Area 15 In Las Vegas Rewards Visitors Who Venture Off The Strip
$6,000 Welcome Bonus
To most travelers, visiting Las Vegas means visiting the Strip, where billion-dollar themed casinos are the modern-day wonders of the world.
An hour’s stroll can take you through an imagined Egypt (Luxor), Medieval Europe (Excalibur) a bustling New York City (New York New York), the Roman Empire (Caesars Palace), a tropical paradise (Mirage), and a world of faded pirate ships (Treasure Island.) Reality and fidelity to history is not the point; distraction and attachment to your credit card is.
It is no wonder that many never leave the Strip. But there is much to see and do beyond Las Vegas Boulevard. The Mob Museum, for example, merits a trip to downtown. There you can see the history of U.S. organized crime (including the city fathers of Las Vegas), sit in an electric chair, or gawk at the carefully re-assembled Chicago wall that was the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The Mob Museum also has one of the best bars in Las Vegas, the Underground. It makes 1920’s style drinks and boasts has its own still for ‘moonshine.’
For those with more eclectic tastes, one of the most interesting Las Vegas attractions is Area 15, an upscale warehouse full of immersive entertainment a five-minute Uber ride from most Strip hotels.
Area 15 is a family attraction, but it is also a playground for adults. You can throw an ax, look at a mesmerizing light show, zipline across the building and take a ride into the desert sky at LIFTOFF.
LIFTOFF calls itself a “panoramic skyline experience and outdoor lounge.” The LIFTOFF experience begins at the comfortable outdoor bar, where specialty drinks include the Liftoff, the Sky High Margarita, Mach 15 Mule, and The Moon Shot. I particularly enjoyed the Liftoff (Ketel One Botanical Peach and Orange Blossom, St. Germain Elderflower Liquor, Fever Tree Aromatic tonic, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a garnish of rosemary.)
Once fortified, (I have a fear of heights) I was ready for LIFTOFF, which flies both day and night. You can even take your drink on board, as each seat has its own cupholder.
LIFTOFF is a cylindrical steel skeleton tower. At the bottom of the tower sits a donut-shaped platform with a dozen seats. You get into your seat, strap yourself in and ride into the sky, legs gently dangling. As the platform rises, it begins to slowly spin around, providing passengers a 360-degree panoramic view. The 10-minute ride goes up one hundred feet and continues to spin slowly, showing off the Strip and the city, mountains, and desert. LIFTOFF thoughtfully provides a neck lanyard for your phone so you can take pictures without dropping it into the void.
Once you have descended, it is time to explore the rest of Area 15, an enormous two-story warehouse of interesting amusements. Through April Area 15 is offering a cool immersive art double feature, KLIMT + VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES. Having seen the Van Gogh show in Los Angeles, I can say it is a fascinating multimedia display of the artist’s work.
In addition to such special events, Area 15 has a host of experiences open daily from 4PM to midnight Monday through Friday, 2PM to midnight Saturday and Sunday.
We had only about three hours, so in addition to LIFTOFF we tried Wink World, Museum Fiasco, and Dueling Axes. All were fascinating in their own ways.
Wink World was originated by Chris Wink, Chief Creative Officer of the world-famous Blue Man Group. At “Wink World: Portals into the Infinite,” guests journey through six infinity mirror rooms; each containing a combination of light, color, sound, and motion. The strobe light and sound help create a 20-minute psychedelic extravaganza.
Museum Fiasco is also an immersive audiovisual installation that explores relationships between space, time, and perception. Through its synchronization between sound and light, sequential abstract scenes are created to let visitors wander through lights, mirrors and explore different concepts.
Dueling Axes is less abstract. Individuals and groups visiting this axe-throwing lounge get a “lane” and a target to throw axes at. It takes practice to throw the axe (about hatchet size) and get it to stick into the wood butcher block target. Practice you shall have, as each player gets five throws per frame, with only the highest score recorded. And while drinking and axe throwing may not immediately seem a match made in heaven, couples, groups, and teams were happily going at it.
Among the attractions at Area 15 is also OmegaMart, a super-market styled art exhibition and gallery where you can buy the art, and stores and VR attractions galore, as well as a 5 Iron golf simulator. There are restaurants and snack shops, like Rocket Fiz and its candy creations. And Emporium Arcade Bar Las Vegas curates both its drinks and its rotating collection of art by local artists.
It is easy to get lost inside Area 15, but it is equally easy to find as an Uber or Lyft destination. This psychedelic pleasure dome is hidden in plain sight, just off the Las Vegas Strip.
