5 Fun Things to Do in Downtown Las Vegas

Downtown Las Vegas is a neighborhood where trendy juice shops sell $10 smoothies and shabby pawn shops buy gold and other assorted treasures from down-on-their-luck gamblers. Well dressed businessmen, smartphones in hand, walk past homeless people finding respite in the shade from the scorching desert heat.

Old neon signs illuminate walls that are freshly decorated with new street art. In other words, Downtown Las Vegas is a neighborhood in transition.

Despite having operating casinos and restaurants over the years, Downtown Las Vegas was a run-down afterthought for decades. This situation changed in 1995 when the Fremont Street Experience began lighting up the downtown epicenter each night.

More recently, Zappos, the popular online shoe company, moved from the suburbs making Downtown Las Vegas a destination for both locals and tourists.

It’s no secret that there are lots of things to do in Las Vegas, at least on the strip. But what about downtown Las Vegas?

Renovated hotels, new restaurants and cultural sites like The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum are now transforming the area at lightning speed, making a trip to downtown Las Vegas a must for any visit to Sin City and a great stop on any US road trip.

We recently explored downtown Las Vegas and found plenty to keep us busy for a day.

Not surprisingly, our personal exploration of downtown Las Vegas focused more on the food than on culture.

To get our feet wet, we started with a Downtown Las Vegas Food Tour. This tour provided us with an informative introduction to Downtown Las Vegas starting by the Fremont Street Experience and ending at the Downtown Container Park.

During the two-hour tour, we learned that there’s a heck of a lot more to the Downtown Las Vegas food scene than the infamous Heart Attack Grill.

You can book a Downtown Las Vegas Food Tour here. We thank Viator for hosting us on the tour to facilitate this article.

To us, Carson Kitchen represents all that we look for in a restaurant.

The condensed space has a sleek look with its open kitchen, wide bar and outside patio. It’s crowded enough that we had to return for a Friday lunch after finding the restaurant too busy to accommodate us on a Thursday evening. We’re glad that the crowds didn’t deter a second trip.

Pro Tip
Lunch is a good option for Carson Kitchen since the restaurant has a limited reservation policy. Reservations are only accepted for parties of six or more.

Carson Kitchen is located at 124 S 6th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States.

Since it was over 100 degrees in the shade, we also enjoyed refreshing blackberry lemonade popsicles. Even in the heat, walking around the Downtown Container Park is one of the best free things to do in Las Vegas.

Downtown Container Park is located at 707 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States.

To our surprise, just south of the Fremont district, Las Vegas has a vibrant art scene spanning 18 city blocks.

The epicenter is The Arts Factory, a funky warehouse with a myriad of art galleries and shops. The art ranges from affordable pop culture to experimental photography with so much to see we could have easily spent a day wandering and chatting with the local art dealers.

For us, the only bummer was that we were there on the fourth Friday of the month. We need to schedule our next Las Vegas trip to coincide with the monthly First Friday celebration put on by the artistic community. We hear that it’s quite a party.

The Arts Factory is located at 107 E Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104, United States.

At first glance, Atomic Liquors is strictly old-school with a retro jukebox and art featuring mid-century stars. But the decor is just part of the story.

Most of the barstools are occupied in the afternoon, and the tattooed bartenders serve up a full selection of craft beer and cocktails. This is clearly a bar that celebrates Sin City’s quirky history while embracing current trends.

Atomic Liquors provides a piece of Americana, like most of Downtown Las Vegas, that we should never forget and continue to celebrate.

Atomic Liquors is located at 917 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States.

Important Update
Many businesses have revised their hours due to COVID-19. Some may close, either temporarily or permanently, without notice. Be sure to check websites for updated information.