Vegas coasters

You don't need to go to an amusement park to go on a roller coaster.

If you're looking for thrills of a different nature, Las Vegas offers all of the excitement you're looking for. Stratosphere has three of the world's highest rides located 100 stories above the ground: Xscream (which teeters riders over the edge of the tower 900 feet above the ground), the Big Shot - a thrill ride that shoots fun-lovers 50 meters into the air at a force of 4G's before letting them free-fall back to the launching pad - and Insanity, an appropriately named, dizzying spinning ride that dangles passengers over the edge of the tower before whirling them around at speeds approaching 40 miles per hour.

Speed - The Ride at the Sahara takes passengers around a roller coaster loop and up a 224-foot climb at speeds topping 70 mph and then retraces the same path...in reverse. The Manhattan Express at New York-New York is an exciting roller coaster with twists, loops and dives around the resort. It features the first-ever heart line roll, which provides a sensation similar to that felt by a pilot during a barrel roll in an airplane.

The Desperado, one of the world's tallest and fastest roller coasters, is located near the California/Nevada border just 30 minutes from Las Vegas at Buffalo Bill's in Primm, Nevada. The ride begins with an initial lift height of 209 feet and a breathtaking 225-foot drop.

America's largest indoor theme park, the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, offers 21 rides and attractions.

Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton features an outer space shuttlecraft thrill ride and re-creations of the U.S.S. Enterprise's bridge, turbo lift and grand corridor.

Seeing animals on the Vegas Strip

When you're not winning in the casino, lounging by the pool or savoring delicious cuisine, you'll find that Las Vegas has a variety of must-see attractions and entertainment options to keep you and the whole family occupied.

From thrilling roller coasters to virtual-reality simulator rides and erupting volcanoes to wax museums, Las Vegas' attractions appeal to people of all ages, interests and budgets.

Discover the wild side of Las Vegas (as if you haven't already) at a variety of attractions for animal lovers. Visit the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo Hotel and see Chilean flamingos, swans, ducks, koi, goldfish and turtles. Venture over to The Mirage for the Dolphin Habitat & Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden is home to royal white tigers, white lions, black panthers, a snow leopard, golden tigers and a four-ton elephant. The Dolphin Habitat, adjacent to the Secret Garden, houses an extended family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

At MGM Grand, see The Lion Habitat, a showcase for public education and appreciation of this majestic creature. The lions live in custom accommodations on an 8.5-acre ranch 12 miles from MGM Grand and visit the habitat daily. Get up close and personal with endangered and unusual aquatic animals at Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef.

Visitors journey through a replica of an ancient temple ruin and a sunken galleon ship surrounded by several varieties of sharks.