room modeled after a European opera house surrounded by mezzanine-level private booths. A sleek rooftop welcomes those who seek a calmer environment. Caesars Palace, 702-785-6200; caesars.com

T-MOBILE ARENA

Outside the Strip’s massive, 20,000-seat arena, high-tech LED surfacing doubles as an evolving billboard for the many high-profile events that pack the new venue—a joint venture between MGM Resorts and AEG Live. Inside, college basketball, UFC, massive concerts, and eventually, NHL hockey fill that massive space. 3780 Arena Dr., 844-582-7362; t-mobilearena.com

THE PARK

The Strip’s transformation into a walkable, social zone with help from its first public park. Landscaped with desert-native greenery, public art (including Marco Cochrane’s exuberant Bliss Dance sculpture), a concert space, and dining venues that spill out into the sociable new area. 3782 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-693-7275; theparkvegas.com

PARK THEATER

The 5,000-seat stadium inside Monte Carlo Resort & Casino opened with Stevie Nicks and the Pretenders, and will host residencies by Cher, Bruno Mars, and Ricky Martin among others in 2017. Check out the 40-foot-high, 80-foot-wide LED backdrop behind the stage that’s wider than the Colosseum’s. Monte Carlo, 844-600-7275; montecarlo.com

THE SAYERS CLUB

Alternative rock meets old-school jazz inside this laid-back lounge on the ground floor of SLS Las Vegas, which, at 4,700 square feet with room for only 250 people plus limited VIPS, is one of the most intimate venues on the Strip. SLS Las Vegas, 702-761-7618; slslasvegas.com

TAO NIGHTCLUB

After more than 10 years in the game, Venetian’s Asian-inspired nightclub, Tao, continues to appeal to the celebrity set. Kardashians abound. INSIDER TIP: Since Tao has orchestrated so many bachelor/ette parties, they have entire departments to plan them for you, arranging dinner at Tao Asian Bistro, then accompanying your group upstairs to the nightclub. Just call ahead for party planners. Venetian, 702-388-8588; venetian.com

XS

The most expensive club ever built when it opened in 2008, the aptly named club is also one of the top grossing clubs in the world. Look for a gold bas-relief entryway, gold-plated chandeliers, and gold-embossed crocodile VIP booths. Alesso, Diplo, Marshmello, The Chainsmokers, and more will be holding court here in 2017. Encore Las Vegas, 702-7700097; wynnlasvegas.com

into the virtual eye of a hurricane, and even earn a paycheck working in the ecofriendly Green Village. The 28-year-old institution moved to its 58,000-square-foot digs in Symphony Park in 2012. 360 Promenade Place, Downtown; 702-382-3445; discoverykidslv.org

MARJORIE BARRICK MUSEUM OF ART

The Marjorie Barrick Museum, part of the University of Las Vegas’s College of Fine Arts, houses a fantastic collection of pre-columbian art and cultural objects from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica, as well as contemporary art from artists associated with the Las Vegas valley. The museum also hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary works. 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, 702-8953381; unlv.edu/barrickmuseum

THE MOB MUSEUM

Located in the former federal courthouse and post office that hosted such proceedings as the 1950 Kefauver Hearings on Organized Crime, this $42 million museum opened on February 14, 2012—the 83rd anniversary of Chicago’s infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. The team behind Washington, DC’S International Spy Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland created this space, highlighting one-of-a-kind artifacts and weapons donated by old Las Vegas families, plus the actual bullet-ridden wall from 1929. INSIDER TIP: Sign up for email notifications for the museum’s lecture series, including appearances from real former mobsters, their family members, and the law enforcement agents who kept order in mobbed-up times. 300 Stewart Ave., 702-229-2734; themobmuseum.org

NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM

This surprising and engaging institution—a Smithsonian affiliate— tracks the development of the Unites States nuclear program from the Manhattan Project through today, particularly topical since much of its testing was done around Las Vegas. Don’t miss the simulator that allows you to experience bomb testing as Vegas residents used to—from an “outdoor” seat looking out onto the action. 755 E. Flamingo Road, 702-794-5151; nationalatomictestingmuseum.org

THE NEON MUSEUM

The so-called neon boneyard has housed more than 80 relics of Vegas’s neon sign history since it first opened in 1996. Fronting it all is the beautifully restored La Concha, an iconic midcentury hotel moved here to serve as the quirky cultural site’s visitors center. INSIDER TIP: For extra drama, reserve a night tour, when the neon signs are all lit up from below for show. 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N., 702-3876366; neonmuseum.org

SPRINGS PRESERVE

This 180-acre, $250 million Mojave Desert preserve, three miles west of the Strip, takes visitors through galleries, botanical gardens, and a living collection full of Gila monsters, foxes, and that other kind of Vegas nightlife—nocturnal critters like recluse spiders, sidewinders, and black widows. The best biological resource in southern Nevada, it’s also one of the state’s oldest archaeological treasures: Nomadic Native American tribes lived at the Springs 12,000 years ago. 333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702-8227700; springspreserve.org