If you thought Downtown Las Vegas was just made up of retro hotels and the Fremont Street Experience, you’d be wrong. Yes, Fremont Street is located in DTLV, but by no means is that all the area is known for!
Downtown Las Vegas is an ever-evolving neighborhood bursting with character, unique attractions, and hidden gems. We really do love this part of town!
From the vintage vibes at the Neon Museum to the true speakeasy experience at The Laundry Room, Downtown Las Vegas is a true delight for people who can appreciate the concept of low-key and casual.
There’s the innovative Downtown Container Park, brimming with shops, dining, and entertainment, plus tons of third-wave coffee shops to keep coffee lovers happy. There are so many reasons to love Downtown Las Vegas.
Read on to discover all the cool things to do in Downtown Las Vegas.
See vintage signs at The Neon Museum
Since 1996, the Neon Museum has collected, preserved, and exhibited Las Vegas signs from the 1930’s onward. The most popular attraction here is the Neon Boneyard of signs!
You can check out the visitor’s center, view the collection within the museum, partake in one of the many special tours taking place throughout the day, or stroll through the boneyard on your own.
During our latest visit, we saw the Brilliant! Jackpot light show created by artist Craig Winslow. This immersive experience reanimates 40 monumental examples of The Neon Museum’s iconic vintage signs and will take you through the history of Las Vegas through music and lights. It’s so much fun!
The Neon Museum is mostly outdoors and is extremely photogenic, so don’t forget your sunscreen and your camera.
Catch the Miss Behave’s Mavericks show
Miss Behave’s Mavericks at The Plaza Hotel Casino is an irreverent and highly interactive show that’s equal parts comedy, burlesque, vaudeville, circus acts, and sheer unpredictability.
Audiences can expect a fast-paced spectacle filled with impressive stunts, hilarious antics, and audience participation that keeps everyone on their toes.
The cool thing is you can watch it more than once (we sure have!) — Miss Behave and her troupe of talented performers create an atmosphere where no two shows are alike.
If you’re looking for a show that breaks the mold of conventional entertainment norms, Miss Behave’s Mavericks Show is the ticket.
Learn all about mob history at The Mob Museum
The Mob Museum offers a comprehensive glimpse into the life of organized crime. Yeah, Vegas has got some truly quirky museums, and they’re all so darn interesting!
Experience how various mobs and gangs have been portrayed in the media, learn about their roles during the Prohibition Era, and more. Where else can you get such an experience?
Go moonshine tasting at The Mob Museum
What most people don’t know is that The Mob Museum is so much more than a place to learn about mob history.
Inside, you’ll find a cool distillery where you can take a fun tour and taste different spirits, including their very own moonshine, made with 100% corn and bottled at a strong 50% ABV.
Participants will have the chance to explore The Underground and learn about Prohibition and its impact on a variety of liquor. During this 30-minute experience, you’ll be educated on the historical origins of Prohibition and gain insights into the drinking culture that existed before the 1920s era.
There’s also a speakeasy that feels straight out of the Prohibition era, where you can sip on amazing cocktails in a hidden, vintage bar. With all that fun housed inside just one spot, The Mob Museum is a no-brainer when it comes to a great daytime activity.
Explore Downtown Container Park
Downtown Container Park is an open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, various restaurants, and live entertainment.
Architecturally, this spot’s pretty unique — as the name suggests, you’ll find a bunch of shipping containers have been turned into homes for many shops and restaurants.
Kids will love the interactive playground featuring The Treehouse, while adults can eat and relax while enjoying free concerts, movies, and more on the main stage. Oh yeah, there is also a giant praying mantis that shoots out flames at the entrance (nighttime only)!
Pro Tip: If you’re a Las Vegas local, check out some special discounts and offers just for you.
Explore the Arts District
For a more local experience, leave the Strip and Fremont Street behind and head to the Arts District.
This up-and-coming little neighborhood has everything from third-wave coffee, art studios, vintage shopping, antique stores, breweries, and good restaurants. Because we like good coffee, the Arts District is one of our favorite areas to explore during our mornings in Vegas!
You’ll find unique attractions here, such as the Burlesque Hall of Fame, The Arts Factory, Main Street Peddlers Antique Mall, and more.
What you decide to do is entirely up to your interests, but I’d highly recommend grabbing a coffee at Makers & Finders or Vesta Coffee Roasters, a slice of pizza at Good Pie, and/or uniquely English bites at Cornish Pasty Co.
If you happen to be in town on the first Friday of the month, the Arts District hosts its First Friday art walk with live music, local artists, food trucks, and activities.
Throw axes and smash things at Axehole Vegas
Axehole Vegas is an indoor axe-throwing spot on Fremont Street open seven days a week. They offer sessions by the hour where you can test out all of their weaponry, which includes spears, ninja stars, metal throwing cards, shovels, and of course, the classic axe!
Your 1-hour session will start with a brief safety and technique training with their team of AXEperts, followed by a few swings for practice. From there, your axe throwing coach will get you started on a game that’ll keep you entertained the whole time.
Should you need to let out a little more steam, they even have a rage room where you get 15 minutes to demolish ANYTHING and everything around you.
Dine at Park on Fremont
Park on Fremont has got to be one of the cutest places to eat in Downtown Las Vegas. Their whimsical gnome-y garden patio is a must for fantasy-theme lovers. Their interior dining area is great for people who like oddities and curiosities!
In terms of food, you’ll find highlights like the Nashville-inspired hot chicken brined for 12 hours, classic burgers, and some brunch favorites.
If it happens to be the first Friday of the month, don’t miss Park on Fremont’s lively First Friday Garden Party, featuring a live DJ, good vibes, and dancing all night long.
Go on a food tour of DTLV
One of the biggest reasons we love Vegas is the fact that there are endless choices when it comes to great places to eat. If you can’t decide on just one or two restaurants, consider a food tour!
There food tours that will take you to hole-in-the-walls, off-the-strip hidden gems, local staples, and so much more.
This Downtown Vegas Sightseeing Foodie Tour combines Las Vegas food and sightseeing on a 3-hour downtown walking tour that explores the city’s distinctive flavors. Head from the shipping container boutiques at Container Park, through local hangouts, to a stroll down Fremont Street as you taste the best of Downtown Vegas.
Get tiki drinks at Glitter Gulch Tiki
The creative minds behind Nacho Daddy have recently opened Glitter Gulch Tiki, a swanky tiki lounge transforming the former Nacho Daddy location on 4th Street into an immersive tropical drink haven.
Glitter Gulch Tiki joins Stray Pirate (another tiki bar in DTLV) as a themed drinking destination for tiki culture enthusiasts seeking unique cocktails and delicious scorpion bowls.
In addition to the classic tiki drinks, signature offerings include the What Happens in Vegas, a creative take on a daiquiri with lychee puree and dry ice. They also have a light food menu featuring tiki faves like coconut shrimp, lumpia, tuna poke nachos, Dole Whip desserts, and more.
See the Viva Vision show at Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street is probably what you first think of when you see the words “Downtown Las Vegas”. It’s one of the most well-known attractions of the downtown area.
Yes, the pedestrian-only street has gone downhill over the years, but it’s still filled to the brim with people, touristy live entertainment, and bright retro lights.
You’ll have lots of souvenir shopping opportunities, the chance to pretend like you’re a coin ziplining into a slot machine, enjoy free concerts, and do some people-watching.
Viva Vision (the free light show) is the largest video screen in the world and recently got a $32 million upgrade so you know it’ll be interactive and blinding in the best way possible.
Featured shows run every night on the hour from 6 pm to 2 am. The show goes for approximately 6-7 minutes.
PRO TIP: If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll probably want to skip this one. Fremont Street has gone quite downhill over the years, so it’s not the most pleasant place to hang out. If you wanna catch the light show, just watch it and then bounce. No need to walk through the whole avenue.
Go for a ride on the SlotZilla Zipline
At 11 stories tall, SlotZilla resembles a colossal slot machine. And you? You resemble a coin flying through the slot machine!
This multi-million-dollar attraction showcases iconic Vegas symbols, including oversized dice, a martini glass, a pink flamingo, coins, video reels, a giant arm, and two showgirls. As you zip across Fremont Street on this adventure, you’ll get to witness these fun symbols up close.
SlotZilla offers two levels of thrills, the lower “Zipline” and the upper “Zoomline”. They now have an all-you-can-zip package for people who can’t get enough of it!
Watch the Mike Hammer Comedy Magic Show
When it comes to a comedy and magic show with an edge, you’ll want to seriously consider getting tickets to the Mike Hammer Comedy Show.
With more than 25 years of performing under his belt, Hammer is a master at engaging with his crowd! If you’re able to catch this show, expect quick-witted comebacks and lots of improvisation with the audience.
The 70-minute show combines cutting wit and pretty impressive magic, leaving you amazed at how one man can operate so quickly. From swallowing razorblades to mind-reading, anything can happen during this interactive show.
The show takes place nightly from Tuesdays to Saturdays at Four Queens, so it’s super conveniently located in DTLV!
Experience Circa’s Stadium Swim
Stadium Swim is a really exciting addition to Las Vegas! This is the place you’ll wanna spend your time at if your Vegas trip coincides with a sporting event you want to catch on TV!
Stadium Swim has a stadium-style seating design with a massive high-definition screen, offering an immersive poolside viewing experience for sports events, concerts, and more. The venue features six temperature-controlled pools, two swim-up bars, and a massive 143-foot-long screen, making it the largest pool screen in the world.
The cool thing about Stadium Swim is that you don’t need to be a hotel guest to attend. They sell general admission tickets (entry for one person) or you could even reserve daybeds and cabanas for you and the whole crew for the whole day (9:00 am-7:00 pm).
This cutting-edge, multi-level pool amphitheater is situated at the Circa Resort & Casino. If you’re staying at Circa, you have free access to Stadium Swim included in your room rate.
Dine at Heart Attack Grill for the ultimate food coma
Heart Attack Grill is one of the weirdest restaurants in Las Vegas. This hospital-themed restaurant in downtown Las Vegas has become internationally famous for embracing and promoting an unhealthy diet of incredibly large, multi-patty hamburgers.
Customers are referred to as “patients”, orders as “prescriptions”, and waitresses as “nurses”. Anyone who weighs over 350 pounds is invited to enjoy unlimited free food provided they weigh themselves on an electronic cattle scale in front of a cheering restaurant crowd.
When you dine there, they’ll go as far as to dress you up in a hospital gown! If you don’t finish your plate a “nurse” will come over with a paddle and humiliate you by announcing you couldn’t finish to everyone. You’ll even get spanked for not finishing… like I said — it’s a strange place that you won’t find anywhere else!
Have a great cup of coffee
If there’s a good coffee shop in Vegas, there’s a 50% chance that it’s located in Downtown Las Vegas or the Arts District.
Coffee on the Strip is overpriced and just okay at best. If you appreciate great coffee, head to one of these coffee shops:
Vesta Coffee Roasters – A modern, industrial-chic coffee shop known for its meticulously sourced beans and in-house roasting. Their skilled baristas craft a variety of espresso drinks, pour-overs, and cold brews.
Mothership Coffee Roasters – Another amazing coffee shop that prides itself on high-quality, ethically sourced coffee.
PublicUs – A neighborhood coffeehouse known for its artisanal coffee and delicious house-made pastries. They focus on creating a community space with eclectic decor and exceptional coffee/food.
Grab IG-worthy drinks at Velveteen Rabbit
Founded by sisters Pamela and Christina Dylag, Velveteen Rabbit is one of the most charming craft cocktail and beer bars in Vegas.
Despite having no prior bar industry experience, the Dylag sisters created this unique haven away from the typical brass bars that dominate the Vegas Strip.
The cocktail menu changes seasonally, featuring fresh produce and house-made ingredients. The bar also offers a range of specialty beers with a rotating selection of eight taps and bottled options.
The bar, located in Las Vegas’ Arts District, boasts local art, vintage furniture, and a magical pink outdoor patio with a photo booth. Seriously, it’s cuteness overload.
Have a drink at Plaza Hotel’s Carousel Bar
Even on a street lined with endless outdoor bars, Carousel Bar stands apart from the rest. Lit by the shimmering bulbs of the hotel’s façade, Carousel Bar offers the state’s only outdoor video poker machines, multiple HD television screens, and an outdoor cooling system.
The one-of-a-kind bar serves handmade cocktails, shareable drinks, and a premium selection of beer and wine inside a life-sized, animated Vegas-themed carousel setting just steps away from the excitement of the Fremont Street Experience.
Carousel Bar’s unique design includes carousel horses that move up and down, a ribbon of lights rotating above the bar, and life-sized Vegas-themed elements such as a deck of cards, a spinning martini glass, and a 14-foot-tall neon showgirl sign at the entrance.
Play bingo at Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel and Casino is quite a famous destination known for its Old Vegas charm. Besides its Carousel Bar, there’s another main draw: this is the only bingo room in downtown Las Vegas.
The 280-seat bingo room allows guests to play and win big. Its smaller bingo room features daily sessions and specials like the Hotball Jackpot & Cashball Bonus. They offer six daily bingo sessions per day with games every odd hour: 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm.
We really like this bingo room for a few reasons: it’s the closest to the Las Vegas Strip, you get 2 free drinks with a bingo receipt, and there are soda/coffee machines that are free for all (meaning coffee and soda doesn’t count against your 2-free-drinks allocation).
Check here for the latest bingo events.
Take advantage of Tony Roma’s prime rib special
While we normally wouldn’t recommend people to go out of their way to dine at Tony Roma’s on Fremont Street, we do want to shine light on the fact that they’ve got an unbeatable prime rib special. Tony Roma’s somehow kept the “Old Vegas” prices while everyone else’s prime rib deals have kept up with inflation!
Their $10.99 prime rib special is served with a choice of potato and assortments of vegetables, including peas.
The prime rib special runs daily from 4:30pm-6:30pm. You’ll need to show up early because there can be quite a wait during the prime rib special hours.
As long as you get seated by 6:30pm, you can get the prime rib special! We’d recommend getting in line no later than 5pm.
Get discounted luxury goods at the North Vegas Outlets
Don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on retail prices? Head to the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets instead.
Luxury brands at discounted prices? Yes, please. Expect brands like Lululemon, PAIGE, Oliver Peoples, On, Maje, Diane Von Furstenberg, Kate Spade, Rag and Bone, BCBG, TUMI, Tory Burch, and much more.
The Las Vegas North Premium Outlets is located near Downtown Las Vegas and the Arts District.
PRO TIP: These outlets are better than The Las Vegas South Outlets, so even though you’ll have to pay for parking, we personally think it’s worth it — especially if you plan on buying stuff. The outlet shops are also outdoors, so bring a hat and some sunscreen.
Get tiki drinks at Stray Pirate
The folks at Stray Pirate invite you to indulge in elixirs featuring flavors plundered from the seven seas! As one of the newer immersive bar experiences in Las Vegas, Stray Pirate packs a punch when it comes to its decor and its drinks.
This tiki-inspired bar offers a unique twist on nautical-themed venues, sans traditional tikis but still brimming with character.
Featuring ample seating around the bar, spacious tables, cozy booths, plus thematic decor like “underwater” screens and pirate dog paintings, the ambiance is so fun and immersive. It’ll have you feeling like yer part of the crew in no time.
Located in Vegas’ Arts District, it’s perfect as a pit stop while exploring eclectic shops or enjoying a relaxed evening of bar hopping.
Party with locals at Commonwealth
First off, if you’ve never heard of Commonwealth, it’s a super popular nightlife spot in DTLV known for its loud music, dance parties, and live DJs. The nights can get pretty wild here, I’ll tell ya that much!
Voted Best Downtown Nightlife Venue in Las Vegas Weekly’s Best Of Vegas 2024, Fremont East’s Commonwealth is a local institution and one of the hottest nightlife spots for people who don’t want to bother with the formalities and the hassles of the Strip.
Its rooftop parties are hard to ignore and will have you hopping in line to join in on the fun.
The Laundry Room
Commonwealth is cool and all, but what’s even cooler is The Laundry Room. Tucked away behind a hidden door at Commonwealth is The Laundry Room, an intimate speakeasy that will feel worlds away from the party in the front of the place.
Originally part of the historic El Cortez casino’s laundry facility, this cozy bar seats just 22 guests and operates by reservation only.
You’ll find a menu of creative cocktails with intriguing names like The Deadpan and Arsenic Meets Lace, or you can work with the bartender to craft a bespoke drink tailored to your specific tastes. If you can follow the strict house rules—no cell phones, no photography, and definitely no brawling—you’ll have a totally stellar time out with the guys here
Take the kids to Discovery Children’s Museum
Traveling to Vegas with kids? Take ’em to Discovery Children’s Museum for a day of hands-on learning and fun.
Popular exhibits like the Eco City, where children can explore a mini city and learn about sustainability, and Water World, which offers interactive water play, are sure to captivate their imaginations.
Don’t miss the Summit, a 70-foot-tall tower with climbing structures and slides that provide an exciting adventure for kids of all ages.
Try the mystery beer at ReBAR
ReBAR is a bar-meets-antique store concept located in the center of Las Vegas’ growing Arts District. It’s such a fun local-fave spot to spend a casual night in Vegas!
This bar has cheap mystery beers, tons of seating, fun eclectic decor, and pretty good food for bar bites. Some nights they have live music (mostly weekends), other nights they have pub trivia (Mondays).
Plus, everything in ReBAR is for sale. You’ll find all kinds of random knick knacks here, such as tees, signs, vintage steins, and art.
Grab a drink at the historic Atomic Liquors
Step into history at Atomic Liquors, the oldest freestanding bar in Las Vegas! Originally opened in 1952, this iconic bar got its name from patrons who would watch atomic bomb tests from the roof.
Today, it offers a relaxed, nostalgic, and divey atmosphere with a great selection of cocktails, craft beers, and a taste of vintage Vegas charm. It’s the perfect place to soak in some classic Vegas vibes.
Play oversized games at Gold Spike
Enjoy a low-key yet super unique night at Gold Spike, an adults-only playground in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas.
Perhaps the biggest draw of this venue is its oversized games like giant Jenga, chess, and Connect Four, giant beer pong, darts. Just imagine all the games of your childhood playground — supersized and brought to life. They don’t charge you to play the games either, which I think is amazing!
They’ve also got live music and an even livelier bar scene. For cheap drinks, head there during their happy hour! Happy hour is 4am-7am and 4pm-7pm.
PRO TIP: If you’re a guest of the Oasis at Gold Spike Hotel, you get an all-day happy hour from 6 am-6 pm.
Party with locals at Substance
Every time we blink, a new nightlife gem seems to pop up in Downtown Vegas, and locals seeking an escape from the Strip are thrilled about this one! The latest addition to DTLV, Substance, stands out among the buzzing venues on Fremont Street, like Commonwealth and Discopussy.
Located on the second floor of the Neonopolis entertainment complex, Substance has become a year-round hub for music fans.
Founded by Marcel Correa and Joe Borusiewicz of RVLTN Events, Substance aims to blend the high-end production values of Strip nightclubs with the accessibility and laid-back vibe of Downtown. At Substance, there’s a lack of genre limitations, embracing everything from electronic and Latin music to Mexican regional, rock, R&B, and reggae.
Check out their events page for the latest events here.
Grab creative drinks at Liquid Diet
Liquid Diet didn’t mean to become a speakeasy, but it does have that vibe and we’re so here for it. This spot is a must-go if you happen to be craving drinks in the Arts District. It is a little hard to spot, but it’s definitely worth the effort to seek it out!
Tucked away in an alley between Main and Commerce, you’ll find it marked by two large rolling gates. Once inside, you’re treated to a laidback atmosphere with an ever-changing drink menu. Unique concoctions like the guava margarita, horseradish shot with cucumber chaser, bell pepper martini, and the melon pandan sour make every visit exciting.
With friendly bartenders and a lively local crowd, it’s a hidden gem worth discovering for yourself. This place does get packed during the weekends, but there’s also outside seating available too.
Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum
Looking for a disgustingly spooky activity near Downtown Las Vegas? Horror lovers will feel right at home at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum.
Zak Bagans is the host of the popular paranormal TV show Ghost Adventures. Known for his fascination with the supernatural, Bagans curated this museum to house his extensive collection of haunted objects and oddities.
There are over 30 rooms filled with haunted artifacts, creepy memorabilia, and spine-chilling exhibits. You can expect to see items like the Dybbuk Box, a supposedly cursed wine cabinet, and Dr. Kevorkian’s death van, among other unsettling relics.
While we would personally never set foot in this place, we think it’s perfect for people who love the idea of ghosts (if these kinds of people even exist).
Planning Your Trip To Vegas?
Here are some of our other Vegas travel guides to help you plan an incredible trip:
- How To Snag Discounts On Las Vegas Attractions And Shows
- Here Are All The Absolute Must-Do’s In Las Vegas For First Timers
- 25+ Unique And Totally FREE Things To Do In Vegas
- Top Las Vegas Magic Shows That Will Knock Your Socks Off
- 15 Fun Places To Eat On The Las Vegas Strip
- 15 Kid-Friendly Shows In Las Vegas Perfect For Families
- 5 Cheaper Alternatives To Cirque du Soleil Shows In Las Vegas
- 10 Fun Rides and Roller Coasters In Las Vegas For Thrill Seekers
- 10 Secret Bars And Speakeasies On The Las Vegas Strip (+ Where To Find Them!)
- 20 Quirky And Fun Museums You’ll Only Find In Las Vegas
Other Posts You’ll Enjoy
10 Genius Ways To Explore Vegas For Less This Winter
10 Wallet-Friendly Activities To Enjoy Las Vegas This Winter
18 Must-Try Late Night Restaurants In Vegas (On/Off The Strip)
Las Vegas In The Winter: What To Wear (Outfit Ideas + Packing Tips)
Experience Vegas On A Budget: 3-Day Itinerary & Tips
