Unveiling the West: Exciting Attractions and Transformative Projects for 2024 and Beyond
The Western United States continues to captivate visitors with bold developments, immersive attractions, and rich cultural experiences. From the expanded Holocaust Museum LA in California to Reno’s cutting-edge Nevada Museum of Art, the region offers something for everyone. Highlights include Seattle’s evolving waterfront and Ocean Pavilion, Las Vegas’ transformation into a sports hub, and Yakima’s new artificial wave park, Barreled. Whether exploring breathtaking architecture, historical exhibits, or thrilling entertainment options, this guide offers a glimpse into the innovations and attractions shaping the West for years to come
Plan your next adventure with the December Leisure Group Travel edition. Subscribe now to stay inspired!
Santa Barbara, California
California
LOS ANGELES – To accommodate the increasing number of visitors, Holocaust Museum LA is expanding its footprint in Pan Pacific Park with new indoor and outdoor spaces. The Learning Center Pavilion, the size of a football field in length, will have 3,000 sq. ft. of special exhibition space and a 200-seat theater dedicated to USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony—featuring film screenings, concerts, conferences and public programs. A new Boxcar Pavilion will be constructed on top of the museum’s existing building and house an authentic boxcar found outside of the Majdanek death camp in Poland. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025. holocaustmuseumla.org
The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held July 14-30 at more than 80 existing venues in Greater Los Angeles, with the Paralympics Aug. 15-27. More than 15,000 athletes will compete in 800 events in more than 50 sports. LA28 will mark the first time that no new permanent venues will be built to host the Games. Among the venues: Intuit Dome, USC Sports Center, LA Memorial Coliseum and Los Angeles Convention Center. The city last hosted the Games in 1984. la28.org
SAN FRANCISCO – The new “Behind-the-Scenes Tour” explores restricted, non-public areas of the 175-year-old Grace Cathedral. It includes the opportunity to climb nearly 100 stairs to the South Tower’s observation level and scale across a catwalk for a vertical view and an insider’s perspective. The French-inspired neo-Gothic church features 90-foot-high vaulted ceilings and 68 intricate stained-glass windows covering over 7,200 square feet. Visitors on the tour will enjoy interior vistas of the massive cathedral and its arches from the Gallery overlooking the labyrinth; step through secret doors and glimpse hidden passageways of the Ambulatory and historic rooms, which store some of the cathedral’s oldest treasures; and gain access to the restricted Chapel of Grace that houses historic furnishings, circa 1400s and 1500s. gracecathedral.org
River Walk in Laughlin, Nevada. Photo courtesy of Daniel Ramirez via Flickr
Nevada
ELKO – The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko is celebrating its 40th anniversary in January 2025. The gathering is a week-long coming-together of people rooted in the poetry, music, and arts of cowboy country. It is a delightful, immersive experience for those who appreciate the rural West’s boundless creativity.
LAS VEGAS–Some of the biggest singing sensations in the business will be performing on Las Vegas stages in early 2025. At the Colosseum at Caesars, Garth Brooks will be wrapping up his residency with shows in February and March. Blake Shelton appears there Feb. 5 to 15, and Rod Stewart is booked for 12 dates from March through June. Janet Jackson has several dates at Resorts World in January and February, while Carrie Underwood will take to the stage there on March 26, 28 and 29, and April 2, 4 and 5. Rumors of Celine Dion coming to Resorts World are fueled by her performance at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Mariah Carey has an exclusive engagement at Dolby Live at Park MGM from Jan. 31 to March 15. The multiplatinum band Maroon 5 will return to Dolby Live for eight performances March 7 to 22. New Kids on the Block, also at Dolby Live, mounts their first Las Vegas residency, with show dates for “The Right Stuff” June 20, 21, 25, 27 and 28, plus dates for July, November and February 2026.
The recent implosion of the famed Tropicana Hotel & Casino has cleared land for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics, part of Las Vegas’ latest rebrand into a sports hub. Offering views of the city skyline, the tiered design will split upper and lower seating bowls to bring fans closer to the action than traditional ballparks and provide clear sight lines from every seat. The roof’s five overlapping layers, whose design is inspired by traditional baseball pennants, open to the north to allow for natural light and views up the Strip, while also limiting direct sunlight and heat from the south. The outfield features the world’s largest cable-net glass window, facing the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas boulevards. The ballpark is currently designed to include an 18,000-square-foot videoboard, which would make it the largest screen in Major League Baseball. The 33,000-seat stadium will open in 2028. mlb.com/athletics/las-vegas-ballpark
Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport has plans for major improvements. Twenty-six gates to be added to Terminal 1 would bring the total number of gates in that terminal to 65. Also, a more efficient pier design will replace the antiquated satellite gate layout. harryreidairport.com
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, has unveiled its newly redesigned exhibition The Mob in Pop Culture. Integrated throughout the first floor’s retail store, the exhibition features new artifacts, costumes and images examining the influence of organized crime on American popular culture. Included are artifacts from TV shows and movies such as The Godfather, Casino, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. Two of the costumes are suits worn by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. themobmuseum.org
RENO – The Nevada Museum of Art, the state’s only accredited art museum, is undergoing a $60 million expansion that will be completed in spring 2025. The three-story, 50,000-square-foot addition will include exhibition space, an Education and Research Center allowing expansion of programs for school groups, an expanded library, an architectural and art bookshop, a restaurant with Tiffany-style stained-glass windows and a rooftop sculpture garden with mountain and skyline views. The museum is open during construction. The special exhibition Swimming with the Sea Dragons, running through Jan. 11, 2026, highlights the art and discovery of Nevada’s ichthyosaur, the colossal marine reptiles that thrived in an ancient ocean in what is known today as Nevada. Visitors will journey through Nevada’s prehistoric past with spectacular, never-before-seen fossils of these 250-million-year-old sea reptiles. Anchoring the exhibition is a full-size, interactive ichthyosaur that reacts to human movement and presence, giving guests an opportunity to “swim” alongside the ancient reptile. nevadaart.org
Uncover travel ideas in our December Issue. Love it? Subscribe today for more!
Oregon
PORTLAND – The first stages of PDX Next, the $2 billion project that’s transforming Portland International Airport, recently rolled out to the public. While project completion is set for winter 2025/2026, the renovated main terminal is open with ample skylights, terrazzo floors and towering trees. The most remarkable feature is a stunning nine-acre lattice roof made with sustainable timber sourced from four partnering tribal nations. Culinary anchors include beer bar Loyal Legion along with other Portland favorites such as Oven and Shaker, Grassa, Blue Star Donuts and The Country Cat. pdxnext.com
Washington
SEATTLE–The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation is developing the Northwest Native Canoe Center on South Lake Union. Designed to educate people about Northwest canoe culture, it is expected to open in early 2026 and will include a carving house where boats are made. Docents will explain Northwest Native American skills and beliefs used over generations in building canoes.
Downtown Seattle’s Waterfront redevelopment project is on track to be completed by October 2025. It includes the relocation of the Alaskan Way viaduct underground in favor of a scenic bayside promenade featuring shops, bike lanes, and the Washington State Ferries terminal. Residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy direct pathways from downtown and Pike Place Market to the Waterfront promenade.
The Museum of Illusions recently opened in downtown Seattle’s historic Skinner Building. The interactive museum is designed to challenge perceptions and ignite the imagination. museumofillusions.com
The historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle will launch 2025 with Kimberly Akimbo, Jan. 7-12, and Hamilton, Feb. 4-March 2. Spring and summer shows in the Broadway series include Life of Pi, April 15-20; Six, May 6-11, Riverdance, May 30-June 1; Mamma Mia!, June 10-15; and & Juliet, July 29-Aug. 3. seattle.broadway.com
Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion focuses on tropical species from the Coral Triangle in the Indo-Pacific. In tandem with the ongoing Waterfront redevelopment, the Ocean Pavilion connects Pike Place Market with the Waterfront promenade via publicly accessible observation decks, stairways and an oculus window that allows passersby to observe sea life from below. It is the first step in the aquarium’s transformation. Visitors can witness the exquisite biodiversity of a reef ecosystem in the Coral Triangle – coming face-to-face with sharks, rays, schooling fish, mangroves, seagrasses and nearly 30 species of coral. seattleaquarium.org
Virgin Voyages’ newest vessel, Brilliant Lady, will sail from Seattle to Alaska starting summer 2026. A variety of itineraries will be available from May through September. virginvoyages.com
YAKIMA – Hanging 10 will soon be a thing in the Pacific Northwest with the arrival of Barreled. Barreled will feature the WaveGarden Cove, a recent technological breakthrough in artificial wave technology. The park’s most anticipated attraction will allow surfers of all levels to enjoy a variety of wave options—from slow rolling “Malibu” to a six-foot barrel with air sections. Lessons and classes will be available, as well as an onsite bar and restaurant selling craft beverages from the region and a retail shop for surf-centric needs. surfbarreled.com
Discover group travel inspiration in our December Issue. Stay ahead with expert tips—subscribe now to never miss an edition!
