Before the mega-resorts of the Strip, Las Vegas was centered downtown, and the area still has its own personality. It is more compact than the Strip, generally easier to walk, and offers a different kind of evening: neon, street performers, a canopy light show and one of the city's major performing arts venues.
The Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience light show opened in December 1995. Its canopy stretches about 1,375 feet over the pedestrian street, and a 2019 upgrade added more than 49 million LEDs. After dark, the canopy comes alive with shows, and the street below fills with visitors, music and performers. It is free to walk through, which makes it a good addition to any evening downtown.
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
A short ride away in Symphony Park, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts opened on March 10, 2012. Its 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall has a Neo Art Deco design inspired by Hoover Dam. It is home to the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada Ballet Theatre, and hosts touring Broadway productions, jazz and more. For many visitors it offers a more traditional theater night than the resort showrooms.
Making a night of it
- Combine an early show at The Smith Center with a later walk under the Fremont Street canopy.
- Downtown can be busy and loud on weekend nights; keep valuables secure, as you would in any crowded area.
- Some street performers expect a tip if you take a photo with them; agree before you pose.
Getting there
Downtown sits north of the Strip, beyond the Monorail's northern end at the Sahara, so most visitors use a rideshare, taxi or car. Our guide to getting around the Strip covers the options, and Harry Reid International Airport is about five miles south of downtown.
Heat and timing
Like the rest of the city, downtown is very hot on summer afternoons. Evening is the best time to visit, both for the light show and for comfort. See Beating the Desert Heat.
Tickets
Helios Club does not sell tickets. For performances at The Smith Center, use its own box office or official website, and read Buying Show Tickets Safely before you pay. For more ideas beyond the Strip, see Days Out Off the Strip and our Guides hub.