Fremont Street Experience

Remember the vintage black and white movies of Vegas, with the old-school gangsters, smoke-filled rooms filled with well-dressed socialites, movers, shakers, and the common man all trying to beat the house? Well the gangsters are gone, but the new Las Vegas Downtown area definitely captures the spirit of the original Las Vegas.

And it is the new Downtown. The area has been completely refurbished, from upgraded hotel rooms, to new casino interiors, to roving entertainers and live music, the city of Las Vegas has poured millions into upgrading and improving the Fremont Street Experience.

It’s working. The bars and clubs are revitalized, and even on the hottest Vegas days, mid-week with not a Holiday in site, you will find the street filled with scores of happy tourists exploring the many wonders Fremont Street offers.

Fremont Street Experience includes the furthest west 5 blocks (all covered by the giant canopy of “Viva Vision”) of Fremont Street surrounded on each side by theme bars, historic casinos, and all sorts of live entertainment.

Viva Vision

This Vegas attraction is so well-known, and so much an integral part of the Fremont experience that it is often simply referred to as the “Fremont Street Experience” itself. Viva Vision is 90 feet in the air and 1,500 feet across covering the entire 5 blocks of Fremont Street. It includes over 12 million LED modules which display breathtaking shows regularly throughout the day (every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or hour depending on the time of year and other circumstance). On Holidays and for special occasions the show will take on the relevant theme, and there is always something new and unique to Vegas going on.

Some Popular Hotel Casinos on Fremont

1. Golden Nugget - Perhaps the most well-known Hotel/Casino on this storied street is the Golden Nugget. With a reputation as bright as the gold lights wrapping their way around the length of the elegant facade, Golden Nugget has recently seen an upgrade, defying the common assumption that Downtown cannot be as elegant and modern as the Strip.
2. Golden Gate – Golden Gate is where you want to be for inexpensive drinks, friendly service, and a real dose of the old-school Vegas.
3. El Cortez is at the very edge of the Fremont experience and boasts some extremely elegant accommodations and wonderful dining.
4. Mermaid’s Casino - For something more festive and right in the center of it all you may want to stop by Mermaid’s Casino. Don’t forget your Vegas party beads at the front entrance.
5. Four Queens – Four Queens is nearly as iconic as the Golden Nugget and located directly adjacent to it on Fremont Street. They’re goal is to provide every visitor a dose of vintage Vegas dining, gambling, and entertainment.
6. Binion’s – Binion’s is nothing fancy but is consistently voted one of the favorite casinos by gaming aficionados.

7. California Hotel – If you want low-key with surprisingly distinguished gaming, entertainment, and nightlife, check out the lesser known (but impossible to miss) California Hotel

Gaming

As is the norm in Vegas, one cannot turn around without running into a slot machine, gaming table, or a waitress ensuring all of your drinks are full and you’re happy and ready to spend more money. Probably the number one draw of the Downtown area for those who enjoy gambling is the readily available low-buy-in poker tables, keno, low limit roulette, blackjack, craps, and other gaming tables, and of course the loose and inexpensive slot machines peppering every casino, bar, and shop all along Fremont Street. When the often high-priced gaming of the Strip just gets to be too much, many enjoy the slower pace of the Downtown gambling scene. And if you are in Vegas for New Years or any other major Holiday you will definitely see the lower-limits of the Strip casinos sky rocket, so stop by Downtown to win more… well at the very least lose less.
Don’t let the lower limits fool you though. Inexpensive doesn’t mean boring. In fact on most nights and in most of the Fremont experience casinos you’ll find patrons caught up in the moment by moment excitement of the tables, winning and losing chips in a rush of Lady Luck’s whim.

Entertainment

The Fremont Street Experience entertainment is a lot like looking at the Vegas lights from a distance, it’s spectacular, impossible to ignore, and never the same twice. Naturally there is the Viva Vision Fremont is famous for, but there is so much more to see and do. Fremont Street Experience features two outdoor stages with free and live musical entertainment almost every night. Every several yards you will find a unique booth with artists and entertainers, painting portraits, showing off knick knacks, or performing. Up and down the street are roaming Elvis impersonators, Kiss impersonators, acrobats, and naturally the famous Vegas Show Girls. Without stepping a foot inside a casino, one will find hours of entertainment at the Fremont Street Experience.

Restaurants

Twelve dollar prime ribs? Three dollar buffets? You won’t find that on the Strip. Downtown boasts some of the most fantastic food anywhere, and at the lowest prices in all of Vegas. From Chicago Style hot dogs on the east end of Fremont Experience, to luxurious and gourmet restaurants within the casinos, you will find dining just your speed no matter what your taste.

Fremont Experience Nightlife

Is there any other kind of life in Las Vegas? It seems everything is centered on the Nightlife. However for the Fremont Street Experience this is especially true. Once the stars are out the view of Viva Vision becomes incredible and everything seems to come alive. And there are a number of new and beautiful bars and lounges all along Fremont Street. Hennessey’s bar features an Irish theme with live music and great drink specials. Jillian’s is 42,000 square feet of dancing, drink, and fun. Beauty Bar is well-known among locals and offers a unique alternative scene. Brass is a great lounge, usually moderately crowded, with a bull ride and live music. Want a relaxed atmosphere with great prices? Check out Gold Diggers cocktail lounge. There is simply too much nightlife to cover here, but some other popular spots include Rush Lounge, Bunkhouse, Claude’s Bar, and Griffin. And for some adult rated entertainment check out Pussycat Lounge right in the middle of it all.

There’s nothing like the Fremont experience anywhere. Since the Downtown facelift, no spot in Vegas can boast so much excitement. So if you’re in Vegas even for a day, be sure to stop by and see what all the talk is about.