CULTURE? Las Vegas?
Art? Las Vegas?
Well, yes. Turns out that the city of gaming, gams, and greenbacks also offers art museums, musicals, and theater.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau points out that when the Bellagio opened in 1998, art critics were skeptical. However, the public applauded after the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art was revealed.
With eyes glued to this emerging art center, other reputable art institutions started looking toward Las Vegas. Recent exhibitions at the Bellagio have included exhibits showcasing everything from Faberge designs from St Petersburg, Russia, to paintings by Claude Monet on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino marked the first joint venture between the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, and New York's Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation.
Las Vegas is making a name for itself as a place to see great theater. High-profile, star-powered shows and touring musical productions continue to make stops in Las Vegas, where they play to packed houses.
The Las Vegas musical theater scene benefits from the presence of the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts. The 7,000-seat performing arts center is the Strip's only mid-size entertainment venue and is home to cultural and popular entertainment including national tours of highly acclaimed Broadway musicals.
As for events at the Mandalay Bay, visitors can see sharks, sawfish, stingrays, endangered green sea turtles, piranha, and golden crocodiles in North America's only predator-based aquarium, the Shark Reef. It is open daily with more than 2,000 animals in 1.6 million gallons of seawater.
A production of Mama Mia, a hit musical, is playing at the Mandalay Bay Theatre.