8½ Historical Things to Do in Las Vegas (Besides Gamble)
As a creative nonfiction author, I’ve obviously read Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream at least five times. Between my husband and me, we’ve been to Las Vegas eight times hunting what HST calls “the main nerve,” in his 1971 classic. I’ve hunted down some great, historical things to do in Las Vegas (besides gamble) in the quest.
These are our top 8 1/2 recommendations—and, tragically, the rotating merry-go-round bar HST paints so vividly at Circus Circus is no longer extant.
Dita Von Teese’s Belle de Nuit at the Venetian’s Voltaire
I adore historical fashion, so when I heard in an interview that Dita Von Teese had a residency for her burlesque show Belle de Nuit at the Voltaire inside the Venetian… and that she was resurrecting vintage costumes from the Jubilee! show by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee, I rearranged our whole trip so that we could attend. And the theater itself was one of the coolest I’ve ever been inside.
There’s a thrust stage, so even though we booked a tiny, Copa-Cabana style table at the very front of the stage, I think it’s safe to say that theater has no bad seats. It’s like the whole thing is encased in blue crystals with bubbles hanging from the ceiling and multiples levels. I’m telling you: get there early just to enjoy that interior design!
Belle de Nuit the show did not disappoint—Dita Von Teese always delivers. It’s a perfect blend of traditional, funny burlesque acts, stagecraft striptease, and incredible performance (an all-men tango? YES. A man en pointe dressed as a circus cat? ALSO YES. A plus size tassel-twirler who can do one at a time? THE BEST IN THE GAME. Lingerie made of lights? WHAT). And, of course, I had to wear Fragonard’s 1930s Belle de Nuit perfume!
Absinthe
Among the raunchiest and most ingenious sideshow acts I’ve ever loved… which is saying a lot since I’m kind of a circus connoisseur. One acrobat (Destiny) smoked a cigarette on the trapeze and then stunned us all with her stage presence on the pole. And then this performer whose name I couldn’t get came onstage to Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination” remix and then had a whole routine climbing through the pipe to the chocolate river. Incredible. And the whole Absinthe show has a loosely Belle Epoque aesthetic, complete with Green Fairy—definitely a must-see.
The Neon Museum
In the Neon Boneyard lie all the signs from old Las Vegas hotels and restaurants. It’s a little out of the way, off the strip, but the tour is a short, fun, and informative way to learn about historical sites in Vegas that are no longer standing. And if you’ve ever been curious about the element neon itself, this is the place to learn.
Mystere
Okay, so Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere is more of a Las Vegas tradition (because it’s the first Cirque du Soleil show there) than a historical place to visit in Las Vegas. I am—as aforementioned—a self-proclaimed circus connoisseur, so when I tell you that this show is the most unhinged production I think I’ve ever witnessed… well, imagine Hieronymus Bosch took his Garden of Earthly Delights to a Carnival Parade in one of your weirdest nightmares.
Bonus, it’s one of the only shows (that I found, that I wanted to see) playing on Monday nights in Las Vegas.
Get Married—or Witness a Wedding
Okay, maybe you don’t want to get married in Vegas, or maybe you are already are married, but if you love love, you can still tour the chapels and grounds a lot of the time! The Little White Wedding Chapel is also a historical attraction in Las Vegas Nevada because of the famous marriages that have taken place there, like Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Mia Farrow. Plus, there’s an Elvis impersonator, and that’s always interesting.
Eat at a Diner
Vegas offers many diners, especially off the Strip. The one I visited was [Winnie & Ethel’s Diner], and not only was it delicious, but the décor was so vintage and cozy that I would go back there again in a heartbeat. Plus: I found almost all the food in Las Vegas to be wildly overpriced (I mean, it is Vegas), but not the diner food. Or at least, I was getting the quantity and quality and vibe that I wanted to pay for.
Vintage Shop
This seems like a given in any city, but Las Vegas’ Arts District (north of the strip) has so many great vintage stores! I only got to shop in about three of them, because I didn’t realize so many things are closed on Mondays, but I found this dope souvenir at Republic Goods. (Can you see the detail in the texture of the fabric? Drool.)
Mob Museum
The first time I went to Las Vegas, this is the museum I wanted to visit the most—well, I and apparently everyone else, since it is the most visited museum in Nevada. We spent hours poring learning about the mafia history of Las Vegas, but they have artifacts from all over the U.S., including part of the wall shot into during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
They also have a super fascinating crime lab where you can see autopsy results of actual criminals and learn about ballistics forensics. My favorite part was investigating my own fingerprint, and while I don’t want to give away too much of my identity, I have “tented arches,” which apparently less than 5% of the population have… so if I left a print at a crime scene, I would be completely screwed.
No one is paying me to endorse the Mob Museum this hard, but I should disclose here that they have hired me to speak at one of their author events that they hold in the Historic Courtroom. I spoke about Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair], but they have guest speakers pretty frequently. If you can catch one of those talks, definitely do it! The Mob Museum is located in the old Avenue, right by Fremont and the old Las Vegas strip.
Mob Museum Underground
It’s technically it’s own business, which is why it’s a “half,” but the speakeasy below the Mob Museum is the absolute best. They distill moonshine there, because of course they do, and their drinks are not only delicious, but they have a full historical presentation.
Look, here I am drinking a gin cocktail out of miniature bathtub:
The staff is also really personable, and it is exactly the kind of bar experience I always want: it’s laid back, but in a roaring-twenties way and full of interesting patrons if you want to strike up a conversation. I mean, they probably just went through the Mob Museum, too!
By the way, if you’re hunting down a vibey historical hotel, I have yet to find one whose décor extends into the actual guest rooms. (We’ve stayed at Caesar’s Palace, Bellagio, Circus Circus, and the Golden Nugget.) My guess would be to try the Venetian—based on its impeccable lobby—or the Virgin Hotel, because those are always posh.
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