Best Vegas Old Vegas Neon & Downtown History

This guide is for anyone who wants to walk the origin story of downtown Las Vegas in one loop, from a Mormon fort to the neon era. Nearly every stop sits on or near Fremont Street, stretching from Las Vegas Boulevard North out to Fremont East, with the Mob Museum and Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park rounding it out.

At the Neon Museum, the Boneyard holds signs from the Stardust, Sahara and Riviera, and the visitor center is the salvaged La Concha Motel lobby. Golden Gate Hotel & Casino opened as Hotel Nevada; look for the window in the high-limit room that shows the original wall. El Cortez still deals cheap tables to a local crowd, and Atomic Liquors holds the city's first tavern license, where patrons once watched atomic tests from the roof. Save the Neon Museum for after dark, when the guided tours run.