Pretty much everybody has heard about fabulous Las Vegas. But not that many people have even given thought to Downtown Las Vegas, also known as Fremont Street. While both Fremont and the strip have their pros and cons, here is a list of 13 reasons you should be giving Downtown Vegas a chance on your next trip! 

Downtown Vegas sign

Downtown Vegas!

  1. Different Bar Experiences

There are some really fun bars to go to that are within walking distance of Fremont! One of my favorites is The Gold Spike, which features great “old school” games that are huge! They have over-sized Jenga, Connect Four, and Cornhole.

Playing cornhole at The Gold Spike!

Playing cornhole at The Gold Spike!

 

 

  1. The Downtown Container Park

The Container Park is a really great place to hang out! They have a treehouse, a stage for live music, as well as lots of shopping and dining options.  Best of all, it’s all built from recycled shipping containers! How cool is that?! For the most part this park is family friendly, but according to the website, you have to be at least 21 to be in the park after 9pm.

*Bonus tip! I am pretty sure I found the BEST barbeque place in the world, Big Ern’s BBQ. Give it a try, and you will thank me when you do!

 

  1. Fremont Street Experience

This is the best! You can do everything within a relatively small area, especially compared to the strip. There is so much to do within the “Fremont Street Experience”, as you will see as I get further down the list! The website is listed below if you want to check out everything that comes with the Fremont Street Experience!

http://vegasexperience.com/

 

  1. Less Expensive $$$

Literally every single item is less expensive when you are downtown compared to when you are on the strip, from water, food, and hotels, to souvenirs. For example, a bottle of water while on the strip varies between $3.00 to $5.00, but on Fremont, water is only 2 bottles/$1.00. Vegas is relatively cheap, as long as you do your research, but if you go down to Fremont, it is a much better place to save money!

 

  1. Live Music

There are so many shows when in Vegas, but if you find yourself low on cash, or if you don’t want to spend money on someone that you don’t absolutely love, go to Fremont Street. They have amazing bands playing, and three different stages! Every time I have been down there and listened to the band, I have stayed to watch them because they have been so good!  All for free!

 

  1. The Viva Vision Light Show

There is a huge video screen that is 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and sits 90 feet above Fremont Street where they hold a light show! The shows start every hour throughout the night, and a definite must see while in Vegas!

 

  1. Iconic Hotels

Some of the original and most iconic hotels line Fremont Street, which include Binion’s, Four Queens, and The Golden Nugget, as well as many others. It is so cool to walk around and play in these original hotels, my favorite is playing Craps at Binion’s!

Binion's! One of the vegas originals

Binion’s! One of the originals!

 

 

  1. Lower Minimums

Obviously when in Vegas, you are going to gamble, even if it is just a little, and a lot of the time when gambling on the strip the minimum bets are pretty high. They especially seem to be high when you are learning how to play a new game, but downtown you can usually find table game with minimum bets of $5.00, and sometimes even $3.00! This amount is great because even though I believe in beginners luck, it’s hard to give up a lot money on something you have no clue about!

An electronic craps machine.. my favorite!

An electronic craps machine.. my favorite!

 

 

  1. Night Swim Events at The Golden Nugget

The Golden Nugget has a swimming pool right next to a shark tank where they offer movie nights!  This past Friday, they were showing Jaws, and while they show it, you can be swimming, lounging, or even gambling at one of the poolside tables! The calendar on their website shows all of the movie nights coming up, so if you want a different experience while in Vegas, check out this event!

 

  1. Less Walking

When in Vegas, the hotels are so massive that you walk so much without thinking you will. On an average night walking the strip, you can easily walk 10 miles and have sore feet the next morning. While in downtown Vegas, everything is so close together that you can walk up and down Fremont, throughout all of the hotels and still want to do more! It is all so close compared to the strip, but there is still so much to do!

 

  1. Taking Pictures with Characters

When I say characters, I don’t necessarily mean Spiderman, and minions, though you can find that downtown as well. The characters you see downtown can be anyone from a minion, to a showgirl with no top on, or a man in a mankini. You never know who will be out when you go down there, but be prepared! Just keep in mind that if you take pictures of or with these people, you need to tip them, this is how a lot of them make a living.

 

  1. Sigma Derby at the D

The D has modern slot machines and games on the first floor, but when you go up to the second floor, you step into old school Vegas! The whole floor is filled with vintage slot machines that you can still use coins to play. They also have the extremely fun Sigma Derby game; it is a horse racing game that 10 people can play at once, betting on different horses! It is so much fun, and you can spend hours at a time playing!

Vintage vegas Slot Sign on the 2nd floor of The D!

Vintage Slot Sign on the 2nd floor of The D!

 

  1. The Slotzilla Zip Line

The Slotzilla Zip Line is located downtown on Fremont Street, and offers two different options for riders. The first is the zip line, which you start 77 feet above Fremont, and ride half way down Fremont, hanging as you would on a normal zip line. Then there is the Zoomline. You ride 1,750 feet, and start 114 feet in the air! You are also hanging in a superman fashion while flying down Fremont! This is a really fun experience that anyone can enjoy!

Slotzilla in vegas

Slotzilla!