Before the neon, before the Strip, before Elvis ever set foot in Nevada, there was the Golden Gate. This week, Las Vegas’s oldest casino turns 120. If these walls could talk, they’d need their own Netflix series.
Where Las Vegas Actually Began
Let that sink in. When the Golden Gate first opened its doors in 1905, Fremont Street was dirt. Horses clip-clopped past where slot machines now sing. The land beneath this property sold for just $1,750 at the auction that established Las Vegas as a town. A room with board cost you a single dollar per day. Try finding that deal now.
A Timeline of Firsts
The Golden Gate didn’t just show up early to the party. It built the party:
- 1907: First telephone in Las Vegas installed here. The number? Simply “1.”
- 1931: When gambling was re-legalized, the casino operated under the name “Saligv,” which is Las Vegas spelled backwards
- The Rat Pack era: Frank, Dean, and Sammy drank and gambled at this very spot
- The famous Shrimp Cocktail: Born right here, with over 25 million sold and counting
Sleep Where History Happened
Here’s the tip most tourists miss: you can book one of the 10 original rooms from 1906. These spaces have hosted railroad workers building the West, mobsters running their empires, and Hollywood starlets escaping the spotlight. It’s not just a hotel room. It’s a time machine.
Planning Your Visit
The Golden Gate sits at the head of Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. Grab their shrimp cocktail. Try your luck at the tables. Book a night in those original rooms. You’re walking through 120 years of Vegas history, standing exactly where it all started.
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