Arts District Walking Tour (Self Guided), Las Vegas

Las Vegas is so much more than The Strip with its glaring neon lights, and the city planning council decided to develop the already existing Arts District so that visitors would be able to browse through galleries, museums and antique stores without having to scoot all over the city. Don’t miss a visit to Cowtown Guitars, the superb vintage guitar store that has an impressive list of famous clients.

Another fascinating aspect of this district is the extensive graffiti that is not only legal but encouraged, giving budding artists free rein to expose their talents. Most of the walls and not a few shop fronts are covered in eye-catching and sometimes astonishing street art. For some visitors it has become almost a game trying to spot works by the same artists along the 18 blocks that make up this district.

To see more conventional arts, tour the Arts Factory housed in an ancient warehouse where you will find excellent galleries, along with various artists’ studios. Tour the newly developed Art Square which has a lot of grassy areas surrounded by very good galleries and retail shops. No visit to the Arts District is complete without stopping by Dino’s Lounge, a dive bar and a real throw-back to the seedy 60’s where you can play pool and listen to great live music.