Las Vegas is wildly known as Sin City, The Lady, Disneyland for Adults, or even The City of Lost Wages. Imagine what happens there if it has so many nicknames (and what nicknames!). You’re probably also familiar with the saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” so it’s only natural to be curious about all the shocking facts about Las Vegas!

However, what if it’s just a myth? I mean, what if it’s the most boring city in the world, and every time someone leaves it, they get a free Costco coupon to say that they had a blast in Vegas? No, I’m just kidding; this city is truly wild. In fact, whether you believe it or not, Las Vegas is not all about casinos, gambling, and luxurious parties.

There are plenty of architectural marvels and other shocking facts about Las Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling. In fact, chances are you didn’t even hear of them! Luckily for you, Mind-Bending Facts did its research, and now we have some stories to tell!

The dark past and numerous pleasures of Sin City

On the list of shocking facts about Las Vegas, probably the least shocking is the fact that the city is alive during the night. Las Vegas is the perfect place for the rich and famous, or at least that’s how it was before the whole area became so heavily commercialized for tourists. It is an internationally acclaimed resort city, well-known for its gambling, nightlife, entertainment, shopping, and fine dining options.

However, there were plenty of incidents that tarnished the reputation of this city. In some way or another, Las Vegas managed to bounce back and carry on being one of the most visited cities worldwide. While Las Vegas is known for many things, there are increasingly more celebrity hangouts in Sin City, probably because it’s so close to Los Angeles.

130,000 rooms and not a single one for you

According to the latest estimation, there are 130,000 rooms combined in all Las Vegas hotels. As a matter of fact, all those big places like MGM Grand, Tropicana, and Excalibur have more than 5000 rooms themselves, easily overtaking the gross collective of other big cities, such as San Francisco.

And here comes the fun part: even with so many rooms in the city, almost none of them are available. It is believed that 90% of all the rooms in Las Vegas are already occupied. So if you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas, you’d better make sure that you have a place to crash! Otherwise, you’ll have to spend the night in one of those casinos!

Gambling is banned. Watch out!

Don’t worry: Las Vegas is still the good old gambling haven, but it wasn’t always like this. At some point in history, gambling was illegal in Las Vegas. How come? Well, let’s remind ourselves that the city was built in 1905, and back then, the antigambling law of the State of Nevada drastically punished betting in 1910.

Obviously, this didn’t stop most people from indulging in the well-known betting and gambling business, and that’s how all related activities moved underground. Nevada legalized gambling once again in 1931, and the rest, well, is history. What do you think about that? Make sure you write it down in the comments section!

Say goodbye to lotteries.

I know it might sound a bit weird, but truth be told, the State of Nevada doesn’t allow a lottery. Of course, lots of folks have made plenty of attempts to overturn Article IV, Section 24, but without success. However, you are allowed to participate in or host church raffles and fundraisers conducted by charitable organizations. Could this indicate that Sin City slowly moves towards godliness? That would be interesting to watch!

Neon-neon everywhere

Las Vegas is as bright as it can get. In fact, at times, it can blind you thanks to all the blazing neon lights. You can count on the fact that you will see neon lights pretty much anywhere you go. Moreover, the giant Cowboy Vegas statue is seen as some sort of symbol of the city.

Fun fact: Did you know that there are more than 15,000 miles of neon tubing within the city? The glowing lights are such a huge part of Vegas that there’s even a dedicated museum for them. If you’re curious to visit, the Neon Museum has more than 150 signs with interesting stories behind them. If you ever want to blend in, here are some neon glasses!

The strip might not be in Vegas, but the strippers surely are!

Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as The Strip, stretches for 6.8 kilometers, but it’s not actually located within Las Vegas. Well, who would’ve thought? Even if Vegas goes south towards Sahara Avenue, The Strip is somewhere laid through two incorporated townships, and those are Paradise and Winchester. Also, no less than 18 of the most famous hotels in the world are located on this glamorous road.

Abode of the Gods

The Luxor Hotel will definitely provide a very interesting experience if you ever care to visit. It is built like a pyramid, as it closely follows the footsteps of Egyptian pharaohs, who are known for their efforts to impress with their “house sizes.”

Well, the Luxor Hotel is also known for its glittering 30-story architecture, wrapped in glass and completed with an Obelisk and a Sphinx. It is believed that the hotel’s Atrium measures over 29,000,000 ft.3, and it has the force to hold nine 747s on top of one another. On top of that, the spotlight that points straight toward the sky is believed to be the brightest spotlight worldwide. Is it just me, or are they really properly pleasing the Egyptian gods?

The City of spontaneous marriages

If you’re the least passionate about Las Vegas, then you must know that it’s one of the craziest wedding destinations ever. Of course, there are still plenty of traditional weddings in the city, but that’s not what we want to talk about.

We want to talk about the really spicy ones, the ones that usually happen when two people who are terribly in love or terribly drunk decide to get married. Also, if your biggest dream was to have your wedding officiated by Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley, that can happen, too. It is believed that more than 500 couples get married in Vegas every day on average.

The tallest tower in the Neighborhood

The Stratosphere Tower, standing at 1149 feet, still holds the record as America’s tallest freestanding observation tower. From here, you can get a 360-degree view of Sin City, and rightfully so, since the observation deck is completely held up at a height of 869 feet. A view of The Strip from atop this tower is a view you will never forget.

The Las Vegas sign isn’t actually in Vegas.

The famous Las Vegas sign isn’t even located in Las Vegas. If you want to see the sign, you’ll have to go to Paradise *wink-wink*, the neighboring town. This is very similar to The Strip, which is technically situated in paradise. So don’t be fooled into thinking you’ve reached Vegas right after you see the sign because you won’t! The original sign is much smaller than this one, and it stands only 25 feet away.

If you’re interested in reading other curious facts about America, here’s what we recommend: 6 Incredible Things to Know Before Flying Again Above American Land