If you haven’t been to downtown Las Vegas in a while, it’s definitely time to take another look! The last decade has been marked by heavy initiatives to expand and improve the area. Backed by innovators, businesses and local entrepreneurs, downtown Las Vegas has become a buzzing mecca of new and significant developments that continue to draw in the crowds.
Here are some of the biggest revamps that have happened and what you can expect when you visit downtown Las Vegas today:
1. Viva Vision Upgrade
One mammoth change you’ll notice in downtown Las Vegas is the renovated Viva Vision screen at Fremont Street Experience. The iconic canopy is the world’s largest LED canopy screen and has been dazzling downtown spectators for years with its famous light shows.
The upgraded Viva Vision screen is seven times brighter and four times the resolution of the previous canopy with 16,433,152 pixels! This means that the crystal-clear images and concert-quality sound of Viva Vision can now be enjoyed during the day.
2. Circa Resort & Casino
By far, the most massive change to the downtown Las Vegas skyline is the arrival of Circa Resort & Casino. The stunning casino-resort was built by the owner of The D and Golden Gate, Derek Stevens, where the former Las Vegas Club used to be. It is the first new casino-resort in downtown Las Vegas in 40 years!
The luxury property adds 777 rooms to the downtown area, along with new restaurants, bars, a huge parking structure and an epic sportsbook inside the casino that eclipses all other Las Vegas sportsbooks. However, the star of this show is the massive multi-tiered pool area called Stadium Swim. With a colossal outdoor screen, guests can lounge in one of the six pools or relax in a luxurious daybed while catching a game at the same time.
3. Bar Canada at The D
Hockey in the desert? You better believe it! Since the arrival of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights as the first professional sports team in Las Vegas, it’s safe to say that Sin City has gone a little hockey-crazy over the past couple of years. Nowhere is that more apparent than BarCanada at The D.
As a fun nod to Canadian sports culture, you can catch every hockey game in a high-energy environment on any of the multiple 85-inch TVs throughout the bar. And fear not, sports fans! They’ll also have football, basketball, baseball and all your other favorite sporting events up on the big screens. Be sure to check out The D’s newest bar while you’re in downtown.
4. Whiskey Licker Up at Binion’s
If you’re looking for a fun and unique nightlife experience in downtown Las Vegas, Whiskey Licker Up at Binion’s Gambling Hall is the perfect place to start. If you didn’t know already, downtown Las Vegas is one of the best people-watching spots in Sin City, and the rotating bar at Whiskey Licker Up gives you a front-row seat to all the action!
Pull up a chair, order a generously-poured drink from a sexily-clad bartender and soak up the Fremont Street crowds from your second-floor perch. Also, their gourmet bar food is worth a try if you’re craving some good eats with your cocktail.
5. Lucky Day in Fremont East District
Are you a fan of tequila or mezcal? Then you have to check out Lucky Day, one of the newest additions to Fremont East. The 3,000-square-foot bar offers a plethora of popular and unique tequila and mezcal options, along with a dance floor and DJ booth playing lively Latin music.
And if you’re not a tequila or mezcal drinker, the gorgeous bar features a dazzling canopy of 15,000 LED lights and various art pieces that’s worth a peak on its own.
6. Expansion of Downtown Grand
Just a couple of blocks from Fremont Street Experience is the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino, which recently debuted its new expansion tower, known as the Gallery Tower. Adding a total of 495 modern rooms and luxury suites to the downtown area, the Gallery Tower is defined by contemporary architecture, chic industrial concepts, and stunning interior designs.
Featuring dynamic art by international artists and photographers, visitors can now experience a new level of sophistication and vibrancy in downtown. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.
7. The Expo at World Market Center
Besides gambling and nightlife, Las Vegas is also known for hosting some of the biggest conventions and tradeshows worldwide. So, it’s no wonder that downtown Las Vegas is getting in on some of that action.
The Expo at World Market Center in downtown is a gorgeous new facility that features 315,000 square feet of exhibit space that can be divided into two separate halls. The space can accommodate a whopping 1,000 booths, along with a dedicated registration area, lobby, shuttle bus depot, attached parking garage and convenient food service areas. The Expo is just one more reason that downtown is the place to be in Las Vegas.
8. Symphony Park Redevelopment
Downtown Las Vegas has been front and center when it comes to the cultural and artistic resurgence of the city. Symphony Park in downtown is where Sin City’s art, culture, science and medical innovations live. It is home to the Smith Center for Performing Arts, DISCOVERY Children’s Museum, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce.
As of now, there are more than 600 residential units, several retail establishments, the AC Hotel by Marriott and multiple spaces for restaurants and businesses being built at Symphony Park. This new redevelopment project is only minutes away from Fremont Street Experience in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.
9. Project Enchilada Upgrades
Project Enchilada is more than just a fun, quirky name. It’s a passionate initiative spearheaded by former City Attorney of Las Vegas, Brad Jerbic, and other private stakeholders, to save and refurbish some of the iconic buildings and neighborhoods of downtown Las Vegas. Part of the first phase is to rehabilitate the historic Huntridge Theater and Fremont Street from Las Vegas Boulevard to 14th St.
Another part of Project Enchilada is to restore some of downtown’s neon motel signs. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out the Star View Motel, Las Vegas Motel, Fremont Motel and Lucky Motel to see these refurbished signs in all their glory.
10. The Boring Company
What is The Boring Company, you ask? Well, it’s only Elon Musk’s company that is constructing underground tunnels in Las Vegas, which will use self-driving electric cars for a lightning-fast and easy way to get around the city! It almost sounds too futuristic to be true, right? Believe it or not, The Boring Company’s first Vegas Loop tunnel is just about done.
The tunnels will eventually connect everything from Fremont Street Experience in downtown to Harry Reid International Airport and everything in between. According to The Boring Company, the autonomous electric vehicles that will operate in the tunnels can travel at speeds of up to 155 mph. Talk about something to look forward to on the downtown Las Vegas horizon.
Take Another Look at Downtown Las Vegas
If you haven’t been to downtown Las Vegas in a while, now’s the time to check it out. With so many new and innovative developments in the pipeline and several initiatives changing the landscape of the area, you won’t be disappointed with what downtown has to offer. Be sure to check out more things to do in downtown Las Vegas before planning your trip, including the thrilling Slotzilla Zipline, and we’ll see you downtown!
