Las Vegas’ first hotel celebrates 117 years of city’s history

Las Vegas’ first hotel celebrates 117 years of city’s history

Article brief provided by Las Vegas Review-Journal
  • McKenna Ross , Las Vegas Review-Journal
January 13, 2023 4:02 PM
  • McKenna Ross , Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas may have a reputation for tearing down its vintage buildings, but there’s one piece of history still standing: Golden Gate.

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The historic property at the corner of Fremont and Main streets is celebrating its 117th anniversary Friday, and as the city’s first hotel it boasts a front row seat to some of the area’s most identifiable memories.

Operating as the two-story Hotel Nevada, it was there when the railroad opened. It pushed through the 21 years when gambling was outlawed, from 1910 to 1931, and the Prohibition era between 1920 and 1933. Its ownership group in the 1950s is credited with bringing the shrimp cocktail to the city. And it was the first gaming property purchased by Derek Stevens and his brother, Greg, in 2008.