Overview
Downtown Las Vegas is the older part of Las Vegas, a few miles north of the Strip.
10 sights · 6 things to do · 5 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 16 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Downtown
Fremont Street Experience
A pedestrian mall lined by many of the downtown casinos, this is Las Vegas Downtown's equivalent of the Strip. Multimedia shows are displayed on a giant canopy over the street nightly.
Container Park
A unique open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, restaurants, and live entertainment for the whole family. Be sure to see the giant fire-breathing mantis at night.
Discovery Children's Museum
A combination museum and playground, this museum lets children engage in creative play while exposing them to science concepts. Kids especially love the 70-foot-tall Summit tower with 12 levels of interactive exhibits. T…
Mob Museum
Extensive exhibits on the history of organized crime in the U.S., with lots of artifacts from famous mobsters and the law enforcement agencies that fought them. The museum is inside the old federal courthouse building, a…
Neon Museum
An outdoor lot loaded with huge signs that once twinkled in front of the Silver Slipper, Stardust, and El Cortez. See the giant horseshoe made of thousands of gold-colored light bulbs. Open only by one-hour guided tours.…
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park
One of the few historic attractions in Vegas is this small park which preserves the restored Mormon Fort, the first structure built by European settlers in Las Vegas. A visitor center on-site has exhibits on the fort's p…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Feb–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 104°F; winter lows dip to about 40°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Las Vegas)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- LAS Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas — 6 mi away (major hub). Directions
- BLD Boulder City Municipal Airport, Boulder City — 22 mi away. Directions
Downtown is accessible by car, taxi or bus. To get in by bus from the Strip, take the Deuce service — depending on where you get on the trip can take 10-20 minutes in light traffic, much more if the Strip is gridlocked.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $15–$35 a night (typical $30), from 5 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$60, mid-range ~$100, comfortable ~$200.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Fremont Street Experience, Mike Hammer, The Tank at the Golden Nugget Hotel
- Lunch Triple George Grill
- Afternoon SlotZilla, Container Park
- Dinner Oscar's Steakhouse
- Evening The Bunkhouse Saloon
Day 2
- Morning Neon Museum, Las Vegas Natural History Museum
- Lunch Luv-It Frozen Custard
- Afternoon Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, Las Vegas Lights FC
- Dinner Top of the World
- Evening Banger Brewing
Day 3
- Morning Stratosphere Tower, Stratosphere Tower rides
- Lunch Golden Steer Steakhouse
- Afternoon Bite
- Evening The Griffin
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Downtown is accessible by car, taxi or bus. To get in by bus from the Strip, take the Deuce service — depending on where you get on the trip can take 10-20 minutes in light traffic, much more if the Strip is gridlocked.
From the airport, the CX (Centennial Express) service takes you directly to Downtown. See the RTC website for schedules and routes (also for getting in from elsewhere in the Las Vegas Valley).
If you feel like walking, you can walk north along Las Vegas Boulevard from the Strip for a couple of hours (depending on where you start), and eventually arrive in Downtown.
See
See Urinals at Main Street Station Casino
The urinals in the men's room are mounted on an actual piece of the Berlin Wall. If you're a woman, ask an employee to let you see it, they almost always will accommodate you.
See Discovery Children's Museum
A combination museum and playground, this museum lets children engage in creative play while exposing them to science concepts. Kids especially love the 70-foot-tall Summit tower with 12 levels of interactive exhibits. The one drawback of the museum is lack of food; it's in a remote part of Downtown with no nearby eateries and only has a snack area with vending machines so plan accordingly.
See Mob Museum (National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement)
Extensive exhibits on the history of organized crime in the U.S., with lots of artifacts from famous mobsters and the law enforcement agencies that fought them. The museum is inside the old federal courthouse building, and includes a recreation of the courtroom where a major hearing on organized crime took place in 1950.
See Stratosphere Tower (The STRAT Tower)
A 1,149 foot high tower, the tallest observation tower in the United States, with an indoor and an outdoor observation deck on top that offers a 360-degree view over the valley. A revolving restaurant also sits at the top, as well as a set of thrill rides (see below in "Do").
Do
Do SlotZilla
A zip line which stands 12 stories high and resembles a giant slot machine. Riders start at the east side of the Fremont Street Experience, the Slotzilla zip line is 114 feet high and launches riders in a horizontal position flying 1,700 feet — the entire length of the Fremont Street canopy – at speeds faster than 35 miles per hour. Up to four riders can ride at once, each on parallel zip lines.
Do Stratosphere Tower rides (The STRAT attractions)
In addition to the observation desk on top, with its restaurant and great views of the city, there are four thrill rides on the top of the tower. Big Shot is a tower ride that makes up the mast of the Stratosphere and shoots passengers straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet above the ground. X-Scream is a giant teeter-totter that propels you 27 feet over the edge of the tower, 866 feet above the ground. Insanity is a massive mechanical arm that extends 64 feet over the edge of the Tower and spins riders at a force of 3 Gs. Lastly is SkyJump, a bungee jump ride that consists of an 855-foot controlled, falling descent from the 108th floor of the tower.
Performing arts
Do Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Located in downtown Las Vegas, the Smith Center is a world-class performing arts center consisting of three theaters in two buildings. Visitors can attend regular concerts, popular musicals, and theatrical performances almost any day or night of the week. Online ticket reservations are recommended for better seating.
Buy
Shop Gamblers Book Club
This is the oldest gambling book store in the nation; if you need to learn how to play a game, this is where you go. This store is stacked with books that can teach you how to count cards and bet on sports. Try to visit when former owner Howard Schwartz is around for some interesting Vegas lore.
Eat
Eat Oscar's Steakhouse
Fine dining in the iconic Plaza Hotel and Casino. Named after former Las Vegas mayor and mob lawyer, Oscar Goodman.
Eat Triple George Grill
Classic menu of seafood, chicken, steak and pasta.
Eat Golden Steer Steakhouse
Open since 1958, this is the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas and boasts to be one of favorite restaurants of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. and has hosted dinners for many other celebrities from past eras. The Golden Steer is over 50 years old and honors "Old Las Vegas" style dining.
Eat Top of the World
A revolving gourmet restaurant more than 800 feet above the Strip at the top of the Stratosphere Tower.
Desserts
Eat Luv-It Frozen Custard
Hidden some two blocks north of the Stratosphere Tower (their blue building with white pillars and trim shares a parking lot with a convenience store), this family operation offers excellent frozen custards with outstanding toppings.
Drink
Drink The Bunkhouse Saloon
Cheap downtown bar with live music. Friendly with travelers and frequented often by the staff and guests of the nearby hostel.
Drink The Griffin
Old School Las Vegas ambience.
Sleep
Most accommodations in Downtown tend to be of the budget variety, owing to the distance to the Strip. However, hotels in Downtown still put you within very close distance to the casinos of Fremont Street. The Downtown area is also where you'll find the few hostels Las Vegas has.
Budget
Stay Las Vegas Hostel
A definite budget option. A reasonably well kept hostel with very friendly staff. Free beer and BBQ at the weekend is not to be missed. Surrounding area is not overly safe. Walking alone at night is not recommended. The pizza parlor next door does a deal on a soda and a generous slice of pizza for around $3. Fremont Experience is roughly a 20-minute walk from the hostel.
Mid-range
Stay California Hotel and Casino
No resort fees. Usually, a lot of the guests are Hawaiians, but everyone is welcome. Staff wears Aloha shirts and the buffet features Hawaiian specialties. Craps tables are usually lively, and they've got a "Golden Arm" hall of fame for craps shooters who've had an unusual hot streak. Give the big Buddha statue in the lobby a quick belly rub for luck before you play.
Nearby
Blue Diamond
City / town · 3 listings · 17 mi away
Boulder City
City / town · 24 listings · 22 mi away
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Park · 3 listings · 22 mi away
Primm
City / town · 26 listings · 41 mi away
Moapa Valley
City / town · 9 listings · 48 mi away
Pahrump
City / town · 17 listings · 48 mi away
Searchlight
City / town · 23 listings · 50 mi away
Shoshone
City / town · 1 listings · 64 mi away
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