The Fremont Street Experience and Downtown Las Vegas
Old casinos under a light canopy, a museum of mob history and a yard of vintage neon.
See top-rated activities »About Downtown Las Vegas
Downtown is where Las Vegas began, around a railroad town laid out in 1905, and Fremont Street was its main drag long before anyone built a resort on the Strip. The Golden Nugget, Binion's, the Four Queens and the El Cortez still line its blocks, and their older signs and lower ceilings give downtown a character the newer resorts cannot copy. The tables here are often a little cheaper too, which is one reason locals like it.
The Fremont Street Experience turned five blocks of the street into a covered pedestrian mall in 1995. Its vaulted canopy, rebuilt as the Viva Vision screen, shows light-and-music shows every evening, and there are free concerts on its stages on many nights. It is free to walk, busy until late, and lively in a way that can be loud; street performers expect a tip for photos. SlotZilla sends riders down a zip line under the canopy, either seated or flying face-first, from a launch tower designed to look like a giant slot machine.
Two museums make downtown worth a daytime visit. The Mob Museum, formally the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, fills a 1933 former federal courthouse and post office where one of the Kefauver Committee's hearings on organized crime was held in 1950, and it covers both the gangsters and the people who pursued them. The Neon Museum, a short ride north, collects the city's retired signs in an outdoor Boneyard that you see on guided tours, which are especially good after dark when restored signs are lit.
East of the canopy, Fremont East has bars, restaurants and the Downtown Container Park, a small mall built from shipping containers with a giant fire-breathing praying mantis at its entrance. South of downtown, the 18b Arts District around Charleston Boulevard and Main Street has galleries, vintage shops, breweries and some of the city's best independent restaurants, and its First Friday street festival fills the area once a month.
Don’t Miss
Five covered blocks with the Viva Vision light canopy, nightly shows and free concerts.
Seated or superhero-style zip line rides beneath the canopy from a slot-machine-shaped tower.
Organized crime and law enforcement history in a 1933 courthouse, with a speakeasy and distillery downstairs.
Guided tours of the Boneyard, an outdoor collection of vintage casino and motel signs.
Shops and eateries in stacked shipping containers, with a fire-breathing mantis sculpture at the gate.
A downtown landmark known for its pool, which wraps around a shark aquarium with a water slide through it.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Downtown Las Vegas
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Get free trip quotes »Downtown Las Vegas — FAQ
Is the Fremont Street Experience free?
Yes. Walking under the canopy and watching the light shows and stage concerts costs nothing. SlotZilla rides, food and drinks are paid.
How do I get from the Strip to Fremont Street?
By taxi or rideshare in about 15 to 20 minutes, or by the Deuce or SDX bus along Las Vegas Boulevard. Parking garages downtown are usually cheaper than on the Strip.
Should I visit the Neon Museum in the day or at night?
Both work. Daytime tours show the signs' colors and details, while night tours add the glow of the restored signs that are lit. Tours are timed and popular, so book ahead.
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