Fountains of Bellagio - A Lake in the Desert

A stop on Las Vegas Strip Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Yes, that is an 8.5-acre lake in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Steve Wynn built Bellagio on the site of the old Dunes casino and opened it in October 1998 as the most expensive resort ever built at the time. The fountains were its free invitation to everyone walking past.

The show was designed by WET, a California firm, and it uses 1,214 nozzles and nearly 4,800 lights. The biggest shooters blast water up to 460 feet into the air. The jets dance to music ranging from opera to pop, and shows come around often through the afternoon and evening, so just claim a spot at the railing and wait.

If you're wincing at the water bill, there's a twist: the lake is partly filled from a well that once watered the Dunes golf course. Come back after dark if you can, when the lit-up jets look like they're dancing on the water.

Getting here: The sign is too far from the resorts to walk in the heat: ride the Deuce north about 3.5 kilometers to the Paris or Bellagio stops, then go to the lake railing on the west side of the Boulevard.

Did you know?: The Fountains of Bellagio were the largest fountain show in the world until WET's own Dubai Fountain opened in 2009.

Photo op: Walk along the lake railing toward the hotel and look back east to frame the jets with the Paris Eiffel Tower rising behind them.

More on Wikipedia: Fountains of Bellagio · Bellagio · Steve Wynn · Dunes

Fountains of Bellagio - A Lake in the Desert

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