The Golden Nugget Shark Pool - "The Tank"
DETAILS:
Location: 129 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Hours of Operation:
Pool & waterside hours vary depending on the season. Please see their website below (under “resources”) for current hours.
Please note that the pool is closed during the winter season (typically from late November thru early February).
Parking:
Complimentary parking for hotel guests.
For non-guests: 3 hours free with validation (Validation is available at the cashier's cage) – Otherwise it’s $5 per hour; $20 max.
Cost:
Complimentary for hotel guest. See The Golden Nugget website provided below (under “resources”) for current availability and rates.
Non-guests: $25 - Monday thru Thursday / $35 - Friday thru Sunday
Children 6 and under are free.
Increased holiday pricing may apply, per discretion of management.
Time Commitment: 1-3 hours.
Miscellaneous:
Spray care products are not permitted.
No Vaporizers/Vape Pens Allowed at the pool.
Additional amenities like Cabanas and daybeds available with reservation.
Shank Tank Tours available on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:30PM for $50/person. See website below (under “resources”) for details and availability.
I totally get it. When it comes to Las Vegas, most people view downtown as the red-headed stepchild that nobody wants to spend time with, except out of pity or irony. Like the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, it’s the sort of place that you smugly (and mistakenly) feel better than. I totally get it. You go to be wooed by the glitz and glamor of that four mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard affectionally known as “The Strip.” That’s the headliner. That’s Beyonce. Downtown is just an opening act who finished 5th on American Idol (the ABC version) that you buy drinks during. But what if I told you that this isn’t your grandfather’s downtown anymore? Or more precisely, what if I told you that it’s exactly like your grandfather’s downtown all over again, because for those of a certain generation, there was a time when downtown Las Vegas was the only place worth your time. And thanks to numerous renovations to legendary stalwarts like Fremont Street and the Golden Nugget, it just might be worth your time as well.
Speaking of the Golden Nugget, I challenge you to find a hotel pool in all of Las Vegas that’s more unique (and terrifying) than “The Tank”. The grandiose idea of building a 200,000 gallon shark aquarium as the unequivocal centerpiece of its main pool became a reality in 2007. Housing five species of shark along with over 300 exotic saltwater fish, the view is utterly jaw-dropping and helps prove that downtown can rival the opulence of anything found on Las Vegas Boulevard. The heated pool fully encircles “The Tank” providing guests a truly hypnotic experience as you swim around it. At some point during one of these laps, you might feel a little unsettled as you realize that one of the sharks swimming nearby is eyeing you a little too closely. Thankfully, the glass in-between you should be strong enough to deter whatever plans it has, or at least you hope.
And if the pool alone wasn’t already enough to pique your interest (seriously???), it also has a three-story tall waterslide that will shoot you right through the heart of the aquarium which is almost as cool as sharks with freakin’ laser beams attached to their heads (there’s always room for an Austin Powers reference). “The Tank” is just one of many reasons to visit downtown Las Vegas and see for yourself why it’s soo much more than any of its former misconceptions. Once you do, I think you’ll totally get it as well.
