Prior to the construction of theFremont Street Experience, the western end of Fremont Street was the representative scene for Las Vegas that was included in virtually everytelevision show andmovie that wanted to depict the glittery lights of Las Vegas. The abundance ofneon signs, like cowboyVegas Vic, earned the street the nickname of "Glitter Gulch".
Fremont Street is designated between Main Street and Sahara Avenue in a northwest–southeast direction, although auto traffic actually begins atLas Vegas Boulevard. At Sahara, it leaves Las Vegas proper and continues as Boulder Highway. Fremont Street formerly carried several national highways, includingU.S. Route 93 (US 93),US 95, andUS 466. US 93 and US 95 have been rerouted alongInterstate 515 (now-Interstate 11), while US 466 has been decommissioned. The section of Fremont Street east of the Fremont East District is currently designatedNevada State Route 582.
Althoughprostitution in Nevada is legal in some counties; it has been illegal inClark County since 1971;[2] nonetheless, the street has a reputation for prostitution.[3]
Fremont Street dates back to 1905, whenLas Vegas itself was founded. Fremont Street was the first paved street in Las Vegas in 1925[4] and received the city's first traffic light in 1931.[5] Fremont Street also carried the shields ofU.S. Route 93 (US 93),US 95, andUS 466 before the construction of the interstate freeways, including I-15.
While gambling was established prior to being legalized, theNorthern Club in 1931 received one of the first 6 gambling licenses issued in Nevada, and the first one for Fremont Street.
Glitter Gulch on Fremont Street, was closed to vehicle traffic in September, 1994, to begin construction on theFremont Street Experience.
In the 1987 anthology filmAria, one of the segments involves two young lovers driving down Fremont Street before attempting suicide.
The second season of the NBC showCrime Story (1986–1988) featured Fremont Street in its opening credits, and nearly all the action took place there, as opposed to the Strip.
Ice Cube's music video for "Chrome and Paint" took place on Fremont Street, with Ice Cube in a lowrider.
InTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, Logan Keller, and his teammates Jung, and Michael infiltrate Fremont Street to find a news van, which they find by going through the maintenance tunnels under theSirocco Casino, the game's version of the Binion Hotel and Gambling Hall.
Heavily referenced in theTom Waits song "Mr. Siegal".
A destroyed rendition of Fremont Street appears in the 2010 post-apocalyptic RPG,Fallout: New Vegas. The area in-game is known as 'Freeside' and is a slum.[6]
Fremont East in 2025The Fremont East Entertainment District.
In 2002, the city of Las Vegas created the Fremont East Entertainment District (FEED), anentertainment district in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas.[10] In 2004, the city announced plans to redevelop a three-block section of Fremont Street east of theFremont Street Experience as an arts and entertainment area within FEED. The $5.5 million four-story high "streetscapes" improvement project was a public–private partnership with 50% paid by landlords via new businesses and 50% paid with tax dollars as part of a plans to revitalizeDowntown Las Vegas.[11] The area was redesigned to increase the draw to Downtown, with a compact entertainment area of bars and clubs.[12][13]
The three-block renovation includedpedestrian-friendly street redesign, landscaping, and retro-looking new neon signage. It also included four vintage Vegasneon signs in the street median, built new but reminiscent of classic Las Vegas signs. Fremont East street improvements opened officially in between June and September 2007.[10]
As of September 2025[update], the Fremont East Entertainment District comprises six blocks. The boundaries are (clockwise, beginning at the east)Las Vegas Boulevard, Ogden Avenue, 8th Street, and Carson Avenue.[10] The historicEl Cortez hotel and casino are within the district, as was the staple cocktail barDowntown Cocktail Room (June 2007–November 2024).[14] Beyond this district on Fremont Street lies the bulk ofTony Hsieh's DTP, formerly Downtown Project.[15]
