After Dark and a Little Weird: Spooky and Quirky Vegas Stops During Your WVC Vegas Visit

Las Vegas has a reputation for spectacle, but beneath the lights is a version of the city that leans strange, eerie, and occasionally unsettling. For Caitlin Palmer, TikTok creator and veterinary receptionist turned comedian, that side of Vegas is exactly what makes her curious, especially as a first time visitor in town for WVC Vegas.

“I already know I’m going to want to do something weird after sitting in lectures all day,” Palmer says. “Not loud weird. Interesting weird.”

As she started planning evenings outside of conference sessions, Palmer noticed a pattern in the recommendations she was getting. The most memorable Vegas experiences were not always glamorous. Many were odd, historic, or slightly unsettling.

Haunted History That Still Lingers

One of the first places that caught Palmer’s attention was the Mob Museum.

“Any building with that much history feels a little haunted by default,” she says.

Beyond its exhibits, the museum is known for stories of lingering energy tied to organized crime and old courtrooms. While Palmer is not claiming ghosts outright, the atmosphere alone makes it worth a nighttime visit.

“You don’t have to believe in ghosts to feel like some places have memories,” she says.

The Flamingo Hotel also made her list. As one of the oldest resorts on the Strip and closely tied to Bugsy Siegel, it has long been associated with stories of paranormal sightings.

“It’s wild to think how much happened there before Vegas became what it is now,” Palmer says. “That kind of history sticks around.”

Cemeteries, Neon, and Desert Energy

Palmers research into spooky Vegas led her off the Strip and into places most visitors never see. Woodlawn Cemetery stood out as one of the city’s oldest burial grounds, known for its quiet atmosphere and rumored paranormal activity.

“It feels respectful but eerie,” she says. “Like somewhere you go to think, not take selfies.”

The Neon Museum also appears on her after dark list, especially for nighttime visits.

“Old neon signs lit up in the dark feel strangely emotional,” Palmer says. “It’s beautiful, but also kind of sad in a way.”

For something more surreal, Seven Magic Mountains takes on a different energy after sunset.

“The desert already feels otherworldly,” she says. “Add art and darkness and it just gets weirder.”

Quirky Stops That Feel Slightly Unhinged

Not all strange Vegas experiences are haunted. Some are just delightfully odd.

The Clown Motel, located outside Las Vegas, caught Palmer’s attention for obvious reasons.

“I don’t love clowns,” she says. “Which is probably why I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Back in the city, Palmer is intrigued by small, offbeat museums and bars that lean into the unusual rather than the flashy.

“I like places that feel like someone had a very specific idea and committed to it,” she says.

She also plans to ask locals and bartenders for their favorite strange stories.

“People who live somewhere always know the weirdest things,” Palmer says.

Why Weird Vegas Feels Worth It

After long days at WVC, Palmer sees these experiences as a way to reset and reconnect with curiosity.

“Conferences can blur together,” she says. “Weird moments are what stand out later.”

For first time visitors, she encourages leaning into the stranger side of the city.

“Vegas already feels surreal,” Palmer says. “You might as well let it be a little spooky too.”

As thousands of veterinary professionals descend on the city for WVC, she hopes more attendees step outside the usual routines.

“If you’re going to be tired anyway,” she says, “you might as well be tired with a story.”