The Tallest Building in Nevada
When the Fremont Hotel & Casino opened on May 18, 1956, it towered over everything in the state. At 15 stories, it was the tallest building in all of Nevada — a record it held for years — and the first high-rise hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Developer Ed Levinson built the Fremont at 200 Fremont Street, right in the pulsing heart of Glitter Gulch, where neon signs blazed so bright you could read a newspaper at midnight.
The Fremont was a different kind of Las Vegas experience. While the Strip catered to Hollywood glamour and Rat Pack swagger, downtown was the domain of serious gamblers, traveling salesmen, and locals who preferred honest odds and cheap steaks to choreographed spectacle. The Fremont's casino floor was legendary — packed shoulder to shoulder with craps players, blackjack dealers, and slot machines that actually paid out. It was here that Las Vegas earned its reputation as the gambling capital of the world.
Wayne Newton & the Downtown Revival
In the early 1960s, a teenage Wayne Newton and his brother Jerry began performing at the Fremont Hotel lounge. Newton was barely old enough to be in the casino, but his talent was undeniable — a powerful voice, natural charisma, and a work ethic that would eventually carry him through more than 30,000 Las Vegas performances. The Fremont gave Newton his first real Vegas platform, and he never forgot it. He went on to become "Mr. Las Vegas," the most enduring performer in the city's history.
The Fremont weathered every era of Las Vegas reinvention. It survived the mob years, the corporate takeover, and the Strip's megaresort boom that threatened to make downtown irrelevant. In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience — a massive canopy of LED lights stretching five blocks — transformed the area around the hotel into a pedestrian mall and nightly light show. The Fremont Hotel sits at the center of it all, an anchor of continuity in a city that tears down its past faster than any place on Earth. Now part of the Boyd Gaming family, the Fremont has been open for nearly 70 years and counting.
Key Facts
Nevada's First Skyscraper
At 15 stories, the Fremont was the tallest building in Nevada when it opened in 1956. It brought a new sense of scale to downtown Las Vegas and proved the city was ready for vertical growth.
Wayne Newton's Launch Pad
A teenage Wayne Newton began performing at the Fremont in the early 1960s. He would go on to perform over 30,000 shows in Las Vegas, earning the title "Mr. Las Vegas."
Fremont Street Experience
In 1995, a $70 million LED canopy was built over Fremont Street, transforming the area into a pedestrian promenade. The Fremont Hotel sits at the center of this five-block spectacle.
Nearly 70 Years Running
The Fremont has been in continuous operation since 1956, now owned by Boyd Gaming. It remains one of the longest-operating hotels in Las Vegas and a cornerstone of the downtown scene.
Visit the Fremont Hotel
Still Open on Fremont Street
Address: 200 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Status: Still open and operating as a hotel and casino under Boyd Gaming. The Fremont offers affordable rooms, a full casino floor, and multiple restaurants in the heart of downtown.
What to See: The Fremont sits under the Fremont Street Experience canopy, which hosts free nightly light-and-sound shows. The surrounding blocks are packed with classic casinos, vintage neon, and some of the best people-watching in America.
Nearby: The Golden Nugget, Binion's, the Golden Gate Hotel, and Four Queens are all within a short walk along Fremont Street.
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