In Search of Vintage Vegas

Some people are surprised that I like Las Vegas, given my mostly accurate goody-two-shoes aura. But I’m a history geek, and the history of Vegas is wild. Add that to my affinity for pop culture history and I just might be extremely in my element. Yes, everything is over the top, but a little absurdity every once in a while is amusing, even if it’s not what you’d like to be surrounded by 24/7. However, I do have a bone to pick with Sin City’s real estate developers.

Las Vegas is definitely “Americana.” Neon signs, lots of food, the entertainment industry, and even a little bit of the Wild West. The also very Americana concept of road trips became widespread in the middle of the 20th century, not long after Las Vegas became a popular travel destination for a wide range of budgets. Some iconic hotel casinos for these varied visitors were built around this time, each with their own one-of-a-kind looks and balancing novelty with Old Hollywood glam. Many are no longer standing. Some were replaced with other unique hotel casinos. But to my dismay, others have been getting replaced with hotel casinos emphasizing the finest luxury and packaged in monochromatic skyscrapers and run-of-the-mill resorts. Brick by boring brick (shoutout Paramore).

The Sands, a frequent hangout for the Rat Pack, imploded in 1996.

The Stardust, an especially glittering Strip mainstay for close to 50 years, imploded in 2007.

The Frontier, second hotel casino ever built in Vegas, imploded in 2007.

The Dunes, an Arabian-themed joint with an iconic 35-foot-tall Sultan statue, imploded in 1993.

The Riviera, where Barbra Streisand performed her first Vegas show and a prime filming location for “Oceans 11” and Martin Scorsese’s “Casino,” imploded in 2016.

The Tropicana, third hotel casino to open in Vegas, with mosaic details and plenty of high society visitors, imploded in 2024.

The Sahara, where The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and plenty others all made appearances, technically still exists but now looks more like something from Dubai (nothing against Dubai).

And many more.

I know there is a lot of business behind all this. Shareholders, corporate conglomerates, the city’s desire to become more than its gambling showgirl reputation, whatever. But why does this have to mean complete overhauls of iconic facades and fewer places affordable to the masses?

Thankfully, there are some things that keep me sane in Las Vegas. The Flamingo is one of them. Mobster Bugsy Siegel and L.A. nightclub owner Billy Wilkerson were the masterminds behind this hotel casino. While it looks very different from when it was first built in 1946, and its huge feather plume sign is gone, the courtyard still has some details that harken back to its mid-20th century origins. The pool has also been remodeled since it appeared in the 1964 Elvis Presley and Ann-Margaret film “Viva Las Vegas,” but it too retains some 1960s-ish aesthetics. Plus, its present day facade gives the Strip some much needed glamour. The icing on the cake is that despite being the first luxury resort on the Strip, the Flamingo’s hotel rooms are under $100 (on weekdays). Highly recommend.

Tons of old neon signs from buildings of the past and present are now at the Neon Museum, including Stardust and others I’ve complained about in this article. Many of these signs had to have individual light bulbs manually screwed into sockets back in the day, a labor-intensive technology that you can see up close at this museum. It's worth a visit during the day, but at night, the signs turn on and make you feel like you’re in a movie montage scene. The Neon Museum’s staff is constantly working on sign restoration, which means new additions are always in the pipeline. When I visited in 2025, the Flamingo’s old plume had just been put on display. The Neon Museum is also a nonprofit, so supporting their efforts through ticket sales is even more rewarding.

Toward the Neon Museum, you’ll see some vintage neon signs out in the wild. Walk along Las Vegas Blvd between the Las Vegas Arts District Showgirl Sign and the Neon Museum to see all the signs that Vegas has added back to this famous street. This two-mile stretch also passes by a couple of classic Las Vegas wedding chapels, like the Graceland Wedding Chapel and Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, both complete with Elvis impersonators. As of late 2025, Young Electric Sign Company is working with the Neon Museum to add more 1950s and 60s signs along Las Vegas Blvd.

this horse and cowboy neon sign has been restored

and the Hotel Normandie sign

This Las Vegas Blvd walk also meets with the eastern entrance of the Fremont Street Experience. This area was basically the original Las Vegas Strip. The long curved LED screen over this pedestrian-only section of Fremont Street isn’t my favorite thing in the world, but I can overlook it as long as some fun and quirky elements of vintage Vegas remain. The most iconic of these is Vegas Vic, a huge neon cowboy who has graced the old strip since the 1950s. He is married to Vegas Vickie, a neon cowgirl who used to be mounted on the Glitter Gulch strip club across the street. Circa Resort and Casino replaced Glitter Gulch in 2020. The new owners kept Vickie, but moved her inside. At least she’s still on display for visitors to see.

Along the Fremont Street Experience, you’ll also find the Golden Nugget. This hotel casino was first built in the 1940s. While its huge neon sign is gone, the building’s exterior is still glamorous and would be at home in any classic film. The pool has this upscale essence as well, and an aquarium with sharks and a tube slide running through it. You can swim here without staying at the Golden Nugget Hotel too (for an entrance fee).

The wonderfully mid-century Binions Gambling Hall and Hotel is across from the Golden Nugget. The hotel part is actually Hotel Apache, which Benny Binion purchased in 1951. Hotel Apache is apparently haunted, with multiple eerie accounts from past hotel guests on display for the public to read. Famous names like Clark Gable and Lucille Ball have stayed at this nearly 100 year old establishment. Even if you don’t stay at Hotel Apache, check out the restaurant options at Binions, especially Whiskey Licker Up Saloon. The food here is wallet-friendly, but even better is the rotating bar which gives you a great view of the Golden Nugget and Vegas Vic. Whiskey Licker Up is also a great reminder of Vegas’ wild west themes that have also largely gone away in favor of modernity. Lost Americana, if you will (shoutout mgk).

At the western end of the Fremont Street Experience is Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, another of Vegas’ oldest hotel casinos still in business. Like Binions and Vegas Vic, Golden Gate’s neon and stone exterior keeps the mid-century wild west decor alive. The screen by the Circa sign rotates through pictures of Fremont over the decades.

Don’t leave Fremont Street yet, though. If you keep going east from the Fremont Street Experience’s eastern entrance, you’ll see more vintage Americana, like Fergusons Downtown. Aside from the old Fergusons Motel sign being a popular photo-op for newlyweds (of which there are plenty in Vegas), this shopping center is home to the popular Mothership Coffee Roasters and locally owned stores rather than luxury brand stores that are all along the Strip. Check the Fergusons Downtown website for unique events from cocktail classes to flea markets. There are quite a few cheaper (and vintage-y) hotels close by as well. Two that are hard to miss are El Cortez and Oasis, thanks to their glitzy signs. Can you tell that I like big vintage signs?

Speaking of Elvis, Las Vegas was practically his second home later in his career. In 1969, he performed his first of over 600 sold out shows at the International Hotel, now called the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. Ticket sales for these shows broke Las Vegas show attendance records three different times. The lobby features a statue and photos of Elvis at the Westgate throughout 1969. It is easy to picture someone like him walking through the gold and marble interior of the Westgate’s ground floor.

Not far from Westgate is the Golden Steer Steakhouse, in business since 1958. If I were to film a mobster movie, I would definitely want some scenes filmed here. Its dim lighting, red and black seats, wooden details, and snappily-dressed wait staff easily match the imagery that its past regulars evoke. The Rat Pack, Elvis, Joe DiMaggio, and more came to the Golden Steer often. The walls are decorated with photos and autographs from these famous guests and the booths they frequented are now named after them. So if you have a booth preference, you’ll have to specify it when you make a reservation. However, you might get to at least sit at the bar if you walk in without a reservation. It’s worth a try, even just to look inside for a bit. The food lives up to the atmosphere too, and there are a few surprisingly affordable options. They sell meat, seasonings, and more of their famous food online too.

Dean Martin's Booth at the Golden Steer

Caesar’s Palace is older than you might think, and an honorable mention on my list of things that keep me sane in Vegas. Since opening in 1966, it has definitely lived up to the Roman Empire’s associations with all things excess. It may have frequent performances by DJs instead of crooning lounge singers, but at least it’s still standing – and then some. But no, it’s not the real Caesar’s Palace (shoutout “The Hangover”).

For those looking to enjoy Vegas without the crowds, head to the Arts District, aka 18b. This hipster part of town has tons of vintage stores, many within walking distance of each other. There’s Rockin Bettie, Glam Factory Vintage, Alt Rebel, Bogart Vintage, Vegas Vintage Antiques, and many more.

Also in the Arts District are some of Sin City’s quintessential wedding chapels, again with Elvis impersonators. Some favorites include the Elvis Chapel and the Little Vegas Chapel, but perhaps the best is the historic Little White Wedding Chapel. It was the first to offer drive-thru service and is a major reason why Las Vegas became a popular place to get married. Dozens of celebrities have gotten married here too, from Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow to Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. Even if you’re not planning on eloping with someone, the fun exteriors of these chapels are as Vegas as you can get and make for one-of-a-kind sightseeing.

As I touched on before, Vegas’s aesthetic shifts might come down to its desire to diversify the city’s offerings. What was once a city known for gambling, impulsive marriages, showgirls, and other themes of debauchery has now hosted the Super Bowl, Formula 1 races, and more. Even the slogan has changed from “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” to “What Happens Here Only Happens Here.” The two sides of Vegas – affordable, colorful Americana and Old Hollywood opulence have somehow both taken a back seat to clout-chasing expensive events, celebrity chefs, and huge resorts nearly homogenous in appearance. I’m lookin’ at you, Fontainebleau, Wynn, Aria, and Cosmopolitan. Save all that for somewhere else high-end. Give me a double feature of the Rat Pack sipping on martinis and kitsch Radiator Springs vibes when I’m in Vegas (shoutout "Cars").

All of this is not to say that I won’t be back. There is more vintage Americana to be seen and history to be explored. I still haven’t been to the Mob Museum, for example. I’ll just be staying around Fremont Street and continuing to keep my money away from those minimalist skyscrapers.

Transportation Tips:

• The Deuce is a double decker bus route that makes multiple stops along the Strip and then some. It goes from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign all the way to the Fremont Street Experience, including the Arts District. Tickets are super cheap, but kiosks are not at all of the stops. Look here for a map and note the stops that say TVM (Ticket Vending Machine). While it can get crowded, this bus system is a saving grace because the Strip is longer than you think.
• A fun way to get around is the Monorail. There aren’t as many stops as the Deuce, but the views are pretty.