Downtown Las Vegas History Walk: What Was Once Here

James Hogg’s walk from the Plaza to the El Cortez, with 31 stories of what once stood along Fremont Street.

Stops: 31
Places: 11

About this tour

James Hogg’s walk from the Plaza to the El Cortez, with 31 stories of what once stood along Fremont Street.

31 stops to exploreDiscover the stories behind the places you see.
Go at your own paceTake a self-guided tour, with time to pause and look around.

Learn more about this tour

Use the Vegas Retold app to explore the stops as you go. The list below lets you see what’s included before choosing your tour.

View app information

Meet the creators

Stories with an editor’s eye. Exploring made simple.

James Hogg

Editor-in-chief

James selects and shapes our stories, bringing an editor’s eye to what matters and how it is told.

Piers Rollinson

Product & operations

Piers brings the stories into the app and onto the web, helping you find your next stop and explore at your own pace.

More about Vegas Retold

Tour stops

Explore all 31 stops on this tour.

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The Day Las Vegas Was Born

The Plaza · The Plaza, 1 Main Street, at the head of Fremont Street
The Train Station Behind the Casino

The Plaza · The Plaza, 1 Main Street, at the head of Fremont Street
The Great Train Robbery That Wasn’t

The Plaza · The Plaza, 1 Main Street, at the head of Fremont Street
Telephone Number One

The Golden Gate · Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, 1 Fremont Street
The 50-Cent Shrimp Cocktail

The Golden Gate · Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, 1 Fremont Street
The Old Slot Machines

The Golden Gate · Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, 1 Fremont Street
The Locksmith Who Broke the House

The Golden Gate · Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, 1 Fremont Street
08
The Overland and the Las Vegas Club

The Circa Block · Circa, 8 Fremont Street, on the block between Main Street and First Street
Visiting information
Circa is a 21+ property and requires valid ID for entry. You can listen from a permitted public place without entering.
- Circa visitor age policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
09
Bucking the Tiger

The Circa Block · Circa, 8 Fremont Street, on the block between Main Street and First Street
Visiting information
Circa is a 21+ property and requires valid ID for entry. You can listen from a permitted public place without entering.
- Circa visitor age policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
10
Deep-Fried Twinkies at Mermaids

The Circa Block · Circa, 8 Fremont Street, on the block between Main Street and First Street
Visiting information
Circa is a 21+ property and requires valid ID for entry. You can listen from a permitted public place without entering.
- Circa visitor age policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
11
The Golden Goose

The Circa Block · Circa, 8 Fremont Street, on the block between Main Street and First Street
Visiting information
Circa is a 21+ property and requires valid ID for entry. You can listen from a permitted public place without entering.
- Circa visitor age policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
Howdy, Pardner

The Pioneer Club and Vegas Vic · 25 East Fremont Street, the corner of First Street and Fremont
The Neon Wedding

The Pioneer Club and Vegas Vic · 25 East Fremont Street, the corner of First Street and Fremont
The Woman Who Held Licence Number One

The Northern Club · 15 East Fremont Street
Before the Canopy

Glitter Gulch · Under the Fremont Street canopy, at First Street
The Cowboy Who Carpeted Fremont Street

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
The World Series of Poker

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
The Mint and the Mint 400

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
Atom Bombs on a Postcard

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
The Horse That Left Town

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
The Hotel Apache

Binion’s · Binion’s Gambling Hall, 128 East Fremont Street
The Kid Who Played the Fremont

The Fremont Hotel · Fremont Hotel and Casino, 200 East Fremont Street
Four Daughters and a Joker

The Four Queens · Four Queens, 202 East Fremont Street
A Rose for the Lady

The Four Queens · Four Queens, 202 East Fremont Street
The Silver Strikes

The Four Queens · Four Queens, 202 East Fremont Street
Win a Car

The Four Queens · Four Queens, 202 East Fremont Street
The Picture Houses of Fremont Street

The Old Movie Palaces · El Portal Theatre, 310 Fremont Street
28
Silver Dollars and Clay Chips

The El Cortez · El Cortez, 600 East Fremont Street
Visiting information
El Cortez requires all visitors on property to be 21 or older with valid government-issued ID. Listen from a permitted public place if you cannot enter.
- El Cortez visitor policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
29
Mr. Downtown

The El Cortez · El Cortez, 600 East Fremont Street
Visiting information
El Cortez requires all visitors on property to be 21 or older with valid government-issued ID. Listen from a permitted public place if you cannot enter.
- El Cortez visitor policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
30
The Guest Who Never Checked Out

The El Cortez · El Cortez, 600 East Fremont Street
Visiting information
El Cortez requires all visitors on property to be 21 or older with valid government-issued ID. Listen from a permitted public place if you cannot enter.
- El Cortez visitor policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.
31
The Last Original

The El Cortez · El Cortez, 600 East Fremont Street
Visiting information
El Cortez requires all visitors on property to be 21 or older with valid government-issued ID. Listen from a permitted public place if you cannot enter.
- El Cortez visitor policy
  Current operator guidance checked 15 October 2026.

Where you’ll go

The numbers match the stop list above. Choose “Show on map” in the list, or select a marker to explore a stop. Use “Back to stop list” to return to its highlighted row.

31 of 31 stops shown. Indoor locations may be approximate. This is an area preview, not a walking route.

Explore these places

Place histories

Read the stories

He Didn’t Run With Bugsy Siegel’s Money. Vegas Comped Him for Life — and He Never Checked Out.

Q & A

Do I need the app?

You’ll need the Vegas Retold app to follow this tour. You can explore the stops here.

The iPhone app is not available to download here yet.

View app information

How long does it take?

A walking distance and total visit time aren’t published for this tour.

Are there any access restrictions?

Indoor locations and access can change. This preview does not establish step-free access to every stop.

Can I listen or read?

This tour has no published narration. Explore its written accounts when you have access.

A free audio sample has not been published for this tour.

Hear a free story from another tour

Purchase options

Choose this tour, a bundle that includes its stops, or the Vegas Retold Pass.