Las Vegas - A City Guide
by Nivedita Balamurugan
IntroductionLas Vegas is the most populated city in Nevada, United States. The city was founded in the first decade of the 20th century, and is a major vacation, shopping, and gambling destination. The center of gambling in the US, Las Vegas is sometimes called Sin City due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages any time (like all of Nevada), various forms and degrees of adult entertainment. The nickname favored by local government and promoters of tourism is The Entertainment Capital of the World. The city's glamorous image has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.HistoryMajor events in Las Vegas' history include:¢Establishment of Las Vegas as a railroad town (May 15, 1905).¢Legalization of gambling (March 19, 1931).¢Completion of Hoover Dam (October 9, 1936).¢Opening of Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel on what would become the Las Vegas Strip (December 26, 1946).¢Above-ground testing of nuclear bombs (1951 to 1963).¢The floods of 1955, 1984, 1999, and 2003.¢MGM Grand Hotel fire (November 21, 1980), the worst disaster in Nevada history.¢Opening of the Mirage (November 22, 1989), this began the era of mega resort casinos.Place of interest The city and surrounding areas offer many attractions for both visitors and locals to enjoy. Just walking on the Strip and gazing at the gaudy, garish, absurd wonder of it all can occupy quite a lot of time. This is the number-one activity in Vegas; at night and there are shows and plenty of other nighttime entertainment.There are also plenty of out-of-town sightseeing options, like Hoover Dam (a major tourist destination), Red Rock Canyon, and nexus-of-all-conspiracy-theories Area 51, along with excursions to the Grand Canyon. The main attractions for the tourists are the casinos and their free shows. Free hotel attractions, such as Bellagio's water-fountain ballet, The Mirage's volcano and white-tiger exhibit, and the masquerade show at the Rio and the utter piece of hooey that replaced the pirate show at TI at the Mirage.Museums
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