Lonely Planet Experiences – Vintage Las Vegas Arts Tour
Looking to experience a little culture in Las Vegas? Get off the Strip for the afternoon and tap into the artistic and home-grown side of the city with a local guide by your side. We’ll show you the original (and now vintage) elements of Las Vegas and we’ll uncover the incredible arts district that’s often totally overlooked by travelers. Here you’ll see beautiful public murals and graffiti and discover some of the best vintage shopping in the state. Alongside your guide, you’ll meet and make real connections with local artists and discover a hidden side to Las Vegas that’s often overshadowed by its more famous neon-lit casinos.
Art & Food Tour of Vegas Highlights
- Explore the heart of the Las Vegas arts scene
- Meet and engage with local artists in their studios and local shopkeepers in their stores
- Enjoy a snack at one of the many delicious restaurants in the neighborhood
- Hear the history of the Nevada art scene and discover the heart of vintage Vegas with the help of your local guide
- Discover some of the coolest vintage pop culture shops, furniture stores, antiques and clothing in this hidden, yet dynamic pocket of Las Vegas
- Each Lonely Planet Experience comes with six-months free access to Lonely Planet’s Guides App which includes over 8,000 destinations guides and unbeatable discounts to Lonely Planet Guidebooks
Experience the best travel stories for yourself! Join a local expert and uncover hidden gems on this city adventure hand-picked by the world’s leading travel publisher. Lonely Planet Experiences powered by Urban Adventures bring stories to life in the best-loved cities around the globe.
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, a small snack.
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- The Vintage Vegas Arts Tour focuses heavily on repurposed spaces. Your guide will discuss the development of Las Vegas, in particular “First Fridays,” an art festival held monthly with tons of local artists selling homemade crafts.
- The Arts Factory is another stop that gives you the chance to connect with local artists, as well as a chance to either purchase their art or donate to support them.
- Perhaps most touchingly, you visit the Oct 1 Healing Garden, created in the wake of the Mandalay Bay shootings. This previously empty lot has become a community hub and safe space in which both locals and tourists can gather to recall the memories and stories of those lost in the shooting.
Schedule details
- Duration: 2 hours
- Meeting point: Arts District Sign in Boulder Plaza, Next to 1029 South Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89101
- Starting time: 3.00 PM
- Ending point: A location of your guide’s choice on Main Street.
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It’s time to experience the truly local side of Vegas. Nearby the mega-hotels, packed casinos, and world-class shows, there’s a pocket of Las Vegas that taps into the artistic and home-grown side of the city. On this tour, we’ll show you the original (and now vintage) elements of Las Vegas along with the incredible arts district, completely overlooked by most tourists visiting the city. Here you’ll find beautiful public murals and graffiti, some of the best vintage and consignment shopping around, and an opportunity to make real connections with local artists at a fabulous artist collective. On this tour, you’ll get your vintage Vegas fix along with discovering a local art scene.
Your tour starts in the heart of The 18b, also known as the Las Vegas Arts District, at Boulder Plaza. Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, 18b (named after the 18 blocks it occupies) is the go-to area of town for all things vintage, creative, kitschy, artistic and downright odd. Most visitors don’t often get to explore the local art around downtown Las Vegas, but trust us, it’s just as vibrant and exciting as anything you’ll find on The Strip. Vegas boasts some truly unique public art, from a gigantic sculpture of a paintbrush to the dynamic color blasts of graffitied walls to a huge bust of a very cheeky cat. We’re betting you’ve never seen anything like 18b’s public art. Enjoy the introduction into Vegas’ incredible local art scene and take advantage of the photo ops as you explore this dynamic corner of Vegas with your guide.
You’ll also get a chance to go behind-the-scenes of some more conventional art spaces, like the Arts Factory. This converted warehouse is now home to numerous artists and galleries, both contemporary and modern, who work in a variety of media, from jewelry to photography to fine art and more. Your guide will not only take you through the space, but give you the opportunity to meet some of the local artists or shopkeepers – a real treat!
From the Vegas art scene, your tour shifts gears and puts a spotlight on vintage Vegas – with some only-in-Vegas shopping! First, you’ll head to the growing antique row along Main Street. If you’re in love with retro style, you’re going to be in heaven! Maybe you’ll find the perfect Vegas souvenir from the 1950s, or your dream pair of kooky sunglasses, or a velvet housecoat, or that look-a-like couch from the Brady Bunch. Look around and you’ll see more cozy bars and shops — everything from a retro beauty parlour to a yoga studio to an oddities shop that has some real off-the-wall finds. Absorb the significance of the roots of Las Vegas from your expert guide, and we’ll connect you with old-school Vegas as we bounce from shop to shop. Your guide will also find the perfect place to stop and grab a snack, before you’re back at it, hunting for more incredible finds!
Throughout your tour, you’ll realize that you’re probably the only visitors around, as this area is usually frequented by locals only. That’s why we love it so much. Your tour will end on Main Street, where you can easily find a spot to grab dinner, a happy hour drink, or head back to your favorite shop to purchase that purple bowler hat you had your eye on. Your guide will be more than happy to give you recommendations for the rest of your evening or the rest of your visit to Las Vegas. Whatever you do after your tour with us, you’ll definitely feel like a Las Vegas local!
