Vegas Geeks: What Happens Here, Stays Here
The best places for geeks to go in the surprisingly geeky city of Las Vegas.
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Everyone knows about Las Vegas' status as the IT conference capital of the world -- or at least the Western US. In fact, I'll be there, along with many of my colleagues, for the Interop conference, which starts April 27 and runs through May 1. If you are there, too, you might be looking for something to help get your geek on while weaving your way through yet another casino or conference center.
We know just because you leave home doesn't mean you leave your inner geek behind.
IT, like geekery, is a lifestyle. The best part about going somewhere else is to see how geeks do it there. And believe it or not, beyond the glitz, geeks do it here a lot.
In fact, before we go on, it seems only fair we remember perhaps the geekiest place on Earth, the now defunct Quark's Bar at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Star Trek-themed bar and virtual experience left many a geek drooling, and left this geek nearly speechless as he stood on the bridge on the Enterprise. Let's raise a glass of Romulan Ale to its memory.
That little bar may have triggered something pretty cool in Vegas. It is has always been a place of big dreams. Whole castles, pyramids, and Roman cities have been built there. If you want to be a geek there, you can pick your flavor. That's why there are so many great little geek enclaves in Vegas.
In this list, I tried to stay away from the usual suspects like Hoover Dam or the Neon Light Museum. It isn't that those things aren't cool. I just figure you know of them. The graveyard was on CSI and I think even an episode of Dr. Who. It isn't that they aren't cool, though. There's a good list of those on our sister site, Network Computing.
What I tried to do was find the off the beaten path, made by geeks for geeks, type of experiences. Check out the list. Tell us which ones you'll be checking out on your next trip to Vegas, and let us know how you get your Vegas on.
The Zombie Apocalypse Store is one of the hardest things to describe. The owner describes it as "a delicate dance between the fun and functional." Part tourist trap, part real-life prepper store, it features zombie t-shirts and shooting galleries, but also water pouches, food that will last 25 years, and weapons. The store has a phrase they like to ask their preppers: "What's your zombie?" That is code for "What keeps you up at night and makes you buy all of this stuff?" Aside from buying a pair of brass knuckles that doubles as a meat cleaver, you can also go out to the special "zombie shooting experience." You get a paint gun that looks real, and they throw a bunch of people dressed as zombies at you." Here's a video. Survivor or zombie bait? Which one are you?
The geeky heir to the old Star Trek Experience is CSI: The Experience. A little more blood and guts but more science! You'll play CSI's latest recruit, examine bullet casings and hair while you investigate three different murders at fifteen different "stations" where you will learn more about CSI the show and CSI the job. Who doesn't want to figure out whodunnit? Combine it with a day of killing zombies, so you only get one set of clothes covered in brains and blood.
Vegas was founded (at least partially) by the mob. And the Mob Museum is located in a former federal courthouse where many of them faced the law. In a city that likes to knock things down for new and shiny things, it is one of the oldest and most historic buildings in town. They have mob artifacts from Vegas and around the country, including items from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Bring your violin case.
Why is the Bellagio fountain geeky? Because no one can stand in front of it anymore without daydreaming that they just finished a heist. Get your friends or co-workers together. Stand in front of the fountain. Dream of millions. Then, one at a time, smile and leave. Geeky? Oh yeah. Fun? Totally.
There are tons of casinos in Vegas. What makes this one different? Silverton's has mermaids. Sure they're a bit kitschy. I remember seeing mermaids as roadside attractions in Florida as a kid. But old-time nostalgia coupled with an artificial reef full of beautiful fish and mermaids is fun. If you happen to find the love of your life (or of the week) in Vegas, you can get married by the mermaids. If you are so inclined, you can jump in the tank and be married with a series of signs for exchanging vows.
Right at the Mandalay Bay, home of Interop, is Eyecandy. Eyecandy seamlessly combines technology into a big Vegas lounge in the center of a casino. Touchscreen tables and a hi-tech projection system all combine to interact with the dance floor by creating images and sending messages. Of course, how geeky this is depends on the audience. But with Interop taking over, you know it will be all about you guys.
You always buy your kids a present when you go away on business, right? And sometimes you even bring them (or your inner child) along. Kettlemuck's is a great toy store filled with wonderful, creative toys and no plastic junk. What makes it geeky? Well, the vibe, for sure -- but also Kettlemuck's Treasure Dig. The folks at Kettlemuck's have created a giant sandbox. In the sandbox they've buried a bunch of tiny toys and small "jewels." Everybody gets a pouch and a shovel. You can dig through the sand and you can take home whatever you can fit in your pouch. Especially great for little geeks or little geeks at heart.
The Beat Coffeehouse is the Vegas HQ for vinyl. That's what the cool kids call records. If you need me to explain records, you might not be old enough to go to Beats. If vinyl isn't your thing, it is one of the best places to see local bands. Both of those provide some great non-glitz flare. But if that's not enough, there's "Paint Night," where people get together to paint. The best part is that you can see Puddles the Clown. Perhaps the geekiest part is the Zine library, a collection of hundreds of zines (indie magazines for the folks who didn't know what vinyl was) from all over the world. Come check them out, or if you're into them, too, drop some of for the collection.
To be honest, I've never eaten at Mickie Finnz. I've never been there. But there are two reasons I know I'll be going and that all geeks should go there. First, they have cups that look like coconuts carved in the shape of monkeys. You know those claw machines with stuffed animals you see in arcades? Mickie Finnz has a claw machine that lets you get real claws. It is attached to a lobster tank. The claws reach down and pick up dinner. This is officially the best use of an arcade game in the history of the world.
The Sci-Fi Center is a comics and collectibles store in the front, but the cool part is the theater in the back. Playing underground sci-fi and fantasy, and with a dedicated audience, you can't get any geekier than this (besides offering the requisite Rocky Horror night). You'll be home in a second. And just remember, Game of Thrones will be on the night you fly into Interop. You can watch it in a group of dedicated fans, just as George R.R. Martin intended. Pictured is a live performance paired with the cult classic, Clue.
I hope you get a chance to try some of these out when you come to Vegas, and hopefully for Interop. Which are your favorites? Which would you rather skip? What are you favorite things to do in Vegas? Let us know in the comments.
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