Sky-High Drama: Thrill Rides, Cocktails, and a Mild Panic Attack at 1,149 Feet
You know you’re in for something dramatic when your elevator ride feels like a rocket launch.
Located on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower is not here to play small. It’s the tallest observation tower in the U.S., standing at a humble 1,149 feet tall.
Translation? She’s tall, she’s iconic, and she absolutely gave us an inner-ear situation.
For context? That’s taller than the Seattle Space Needle, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and—brace yourself—even the Eiffel Tower. (Sorry Paris, but this one’s got thrill rides and a bar at the top.)
Katherine: Did anyone else’s ears pop in the elevator?
Kelsi: Yes. I think I also briefly transcended my physical body.
Friend-who-shall-not-be-named: visibly sweating, already regretting every life decision that led him to this point.
The elevator zooms you to the top in just less than a minute—around 1,800 feet per minute, to be precise.
That’s faster than our emotional spiral during a midweek Instagram cleanse.
If you’ve got any fear of heights, buckle up. Or don’t. Honestly, maybe stay ground-level and meet later at the gift shop.
This Is Not for the Faint of Heart (Or the Slightly Queasy)
Our sweet friend made it to the SkyPod, took one (1) look out the window, turned a delightful shade of seafoam, and beelined to the bar like it was his life’s purpose. Respect.
Katherine: He made it seven seconds.
Kelsi: Braver than the troops.
To be fair, this is not a place for anyone who breaks into a sweat two stories up at a parking garage.
You are high. Like, “What are clouds made of?” high.
But If You’re an Adrenaline Junkie…Oh Honey, It Delivers
Feeling bold?
The STRAT is basically a dare in architectural form.
At the top, you’ll find a full lineup of death-defying attractions that turn the “observation deck” into a full-blown adventure zone for lunatics (we say that with love):
Big Shot: Because Gravity Is a Suggestion
Let’s start with Big Shot, which—let’s be honest—sounds more like a cocktail than a ride that catapults you 160 feet into the literal sky from the top of a 1,081-foot tower.
Yes, that’s vertical.
Yes, your stomach will be left somewhere around the 95th floor.
The Experience: You strap in, already rethinking your life choices, and suddenly—BOOM. You’re shot upward faster than your last situationship crashed and burned.
It’s a 4 G-force blast, which basically feels like being yeeted by a space cannon while someone screams,
“Hope you updated your will!”
Katherine: It launched so fast I lost a contact lens and possibly some dignity.
Kelsi: I screamed in one note the entire ride. Opera. High drama.
Why Do It?
Because you’re either chasing the thrill, or you’re trying to exorcise a bad decision from your 20s.
Either way: worth it.
X-Scream: Emotional Whiplash in Ride Form
For the true unhinged masterpiece: X-Scream. This ride doesn’t just flirt with danger—it full-on ghosted safety and married chaos.
It’s basically a tiny roller coaster track on top of the tower that throws you over the edge, holds you there like an emotionally unavailable ex, then whips you back just before your soul departs.
The Experience: You’re gently rolled toward the edge, thinking “this isn’t so bad,” and then—BAM—you’re suddenly launched forward so your entire body is hanging off the building with a view of your own obituary.
And just when you think “okay, that’s enough,” it does it again.
Katherine: I saw the strip, my past, and the afterlife in under 5 seconds.
Kelsi: It’s not a ride. It’s a lesson in humility.
Why Do It?
Because you want to feel something. Preferably the sensation of your heart relocating to your kneecaps.
SkyJump: The “I Paid to Yeet Myself Off a Skyscraper” Experience
So you’ve done Big Shot. You rode X-Scream and saw the face of God. You think you’re done?
You’re not done.
Enter: SkyJump.
Not a ride.
Not a thrill.
A leap of chaotic faith.
This is a controlled free fall from 829 feet in the air—yes, from the outside of the STRAT tower—where they strap you into what’s essentially a high-tech bungee suit and then lovingly nudge you off the building like “good luck, bestie!”
The Experience: You’re standing on a narrow platform, 108 floors up, mentally reviewing your will, and someone casually asks, “Ready?” Before you can lie and say no, you’re falling. Straight. Down.
You’ll reach speeds of up to 40 mph as you plummet toward Earth—guided by a wire system and your own questionable life choices.
Why Do It?
Because your friends dared you.
Because your ex said you were too cautious.
Because you need content for the ‘gram.
Or maybe—just maybe—because deep down you are the main character, and this is your superhero origin story.
A Few Real Thoughts:
It’s the highest commercial decelerator descent in the world.
It comes with a certificate and actual video footage of your jump, so you can replay your panic forever.
Minimum age: 14. Which is wild because at 14 we were still afraid of parallel parking.
If you chicken out after getting suited up? No refund. Just shame.
So Should You Do It?
Honestly? If you’re reading this while sipping a kale smoothie in yoga pants, thinking, I just need to shake things up—yes.
If the idea of falling off a building on purpose gives you chills? Also yes.
This is Vegas. And in Vegas, you don’t grow if you’re not at least mildly terrified.
But also…if it’s a hard pass, no judgment. There’s a bar 20 feet away and the view is just as good when you’re upright and not screaming like a banshee.
Pro Tip for All Three:
Don’t eat a burrito beforehand. Just…don’t.
Don’t wear a skirt unless you want to debut a one-woman wind tunnel experience.
Take a deep breath. Then another. Then scream it out on the ride—it’s therapeutic.
The Bar: A Sanctuary for the Sensibly Terrified
Once we retrieved our poor friend from his emotional fetal position at the bar, we decided to join him—partly for moral support, mostly because…cocktails.
The lounge at the top is actually a vibe.
It was end of day, near closing time, and we had the whole place to ourselves.
Cue impromptu photoshoots, dramatic skyline selfies, and a serene, glittering view of the entire city wrapped in sunset.
Katherine: This is giving end-of-a-movie energy.
Kelsi: Like, we made it. We’re changed. Cue the credits.
Would We Recommend It? Only If You Have a Pulse
Whether you’re chasing adrenaline, aesthetic views, or just a cocktail with altitude, The STRAT delivers.
You’ll laugh, you’ll panic, you’ll definitely get a photo that makes it look like you own a helicopter.
But just a heads-up: if your idea of a thrill is a bottomless mimosa, maybe skip the X-Scream and head straight for the bar.
Trust us. It’s safer.
And the lighting’s better for selfies anyway.
