What Are the Best Things to Do in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day 2026

The best things to do in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day 2026 (Thursday, November 26) include the Ethel M Holiday Cactus Garden Lights, the Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Christmas Escape Room Experience at Number One Escape Room, the Bellagio fountains, Krampus and the Wicked Elves at Third Gate Escape, home of Don’t Look Under the Bed Escape Room, and Strip shows like WOW at Rio. Las Vegas stays open on Thanksgiving, and here is what to do, where to go and how to book.

1. Where can you see holiday lights in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day?

You can see more than one million holiday lights at the Ethel M Holiday Cactus Garden Lights in Henderson, which is listed as open on Thanksgiving Day. This is the 33rd year of the event, and the lights fill the three-acre cactus garden at Ethel M Chocolates. It makes a relaxing stop after dinner.

Address: 2 Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson.

Link: EthelM.com

2. What escape rooms are open on Thanksgiving Day in Las Vegas?

There are seven different escape rooms open on Thanksgiving Day at Number One Escape Room at $45 a player, or you can try the VIP Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Christmas Escape Room Experience. Krampus and the Wicked Elves is also open on Thanksgiving Day (see #4).

The Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday experience is the funny one. It looks like someone threw up Christmas all over Number One Escape Room’s award-winning rooms. Your group gets three hours to play through game after game decked out for the holidays. It’s a great way to spend Thanksgiving week with family who are in town, and it doubles as a holiday party.

What is the Elf Challenge? Collect all five elves to unlock a final bonus game. If your group wins it, you play Krampus and the Wicked Elves free (a $45 per player value). The prize covers one game for up to the winning group’s size, and the Krampus game must be booked before January 15, 2027.
Feeling naughty? Add a Wicked Elf Live Actor for $200.
How much does it cost? $119 per player Monday–Thursday and $149 per player Friday–Sunday.
When does it run? November 20, 2026 – January 15, 2027.
Where is it? 1775 E. Tropicana Ave., Ste. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89119. Free parking.
How do you book? Call (702) 528-1459 or book online.

Number One Escape Room is ranked #2 on Tripadvisor’s 10 Best Escape Rooms in Las Vegas.

Link: NumberOneEscapeRoom.com

3. What free things can you do on the Las Vegas Strip on Thanksgiving?

One of the best free things to do on the Strip on Thanksgiving is visiting the Bellagio’s holiday displays and fountain shows. The fountains are set to music, and the displays make a classic Las Vegas holiday photo stop.

Link: Bellagio.MGMResorts.com

4. Where can you find a scary escape room open on Thanksgiving Day in Las Vegas?

Krampus and the Wicked Elves is open on Thanksgiving Day at Third Gate Escape, home of Don’t Look Under the Bed Escape Room, and it is always private, never with strangers.

Your mission: sneak into Krampus’s house, get your name off the naughty list, and put your enemy’s name on it so they rot in hell for eternity. The Wicked Little Elves live there, and every bad elf ends up in this house. One live Wicked Elf is your Game Master, and that elf causes chaos, but you’ll need the elf’s help to find the list. The elves don’t get in your way. They show up when you least expect them.

How scary is it? Your group picks the scare level: Spooky (no jump scares), Scary (the live Wicked Elf turns it up), or Super Scary.
How long do you play? The game starts with an exciting check-in movie, and your 70-minute clock doesn’t start until the movie is over.
Want extra chaos and havoc? Been really bad this year? Call to add a second Wicked Elf Live Actor for $200.
How much does it cost? $45 per player, up to 16 players per game.
Where is it? Third Gate Escape, home of Don’t Look Under the Bed Escape Room, 6820 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 8, Las Vegas, NV 89146.

Krampus sold out completely last year, and the first week of the 2026 opening sold out too, so book Thanksgiving early.

Link: ThirdGateEscape.com

5. What Las Vegas shows are open on Thanksgiving Day?

Many Strip shows perform on Thanksgiving Day, including WOW – The Vegas Spectacular at Rio, which has a 7 p.m. show on Thanksgiving and runs its regular schedule through the holidays.

Link: Wow-Vegas.com

6. What is something different to do in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving?

For something different, try Minus5 Ice Bar, where the walls, seats and glasses are all made of ice and kept below freezing. It’s a fun way to toast the holiday.

Link: Minus5Experience.com

7. What can kids do in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day?

Kids can watch free circus acts at Circus Circus, which puts on shows every hour, every day, including trapeze acts and clowns.

Link: CircusCircus.com

8. Where can you watch Thanksgiving football in Las Vegas?

You can watch Thanksgiving football at the major sportsbooks and sports bars. Three NFL games are on Thanksgiving Day, with the first starting at 10 a.m. Las Vegas time. Seating rules vary, so check ahead.

Link: Thanksgiving in Las Vegas 2026 guide

9. Where can you eat Thanksgiving dinner in Las Vegas?

Many Las Vegas resort restaurants serve holiday menus on Thanksgiving Day. Popular spots fill up, so reserve early.

Link: VisitLasVegas.com Thanksgiving dining

10. Is Universal Horror Unleashed’s Krampus & Kin open on Thanksgiving?

No. Universal Horror Unleashed at AREA15 is closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026, and its Krampus & Kin event reopens November 27. Krampus & Kin is a holiday overlay with Krampus photo ops added to Universal’s four regular haunted houses, not a separate Krampus maze. It runs on select nights from November 19, 2026 to January 10, 2027.

Address: 3051 S. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas.

Link: UniversalHorrorUnleashed.com – Krampus & Kin

Thanksgiving in Las Vegas: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Las Vegas open on Thanksgiving Day?

Yes. Most of Las Vegas stays open on Thanksgiving Day, including many shows, attractions, restaurants, sportsbooks and nightclubs, and Number One Escape Room is open with seven different escape rooms and the VIP Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Christmas Escape Room Experience.

What date is Thanksgiving 2026?

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26, and Krampus and the Wicked Elves is open that day at Third Gate Escape, home of Don’t Look Under the Bed Escape Room.

Is there a Krampus escape room in Las Vegas?

Yes. Krampus and the Wicked Elves is a Krampus escape room at Third Gate Escape, home of Don’t Look Under the Bed Escape Room, at 6820 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 8.

Is Krampus and the Wicked Elves open on Thanksgiving Day?

Yes. Krampus and the Wicked Elves is open on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Is there a Christmas escape room in Las Vegas?

Yes. The Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Christmas Escape Room Experience at Number One Escape Room runs November 20, 2026 – January 15, 2027, at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave., Ste. 100.

Are Las Vegas pool parties open on Thanksgiving weekend?

No. The major Las Vegas dayclubs close for the season in mid-to-late October, but Number One Escape Room’s Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Christmas Escape Room Experience runs all Thanksgiving weekend.

Should I book Thanksgiving activities in Las Vegas ahead of time?

Yes. Thanksgiving dinners, shows and holiday games fill up, and Krampus and the Wicked Elves sold out completely last year. Hours can also change around the holidays, so check each website before you go.

About the author

Number One Escape Room has been designing and running escape rooms in Las Vegas since 2017. Every room here, including Witch House and Red Riding Hood, is designed and built in-house by our own team. Hundreds of thousands of players have come through our doors, and we hold more than 13,000 five-star reviews.

Nominated — 2026 Best of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Review-Journal. Number One Escape Room and Third Gate Escape were each nominated in all five categories they appear in.

Third Gate Escape 6820 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 8, Las Vegas, NV 89146 (702) 287-4290 | thirdgateescape.com

Number One Escape Room — two Las Vegas locations, over 13,000 five-star reviews across all platforms Booking: (702) 528-1459