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Fremont Street Las Vegas Nevada, Downtown Las Vegas

Sherianne Higgins·
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Fremont Street Las Vegas Nevada, Vintage in Downtown Las Vegas

I visit Las Vegas often; I love the bling. I have watched Las Vegas reinvent itself many times over the years. I miss the inexpensive food and cheap entertainment. But mostly I miss the extravagant entrances of the old casinos. They called me with blinking lights and I followed them. Excalibur and Luxor came to the strip in the ’90s minus the bling. Both are extravagant casinos and are lit beautifully at night but it’s been downhill since then. Visit Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas to revisit Las Vegas’s past.

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Fremont Street Sign Downtown Las Vegas Nevada Fremont Street things to do
Fremont Street

The days of collaboration between sign designers and architects are long gone. My beloved bling has been replaced by giant screens with LED lights. It’s not the same. During this year’s Las Vegas trip I made a point of connecting to Vintage Vegas. I spent a night downtown at the Plaza, hung out on Fremont Street, checked out a couple wedding chapels, sought out the restored signs along Las Vegas Blvd, and made a stop at the Neon Museum.

Ziplining Fremont Street Downtown Las Vegas Nevada Fremont Street things to do
Fremont Street Zipline

The Neon Museum is an open-air museum with over 150 vintage neon signs dating back to 1930. One-hour guided tours provide a history of Sin City and the story behind the signs. You will see everything from casinos and cafes to motels and wedding chapels in this ‘boneyard’. The museum not only preserves but also restores. In 2009 a stretch of Las Vegas Blvd became a National Scenic Byway. Nine restored signs have been installed in the median. There are also several restored signs throughout Fremont Street. Purchase your Neon Museum tickets online; they do sell out. Be sure to stop at the Mob Museum to complete the Vintage Vegas experience.

Neon Museum Downtown Las Vegas Nevada Fremont Street things to do
Neon Museum

Las Vegas is constantly reinventing itself, always striving for bigger and better. Don’t just stop at the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign during your next trip, head downtown for some Vintage Vegas bling.  While you are there zip line under the canopy, stop in Banger Brewing for a beer, or join a bar crawl. Don’t miss the 40-foot-long Praying Mantis shooting fire 6 stories high from its antennae at the Container Park. Wander around Fremont East admiring the street art and have dinner. On your way back to the strip admire the incredible night skyline from the top of the Stratosphere, watch the insane people hanging off the edge, and marvel at how far we have come in the past 70 years. Then go downstairs and gamble. I mean, it is Vegas!

Check the Fremont Street Las Vegas Nevada website for current events

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24 Responses

  1. I’ve never been even been to Fremont street and I really want to go! Thank you for all the great suggestions I will save this for my trip next week.

  2. I have been to Vegas few years ago, and most of my time I was just visiting hotels 🙂 They are my biggest passion so Las Vegas is a perfect place for me 🙂
    Do you have any plans of coming back?
    Looking at your pictures I really want to be back!

    Best,
    Kasia

    1. I live nearby and something tends to come up involving a Vegas trip yearly, works for me — I love the shows!

  3. I love downtown Vegas. I visit it every time I am in Vegas. It is such a fun place. I even stayed at the Horseshoe Hotel once.

  4. It was fascinating to read about the razzle dazzle of Vegas of yore. The Neon Museum seems to be a great place to peep into the past and get a slice of Las Vegas in times gone by. This is a very interesting and fresh perspective of Las Vegas.

  5. I think Downtown Vegas has been greatly revamp though I heard from friends that it is not like what it used to be. I don’t know if it is a good or a bad thing. I personally think that one should give it a try!

    1. It has been revitalized with the help of the Life is Beautiful Festival. It’s a little cleaner now too, which is nice. The casinos continue to have the flashy entrances

  6. Awesome! Las Vegas is without a doubt a vibrant city. There are so much for everyone. I hope to visit Vegas soon. It’s one of the places I’d like to see in the USA.

  7. Old signs are my favorites. It became sort of a game – trying to spot them across the US. There were some good ones in Seattle, saw a few around Washington DC. Somehow, I have never been to Vegas. Those over-the-top lights and garish colors always seemed too much. Reading your post made me think about them from a different perspective – this is part of our history, better to check them out before they disappear.

  8. I too love bling and I am sure I will Love it. But you said the place is loosing its old charm, so really sad. Anyways Vegas has always been on my list and I want to explore it at least once.

  9. I always feel nostalgic about places that have changed and lost their old charm. The museum gets you back in time, to the Vegas we have loved through the movies!

  10. I’ve visited Las Vegas plenty of times, and most recently we stayed in Excalibur. The modern attractions are very bright, but it can become a bit overwhelming after a while.

  11. Downtown Vegas has had a real revival. There is so much going on down there now. I visited Chinatown nearby as well, which was awesome. I didn’t even know Vegas had a Chinatown. Especially after a few days, getting off the strip is always a good idea, and seeing how Vegas used to be is always a good idea!

  12. I’ve never been to Vegas but I also love bling, especially photographing it! I think I am surely gonna love the city 🙂

  14. Well this will date me – the last time I visited Las Vegas was when Luxor had just opened and we stayed there in this brand new hotel that was, at that time, at the end of the strip, which I believe continues to grow grow grow. The time before that we were in the Flamingo! I love the vintage signs too, and I know what you mean about the new displays not having the same charm. The neon museum is on my list too since I saw on on TV a while back, love your photos there.

  16. It’s true, they really don’t make em like they used to! I’ve never been to Vegas but I think it’s something everyone has to do in their lifetime, although there is less glamour than in the old days 🙂

  18. Oh I so can’t wait to make it to Vegas. Funnily enough I imagine myself road tripping through the death valley, until I finally make it to Vegas. Just like an old American movie full of epic adventures and surprises.

    1. I highly recommend that road trip through Death Valley, be sure to check my Death Valley post!

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