Classic Las Vegas History Driving Tour

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Opened in 1955, Town Tavern flourished for many years in Las Vegas's predominantly African-American West Side. Until the 1960s, much of downtown Las Vegas was segregated and bars, restaurants, and hotels often prohibited African-American patrons. For much of the 1950s and 1960s, the Town Tavern was one of the most popular nightspots on the West Side, and some of the leading entertainers of the day appeared there. The tavern closed in 2010.

2. Moulin Rouge Hotel (1955)

Listed in 1992 on the National Register of Historic Places, Moulin Rouge Hotel was a symbol of the Black civil rights movement and a reminder of Las Vegas's racist past. The Moulin Rouge Hotel open its doors on May 24, 1955 and became the first Las Vegas hotel and casino to cater to all races. Although preservationists and supporters of African American history hoped to save the historic property, most of the original hotel was demolished.

3. Mob Museum

The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law enforcement, opened on February 14, 2012. The museum contains artifacts from previous mobsters, including a blood stained wall from the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. It is housed in the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, which was built in 1933 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

4. Vegas Vic and the Pioneer Club Casino

From its creation in 1951, this neon sign based on the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's friendly mascot "Vegas Vic" became one of the symbols of Las Vegas. The sign stood outside the Pioneer Club casino and was innovative for its time owing to its size and moving arm and cigarette. The sign even offered a friendly greeting every fifteen minutes by exclaiming “Howdy Podner!” to tourists and gamblers along Fremont Street. The Pioneer Club is no longer a casino, but the Vegas Vic sign is still located in the same place as it was in 1951.

5. Golden Gate Casino

One of the only Casinos to survive the Las Vegas slump, this hotel is best known as the first hotel to serve shrimp cocktail. It still operates as a casino and is considered by many to be one of the last "authentic" Las Vegas casinos around. The legacy spans the birth of Las Vegas, the Roaring 20s, the Rat Pack era and now into the 21st Century.

6. Golden Nugget

Built in 1946, the Golden Nugget was the largest casino in the world at the time of its construction. It was also the first modern Las Vegas Casino that was built as a stand-alone casino rather than a combination hotel-casino. Now one of the city's oldest casinos, the Golden Nugget now contains a hotel and blends modern features with many of its original elements including mahogany bars, marble floors, and crystal chandeliers. The casino gets its name from the 6 lb 11 oz gold nugget--said to be the largest in the world--which is housed on the premises.

7. El Cortez

El Cortez is a smaller hotel and casino in Las Vegas off of the Las Vegas Strip. Established in 1941, it is one of the oldest hotel and casinos in the city, and has a reputation for being less geared towards tourists, and more towards Las Vegas locals looking to get away from the flashy casinos of the Strip. Though El Cortez has undergone several renovations, it has never been closed for an extended period of time, and it is currently still going strong decades after its opening.

8. Atomic Liquors

Las Vegas is a city that continually reinvents itself and few things in the city last. One of the exceptions to that rule is Atomic Liquors, which has been a staple in the city since the mid-twentieth century. It opened in 1945 as a café and gradually became a bar. Over the years it attracted all manner of Vegas denizens, including the rich and famous. The city’s oldest free-standing bar, Atomic Liquors is now a reminder of Cold War-era Las Vegas.

9. Site of the Green Shack

One of Las Vegas's longest-lasting restaurants, the Green Shack opened in 1931 and was in business until 1999. The proprietor was Mattie Jones. The restaurant was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 but was demolished several years after it closed.

10. Las Vegas National Country Club and Paradise Palms

Originally known as the Stardust Country Club, the Las Vegas National Country Club opened in 1961. Over the years, the club has become a Las Vegas landmark and was featured in the film Casino. The golf course abuts a well-known neighborhood in the city, Paradise Palms. The neighborhood is a fine example of mid-century modern architecture and has been home to a large number of celebrities. Preservationists are working to get Paradise Palms listed as a historic landmark.

11. Lefty Rosenthal House

Lefty Rosenthal was a pioneer of Las Vegas sports gaming. He moved to the city in 1968, after running afoul of Miami authorities, and proceeded to revolutionize the gaming industry by bringing sports betting to a casino. He also introduced female Blackjack dealers, which led to a dramatic increase in the Stardust's income. Rosenthal's home was fitting for someone with his questionable connections; the home features bulletproof windows and doors and was built in one of the city's first guard-gated communities.

12. The Thunderbird (1948-2000)

The Thunderbird was the fourth casino and hotel resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. Built by Cliff Jones and Marion Hicks in 1948, the Thunderbird had a Native American theme and depicted scenes from the old west, as well as traditional Native American portraits and other décor. The Thunderbird only existed as its own entity until 1977, when it was sold and renamed to the Silverbird, which would eventually become the El Rancho. Like the other early Las Vegas casinos and resorts, this hotel was demolished although it was notable in its longevity, outlasting nearly every other Las Vegas hotel until it was demolished in 2000. Visitors can still visit the area to see where the casino once stood.

13. The Algiers Hotel

The Algiers was a hotel that was originally built in order to house the influx of guests to the popular Thunderbird casino in the early 1950s. Like several other spots on the Las Vegas Strip, such as the Dunes and the Sands, the Algiers was a desert-themed hotel, hosting a heated pool for guests, as well as other amenities that served to cater to guests’ every whim. Though it outlived its companion, the Thunderbird, the Algiers closed in 2004, and is now gone from the Strip.

14. The Riviera

The Riviera was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip originally conceived by mobster William Bischoff, though he ultimately left the project in the hands of others. Established in 1955, the Riviera was known largely for its architecture, which deviated from the set Vegas Strip Style, and instead seemed better suited to Miami Beach. The Riviera remained open until May 4, 2015, after it was bought by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and it is slated to be imploded by the end of 2015.

15. La Concha Motel

The La Concha Motel was once a Las Vegas motel modeled after “Googie” style architecture. Opened in 1961, the motel remained open for several decades until its closure in 2003. Though the Motel was threatened with the prospect of demolition, it now stands as the visitor’s center for the Neon Museum.

16. Desert Inn (site of current Wynn and Encore properties)

The Desert Inn was, for many years, one of the most storied locations in Las Vegas. It was only the fifth resort to open on the Strip and quickly developed a reputation as one of the most lavish spots in the city. The property’s casino was one of the largest in the state of Nevada at the time. In its heyday, the Desert Inn hosted any number of celebrities, but its most famous guest was arguably Howard Hughes, who took up residence there and eventually bought the property.

17. The Sands Hotel and Casino

The Sands Hotel was the seventh resort to open its doors in the Las Vegas Strip. Opened in 1952, the Sands hosted many popular entertainers of the time, from the Rat Pack to Nat King Cole, and was massively popular for decades. The Sands closed in 1996, however, and its location is now home to the Venetian.

18. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign is an iconic neon sign located just outside of the Las Vegas city limits in Paradise, Nevada. Despite the fact that the sign resides in Paradise, Nevada, this is mostly disregarded, and it is most often regarded as being a part of Las Vegas proper. The sign was erected in 1959, and has since then stood to welcome visitors heading into the actual city of Las Vegas. The design of the sign itself, interestingly enough, was never copyrighted, as sign designer Betty Ross wanted the sign to be a gift to the city and its residents.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Classic Las Vegas History Driving Tour

Created by David J. Trowbridge on February 18th 2018, 7:08:17 pm.

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Description

This tour offers a lot of history in a relatively short drive through Sin City. The tour includes about a dozen casinos that were constructed in 1961 or prior, including establishments that catered to African Americans in the era of segregation. The tour includes a museum dedicated to the early years of the city when gambling establishments were under the control of the mob. The tour also includes a few classic Las Vegas signs such as Vegas Vic and the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign that remains a symbol of the city.

Entries on This Tour

Classic Las Vegas History Driving Tour

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