Fun Things to Do in Las Vegas for Free or Cheap

Las Vegas brings visions of high rollers, luxurious suites, lavish shows and exclusive boutiques - in short - spending money and lots of it. While not all of us can afford to spend excessively while in Vegas, you can still have a lot of fun in Sin City without breaking the bank. Here are 5 fun, free or cheap things you can do while visiting Las Vegas:

1) Have a wild time at the MGM Lion Habitat.

The MGM Casino and Hotel has an actual lion habitat right in the middle of their gambling floor. Though they actually live on a 12-acre ranch outside of Las Vegas, the lions are brought in especially for the guests' enjoyment and education for free. Visitors can have an up-close encounter with the lions in their glass-enclosed playground, surrounded by adoring fans and the lights of the casino. Some of these majestic creatures are actually descended from the original Leo the Lion, whose roars greet audiences at the beginning of every MGM movie. This attraction is free.

2) Sharpen your gambling skills without losing your shirt.

Most major casinos offer free gambling lessons for table games such as Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, Let-It-Ride, Pai Gow, Mini Baccarat, and Caribbean Stud Three Card Poker. You can learn how to play these for games for free and practice with real dealers and other players. Ask any information desk at the casinos for times and locations.

3) Bust your belly without busting your budget at the Garden Court Buffet

If only you could get free food, Las Vegas would just be awesome (you could get comped, but that would mean you probably lost a good amount of money gambling). Fear not, the Garden Court Buffet is one of the few truly cheap buffets left in Las Vegas. This buffet, located at the Main Street Station is the largest and cheapest buffet in Downtown Las Vegas. While the price is inexpensive, the food is delicious! You can enjoy a wide variety of foods such as Southwestern, American, Italian, Chinese and 9 action stations all for $10.99 per person; on the weekends, they have seafood entrees for a slightly higher price.

4) Enjoy some free STRIP shows.

Strip shows meaning ON the strip. The Strip is a portion of Las Vegas Boulevard South where all the large casinos are located. Three of the most popular free attractions are the Bellagio Fountains, a music, light and water show that runs every 15 minutes; the Sirens of TI, a pirate-themed musical adventure outside Treasure Island; and located inside the Caesar's Palace Forum shops, the Festival Fountain Show, where ancient Greek statues come to life.

5) Head downtown for some high-tech fun in old Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience.

Fremont Street used to be "the" place in Vegas, until it was overshadowed by the mega-casinos of the Strip. Today, this place really lights up during the nightly free Lights and Sounds Show - which is shown over an LED canopy display covering 4 blocks of downtown Vegas. Images are projected over the display and 12 million LED lamps are used in lighting up the canopy.

6) Take a botanical trip around the world

The free Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical gardens has some of the most beautiful plants all from all over the world on display. They employ over 100 experts to keep the garden beautiful and fresh year-round, and in-synch with the season, ensuring that each visit will be a unique one.

These are only some of the free or cheap entertainment that Vegas has to offer. Just ask around, be smart, plan ahead and you can have a frugal, but fun time in Las Vegas!