When the Las Vegas Strip was still a gleam in Bugsy Segal's eye, Fremont Street was alive and thriving in downtown Las Vegas. In fact, Fremont was the first street paved in Las Vegas, and the Northern Club on Fremont was the first legal gambling parlor in the city in 1931. When neon signs became de rigor in the 1940s, all the gambling places on Fremont installed them, leading to the long time Vegas nickname "Glitter Gulch." In the early years of Vegas gambling, the best, in fact the only, casinos were downtown on Fremont Street. Names like the Golden Nugget and the Fremont Hotel/Casino were synonymous with Vegas, gambling, and entertainment. Legendary Las Vegas resident and entertainer Wayne Newton opened at the Fremont in 1956, and he's been playing Vegas ever since. Many tourists only see the Strip during their visit, but a visit downtown is a step back in time, with some futuristic entertainment thrown in!
