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The

Las Vegas Pop Culture
Downtown Walking Tours

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12 Blocks in 2 Hours

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Downtown’s
Most Original
Walking Tour

Explore the pop culture of Las Vegas on a two-hour walking tour that begins on the steps of the famed Mob Museum and ends with a complimentary drink at the historic El Cortez Hotel once owned by mobster Bugsy Siegel. The premium small group, maximum of six, will tour Fremont as America’s greatest performance street hosting the world’s biggest video screen, the largest collection of neon signs, two zip lines, feathered showgirls, flare bartenders, and an Elvis on every block. Well, sort of. Stand on the spot where Las Vegas began; hear how the Mob shaped the city’s history; see where the World Series of Poker started; check out the hotel from Back to the Future; and see the legendary dive bar that inspired the movie Coyote Ugly. We’ll check out an emerging arts district of cool cafes, bars, world-class murals and a pop-up arts complex called Container Park, famous for its fire sculpture from the Burning Man Festival. We end the tour with a complimentary cocktail/beverage at the legendary El Cortez Hotel with a toast to Las Vegas and a salute to the adventure of travel.
Discover more Las Vegas TOurs

Led by a Vegas-savvy guide, the Downtown walking tour tells an improbable tale of a desert oasis becoming a spectacular one-of-a-kind gambling entertainment mecca – all told in an original narrative of Vegas-centric themes filled with lots of local lore.

Why Walk With Us

Celebrating Las Vegas as an outdoor museum of American popular culture.

You’re sure to get some up-close insights into the City’s unique history, quirky personality and its “whatever happens here” bravado.

Check the calendar for the next available tour.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Very Small Groups

Our tour is a premium small-group experience, no more than six people, accommodating a personal, format with conversation and dialogue.

Eat Here. Drink There.

You’ll get some in-the-know recommendations for food and drink Downtown. How about that $2 margarita?

Professional Local Expert

Your local tour guide, once the Urban Arts Coordinator for the City, is a Vegas-savvy storyteller....he know's where the bodies are buried.

This Tour is Fun!

You’re bound to get some new insights into this quirky enigmatic city, and above all, this Vegas tour is designed to be fun.

Best Value

A great value for the dollar, and the tour includes a complimentary cocktail/beverage to boot, with a toast, of course, to Las Vegas.

DOWNTOWN'S BEST PHOTO OPS

Capture your Las Vegas trip with some unique and original photo ops - pose with the famed neon cowgirl, Vegas Vickie, holding court in the rotunda of Circa Resort;stand in front of a big section of the Berlin Wall in an obscure spot in an off-Fremont Street hotel.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT - see our social media!
We started the daily Pop Culture Walking Tour of Downtown almost 10 years ago with an original narrative that looks at Las Vegas through a cultural lens. Our clients come from all over and a majority are international - most recently from places including Cyprus, The Netherlands, Germany, The UK, Is…
We started the daily Pop Culture Walking Tour of Downtown almost 10 years ago with an original narrative that looks at Las Vegas through a cultural lens. Our clients come from all over and a majority are international - most recently from places including Cyprus, The Netherlands, Germany, The UK, Is…
Over the past 25 years, four distinct and lively arts districts have emerged in the core of Downtown. The oldest, the Cultural Corridor, is home to the Neon Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Old Mormon Fort. The 18b Arts District of First Friday fame, hosts galleries, bars, restaurants, and br…
Over the past 25 years, four distinct and lively arts districts have emerged in the core of Downtown. The oldest, the Cultural Corridor, is home to the Neon Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Old Mormon Fort. The 18b Arts District of First Friday fame, hosts galleries, bars, restaurants, and br…
Betty White and Marilyn Monroe were hanging together a while back in the dazzling 1970s-era slot room of the Four Queens. Recently a group of younger visitors were looking for a Britney machine which they apparently found at the Cosmopolitan. It's said that Elvis was one of the first Vegas celebriti…
Betty White and Marilyn Monroe were hanging together a while back in the dazzling 1970s-era slot room of the Four Queens. Recently a group of younger visitors were looking for a Britney machine which they apparently found at the Cosmopolitan. It's said that Elvis was one of the first Vegas celebriti…
The classic Martini glass has been an enduring icon in Las Vegas neon signs. They come in all sizes and we especially like the tiny discreetly placed Martini glass with its musical-note olive featured on the Backstage Bar & Billiards marquee Downtown. #DTLV #MartiniGlass #VegasTour #WalkingTour #Neo…
The classic Martini glass has been an enduring icon in Las Vegas neon signs. They come in all sizes and we especially like the tiny discreetly placed Martini glass with its musical-note olive featured on the Backstage Bar & Billiards marquee Downtown. #DTLV #MartiniGlass #VegasTour #WalkingTour #Neo…
An evening trek with a group of young IT conferees, pausing to witness the Praying Mantis coming to life - a moment of the mechanical, the digital, and the ethereal. #WalkingTour #DTLV #VegasTour #ThingsToDoInVegas #PrayingMantis #VegasStory #VegasInsider #ArtTour #ThisIsOurLasVegas #MyDTLV #VegasNi…
An evening trek with a group of young IT conferees, pausing to witness the Praying Mantis coming to life - a moment of the mechanical, the digital, and the ethereal. #WalkingTour #DTLV #VegasTour #ThingsToDoInVegas #PrayingMantis #VegasStory #VegasInsider #ArtTour #ThisIsOurLasVegas #MyDTLV #VegasNi…
Our friend the Culture Shark observed that The Chandelier Bar in The Cosmopolitan is what Vegas Vickie's Cocktail Lounge is to Circa; electro-swanky with alluring design narratives - new and old. #VegasTour #LasVegas #DTLV #WalkingTour #VegasViews #Chandeliers #VegasVickie #VegasBars #LightingDesign…
Our friend the Culture Shark observed that The Chandelier Bar in The Cosmopolitan is what Vegas Vickie's Cocktail Lounge is to Circa; electro-swanky with alluring design narratives - new and old. #VegasTour #LasVegas #DTLV #WalkingTour #VegasViews #Chandeliers #VegasVickie #VegasBars #LightingDesign…
We stopped by the Underground Speakeasy in the basement of the Mob Museum, a classy prohibition-era bar with authentic cocktail concoctions from the Roaring Twenties. With a "Bee's Knees" in hand, we found a cozy concealed room with a collection of digital WPA paintings including a bucolic urban por…
We stopped by the Underground Speakeasy in the basement of the Mob Museum, a classy prohibition-era bar with authentic cocktail concoctions from the Roaring Twenties. With a "Bee's Knees" in hand, we found a cozy concealed room with a collection of digital WPA paintings including a bucolic urban por…
It's been said that Las Vegas was constructed as much by words and typography as by buildings and structures. The new Downtown welcome sign with its electric arches and dazzling City signature - aligned with the soaring STRAT tower - all together, they've produced a new and rarefied moment on Las Ve…
It's been said that Las Vegas was constructed as much by words and typography as by buildings and structures. The new Downtown welcome sign with its electric arches and dazzling City signature - aligned with the soaring STRAT tower - all together, they've produced a new and rarefied moment on Las Ve…
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Rick is amazing!!!! Don’t think this is a targeted tour toward Pop. It is an all-around fabulous cultural experience. Rick has so much personal experience and knowledge about downtown and Las Vegas as a whole. He has worked closely with the mayor in preserving downtown and it’s culture so he has insights you won’t learn anywhere else.
TennesseeAMAZING TOUR!!!
Rick, our tour guide, was excellent! Very knowledgeable about the unique history of Fremont Street, the art, the buildings, and the surrounding communities. We totally enjoyed our time with him and his stories. We love visiting Fremont Street and feel much better informed about what is going on - which is a lot! Thank you to Rick for adding to our enjoyment of this area!
Redding, CalifFun and interesting tour!
Rick, our guide, was fabulous! He was so knowledgeable and shared the wonderful history of Vegas. He has real insider city knowledge, so we came away with a new appreciation for this place. He showed us great examples of the past and took us to a brilliant new area showcasing the direction Vegas is going. He is a Las Vegas gem!
London, UK Fantastic Vegas Experience!
Rick was amazing!! He was so knowledgeable of the downtown Hotels and casinos and all of their history with the mobs. We learned about the owners of these properties and what make them so unique. Many people that visit Las Vegas do not realize the entertaining history of this downtown area. Rick shared so many facts and stories that it gave us a whole new perspective of the downtown district. Rick, thanks for time well spent, the recommendations for dinner, and the drink we shared at the end at El Cortez. Highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about Las Vegas.
Cleveland, OHMust do to really appreciate the history of Las Vegas.
Excellent walk around the most iconic casinos and spots in Old Las Vegas made by a local who’s really passionated about his city. Mr. Hooker is a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. This was one of my solo trip highlight just because this tour helped me feel, understand and appreciate better the soul of Las Vegas. It was fun and interesting, highly recommended.
Montreal, CanadaFantastic tour!
Rick was an enthusiastic and engaging guide. A local who has been involved in the regeneration of the area around Fremont Street and is rightfully very proud. Rick took us to the old casinos and told us about the owners, the Mob and the people who visit. He managed to get us into the Pullman lounge- where there is a real train indoors! We walked to the container park with its quirky shops and saw ongoing street works and the planting of oak trees. We finished up with a drink in a lovely old-fashioned lounge. Rick gave us great recommendations for dinner - we even won a few $$$. Thanks, Rick well worth the visit.
Inverness, UKOld Las Vegas meets the new.
Rick is so invested in the locality, economy and history of the Fremont Street area and it shows! He knew all kinds of fun things about the architecture, design, special locations for things and incredible history of the area - it was wonderful! HIGHLY recommend this walking experience.
Fairfax, VirginiaRick is amazing!
My husband and I did this tour yesterday and we loved it. Rick was very knowledgeable about Las Vegas and its history. I learned so much and it was very interesting. Ended the tour with a refreshing drink at El Cortez. Highly recommend.
Wichita, Kansas Wonderful Tour
Do not miss this tour. We saw and learned so much, and Richard, our savvy tour guide indulged all our questions. Richard is a retired Cultural Urbanist for the city of LV as well as was the first person to run the neon museum — in other words, a brilliant resource! I plan to do more tours with him the next time I'm in the city.
Capetown, South AfricaThe highlight of my visit!
This is a great tour. Rick is a charming host with a wealth of information about the Fremont Street area. We saw some of the historic casinos - the Main Street Casino is a real treasure and worth the trip alone. It was good to see some of the art & murals in the area too. And there were drinks to start and end the tour, courtesy of Rick. A great evening, highly recommended if you want to now more about Las Vegas beyond the Strip.
London, UK A brilliant evening away from the Strip!
On a recent trip to Las Vegas, we wanted to find something unique and interesting to do besides the typical LV activities and we lucked into finding the Las Vegas Pop Culture Tours. I coordinated the trip with an amazing, energetic and engaging woman, Babs Daitch, who organized a private 4-hour tour for us that was as good as any tour we've ever experienced. It was certainly a surprise to discover so much about LV that I never had imagined. Babs was once the social secretary for Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, so her insightful stories were told from her own experience, not from some book she had read. She's a natural born entertainer and has the energy and enthusiasm of a kid. It was contagious and we felt energized and excited throughout the tour.
San Antonio, TxBabs is a Treasure!
Loved this tour of old Las Vegas with the wonderful Rick. Really interesting to hear the history of the city and some of the old casinos and to wander around the area and into the casinos and the Fremont Experience. And we got a free drink at the end in the beautiful El Cortez. Downtown is great! Rick is really nice and extremely knowledgeable about the area.
Hamilton, New ZealandFantastic tour of downtown Las Vegas
Love, love, loved getting to tour with Rick! He knows the history, culture, and art of Las Vegas inside and out. He made us feel so welcome and brought a whole new sense of the city. My husband and I are professionals in commercial real estate and the arts, respectively, so we really appreciated the time he took to give us the behind-the-scenes stories. And we can verify that he knows his stuff and could tell that he is very passionate about it.
Napa, CalifA Real Insiders view of Last Vegas - Fun and Fascinating!
We always enjoy Fremont Street when we go to Vegas, but generally don't stray from the light canopy. This tour was excellent - Rick was personable and knowledgeable about the various casinos' histories, as well as the current and future state of the area. What made it more enjoyable was that it was just my husband and me on the tour...we got the personalized version and were able to linger at specific places we found interesting. We especially loved seeing the old historic hotels...Main Street Station is something we'd never been to, but it was so beautiful, we will definitely go back and show to our friends! Capping the tour off with the new, revitalized area plus a drink with our tour guide made it so fun. Definitely recommend this tour!
Dallas, TexasDiscover Hidden Gems with an Awesome Tour Guide!
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MEET YOUR GUIDE.

RICHARD IS A LAS VEGAS CULTURAL URBANIST
Local, informed and passionate about Las Vegas!

Richard Hooker is a Cultural Urbanist. He was formerly the Urban Arts Coordinator for the City of Las Vegas and worked directly on landmark projects including the Neon Museum, the 18b Arts District, the Cultural Corridor, the Las Vegas Scenic Byway, and the Las Vegas Book Festival.

Meet Richard

Meet Babs.

ORIGINAL CO-FOUNDER OF LAS VEGAS POP CULTURE TOURS, NOW LEADING SPECIALIZED CUSTOM TOURS
ROMANCING THE TOURISM COMMUNITY FOR THREE DECADES

Babs Daitch, co-founder of Las Vegas Pop Culture Tours, has been romancing the tourism community for twenty years – as a global travel advisor, tour guide, and travel event planner — playing an active role in the global tourism community, while maintaining her love and lifestyle centered on the travel experience. Babs is a veritable walking encyclopedia of local information with a wealth of Las Vegas insights in her back pocket.

She specializes in private custom Vegas tours designed around the varied interests of clients and visitors. To contact Babs, call (702) 370-6961. Email thanksbabs@gmail.com

Meet Babs

capturing The tour experience