While the Strip is typically the top destination for tourists in Las Vegas, you’ll want to spend at least one day Downtown.
Located in the official city of Las Vegas, Downtown is a little looser and low key. It’s also synonymous with vintage Sin City style and history. So check out some of the best attractions in this exciting can’t-miss part of Las Vegas.
The Fremont Street Experience
Downtown is most famous for the Fremont Street Experience. The five-block stretch is closed to traffic and now operates as a pedestrian mall with shops, bars, restaurants and casinos. Most of it sits underneath the massive Viva Vision canopy, which displays music and video shows on high-definition screens. Make a point to snap a photo with “Vegas Vic”, the iconic neon cowboy.
Downtown Container Park
The Downtown Container Park is a collection of shops, bars, and restaurants is built from old cargo shipping containers. It’s a great place to buy souvenirs, grab a cocktail at Oak & Ivy or eat one of the best hot dogs in Vegas at Cheffini’s. At the center of it all is a playground and treehouse to keep youngsters busy while the adults focus on shopping. The giant praying mantis out front, which shoots fire, is a fun photo opportunity.
Neon Museum
The Neon Museum is an outdoor collection of vintage marquees preserved, restored and maintained in optimum condition. Scour the “boneyard” and you’ll discover pieces of long-gone casinos like the Frontier and Stardust. A towering guitar from the old Hard Rock (now Virgin Hotels) is one of the most recent additions. It’s best to visit at night when the sun is down and the lights are on.
Mob Museum
The Mob Museum is dedicated to Las Vegas’ long history of organized crime. It’s in the old courthouse where mobsters were once prosecuted and recently added a working Prohibition-style speakeasy and distillery in the basement. Learn how to “skim money” and see a blood-soaked wall where the St. Valentine’s Day Massacare took place.
Slotzilla
Take flight with the only zipline in Downtown. Slotzilla shoots riders out of a nine-story replica of a slot machine, sending them speeding across the Fremont Street Experience and over crowds of tourists below. Choose to fly either vertical or horizontal like Superman. At 40 miles per hour, it’s definitely one of the best ziplines in all of Las Vegas.
Fremont East
On the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard is Fremont East, a small collection of bars and restaurants that are geared a little more to locals than tourists. Highlights include Commonwealth (a social bar with the Laundry Room, a hidden speakeasy), the Griffin (which stays busy with fire pits and a nice beer list) and the Downtown Cocktail Room (which helped set the standard for the craft cocktail revival in Las Vegas). Eureka has great burgers, cocktails and a patio for people watching, while Therapy serves modern American food in a modern gastropub setting. For some of the most player-friendly gambling in town, head to the casino at the historic El Cortez.
Circa
The newest — and largest — resort in Downtown Vegas is Circa, which brings a splash of Strip-esque indulgence to the heart of the Fremont Street Experience. The towering skyscraper is a spectacle in every way, from the Stadium Swim pool deck to the Legacy Club cocktail lounge on the top floor. There’s a vintage “Old Vegas” theme, but the rooms and suites are ultra-modern with the latest amenities. Enjoy a meal at Barry’s Downtown Prime steakhouse, 8 East (for Asian street food) or Saginaw’s Delicatessen. Drop a few bucks (and hopefully win a few bucks) at the largest sports book in the world. An important note: Circa is 21-and-over. Have your ID ready at the entrance.
Carson Kitchen
Downtown Las Vegas has some of the best restaurants in Vegas — often at prices far lower than what you’ll find on the Strip. Your best bet is Carson Kitchen, the final business venture for late chef Kerry Simon. It’s an inventive place for gastropub cuisine and a menu that changes with the season. If you prefer a classic steakhouse, Oscar’s at the Plaza, Andiamo at The D, Vic & Anthony’s at the Golden Nugget, Hugo’s Cellar at the Four Queens, Top of Binion’s or the Triple George Grill might be more your speed. Pizza Rock leads the downtown pizza options, followed by Evel Pie and Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza.
Pawn Plaza
One of the busiest tourist destinations in Vegas is the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, featured on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars. The lines are long out front, but fans love to see where the reality show is filmed — and maybe even buy a few things for themselves. It’s next door to Pawn Plaza, a two-story retail complex with awesome East Coast pizza from Good Pie and barbecue from Rick’s Rollin’ Smoke.
Smith Center
The Smith Center is a magnificent building where Las Vegas goes to celebrate the performing arts. Reynolds Hall hosts touring Broadway shows, the Philharmonic, and the Nevada Ballet. There’s also Myron’s Cabaret for small concerts and jazz acts, and the Troesh Studio Theater for minimalist black box productions. The Smith Center was closed for most of the pandemic, but is now beginning to welcome shows once again.
Downtown Arts District
The fastest growing section of Downtown Las Vegas is the Arts District. The area is famous for its second-hand thrift stores and budget shops but also has a vibrant culinary scene. Visit Esther’s Kitchen for farm-to-table Italian, Jammyland for Jamaican tapas or Cornish Pasty Co., where hot meals are served inside baked pastries. Try the Velveteen Rabbit for craft cocktails, Garagiste for wine and either Makers & Finders or Vesta for coffee prepared with a local touch. The Downtown Arts District is home base for First Friday, an outdoor festival of art, food and culture that takes place on the first Friday of each month.
