Mob Walking Tour: Exploring Downtown Las Vegas History
4.9
19 Ratings
Las Vegas
Uncover the hidden history of Downtown Las Vegas on a thrilling Mob Walking Tour. Explore gangster-tied casinos and delve into the stories of notorious mobsters. Don't miss the chance to visit the Mob Museum!
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Downtown Container Park - We will meet and discuss the first entry of mobsters and gangsters into the Las Vegas scene.
  • Casino at the El Cortez Hotel - Old Time Casino once owned by mobster Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegal. Stories of Mobbed-up Sin City.
  • Fremont East District - Historical neon signs and a trendy mix of clubs, brew pubs and restaurants.
  • Fremont Street Experience - Enjoy the exciting Fremont Street Experience - with its pulsing music, tourist shopping and iconic street entertainers.
  • Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel - See a casino still with much of the same design as a 1930s Las vegas Casino -
  • Golden Nugget Casino - Built by “The Captain” Guy McPhee, The Golden Nugget went from the biggest gambling house in Las Vegas to a five-star resort and was the shining star of the “connected” Downtown Vegas gambling scene.
  • Casino at the Golden Gate Hotel - Still looking like a 1950’s casino - we explore where Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe gamed and played.
  • The Mob Museum - Explore the remarkable stories of how organized crime developed in the USA and in Las Vegas. Hear the stories of how a railroad stop in the desert embraced bootlegging and gambling. How prohibition made gangsters famous, and infamous. See the bullet riddled brick wall from the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Explore how Las Vegas casinos became a gangster money making machine. Experience the bloody wars between gangsters and G-Men. See how Hollywood embraced the mob, and how law enforcement, organized crime, and Las Vegas have changed over the past decades.

What's Included
  • All applicable fees and taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
  • Tips and gratuities.
Additional Information

Las Vegas was transformed into a glamorous city of lights due to the influence of Mobsters. Figures like Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, Meyer Lansky, ‘Irish’ Kelly Green, Tony ‘The Hat’ Cornero, Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal, Lester ‘Benny’ Binion, and more. Casino gambling evolved into an established institution in the Mojave Desert, driven by these men.

DISCOVER TALES NEVER TOLD BEFORE
Las Vegas wasn’t built by casinos alone, but by an array of individuals - men and women, farmers and gangsters, stars and lounge performers, smart and ordinary folks. Their stories are sure to impress you.

Join your guide, a retired history educator, travel journalist, and proficient tour guide who deeply admires Las Vegas and its adjacent marvels - voted the Best Local Tour Guide in the Las Vegas Guide 2023!

The tour kickstarts with a guided trip around casinos in Downtown Las Vegas with links to gangsters, such as the El Cortez, Binion’s, and Golden Nugget. It concludes with a visit to the Mob Museum.

Location
Downtown Container Park
East Fremont Street
We meet by the main entrance of the Container Park, corner of 7th Street and Fremont Street, by the Mantis.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(19 Ratings)
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Vern_s
Apr 4, 2024
Worth leaving the casino for! - Awesome guide and experience! We learned a lot and laughed a lot! Saw things that were tucked away in inconspicuous spots. Well worth your time!!
Review provided by Viator
559markq
Mar 15, 2024
IF YOU HAVE ANY APPRECIATION FOR HISTORY, MAKE THIS TOUR AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP TO VEGAS - This wonderful, intriguing, and captivating tour is somewhat mislabeled. Yes, it is a Mob tour, and our guide, Richard, was a font of information about the Mob’s role in building and running Vegas. I can tell a poseur on such topics from the start of any kind of tour or presentation, and Richard is by no means such a poseur; I learned a great deal from him on a topic with which I have a not inconsiderable degree of familiarity. But the tour transcends Mob history to cover virtually the entire history of Vegas, from its start as a Native American settlement to its current indescribable, for good or for ill, status as the entertainment capital of the world. The Mob, of course, is inextricably woven into that history, but there is, believe it or not, much about Vegas that transcends the enterprising young businessmen from the east who built it, and Richard is intimately, and intriguingly, familiar with it all. We spent three and a half hours with Richard on a somewhat inhospitable day weather-wise, but it seemed like we were with him for only about an hour or so. The man’s knowledge is encyclopedic and is matched by his sense of humor and his abundantly apparent love for the city he calls home. Our tour ended at the Mob Museum, of which Richard is a member, and we enjoyed the Museum and would highly recommend it. However, after sharing all that time with Richard and learning so much from the man, the Museum, as great as it was, paled in comparison. One more note…. Though the tour included plenty of information about the Strip, it was, obviously, heavily tilted toward downtown, which made it, in this history buff’s estimation, especially intriguing. The Strip is largely plastic and sanitized; downtown is the “real” Vegas, and nobody knows downtown like Richard.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robyn_m
Mar 11, 2024
Great tour! - Learned a lot about the history of Las Vegas as well as the mob connections. Very informative. The downtown area/Fremont is such a fun area and it was nice to explore the city outside of the strip. The Mob Museum was a great addition (included with your booking) to end the tour and reinforce many of the things we learned along the tour. Our tour guide, Richard, was knowledgeable and very passionate about sharing his knowledge.
Review provided by Viator
Thomas_v
Mar 5, 2024
Mob tour was a hit! - Richard was a great tour guide that brought a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm and really gave a great "behind the scenes" look at how Vegas started and the mob connections. It was cool to go into some of the original casinos.
Review provided by Viator
Don_h
Feb 25, 2024
Mob walking tour - The weather was perfect for a walking tour of Vegas. Our guide, Richard, was so informative and fun! It was a walk through the past and we learned so much about the history of Vegas besides how the Mob came to run it. We all really enjoyed it. Ending at the Museum was a bonus!
Review provided by Viator
Lorna_j
Feb 21, 2024
I would highly recommend this tour; great value with amazing stories. - Richard was our tour guide; he is amazing. He is very knowledgeable and a fantastic host. I learned so much about the mob. History and Richard’s story telling made this tour very interesting. Brought us to places we otherwise would not have seen.
Review provided by Viator
N8757pffrancescac
Feb 17, 2024
Tour with friends - Great experience with a group of friends. Richard put us at ease and was enthusiastic throughout. Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claudio_v
Feb 10, 2024
A Must tour to really know Las Vegas - What a fantastic way to step back in time and learn the history of Las Vegas and the MOB! If you don’t take this tour, you will miss out on learning a lot of great info about this town. The guide Richard is very knowledgeable, and a fantastic storyteller! You will be surprised at some of those stories! If you really want to know Las Vegas, you MUST take this tour!!
Review provided by Viator
Michael_h
Jan 29, 2024
Excellent tour - Had a great time learning the stories and happenings in "the old days" of downtown Vegas. Excellent job, had a lot of fun.
Review provided by Viator
Debran500
Jan 9, 2024
Very interesting LV Mob history lesson! - Richard was very knowledgeable and gave us a private tour! It was very interesting to to hear how Las Vegas came into existence and to visit the original casinos that started it all. It was well worth the time and effort and a great value.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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1 Adult
May 2024
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