Old West–Inspired Hotel and Expansive Casino Seven Miles from The Strip

The railroad put Las Vegas on the map in the late 19th century, eventually leading to the city's official founding in 1905 and an influx of saloons, shops, and boarding houses. Boulder Station Hotel & Casino pays homage to this Vegas of old with hardwood walkways and stained-glass decorations, recalling a traditional Western train station. But Boulder Station also channels the more modern aesthetic of the Strip—located about 7 miles to the west—with an onsite concert hall, movie theater, and casino. Close-by are Boyd Stadium, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Neon Museum, and Freemont Experience .

The casino has more than 2,600 slot machines, half of which are penny slots, as well as table games such as blackjack and roulette. There’s a separate 24-hour poker room that hosts both texas hold'em and omaha high play. For a little entertainment, check out the hotel’s Railhead music venue, which hosts prominent musicians playing blues, jazz, country, and rock. At night, guests retire to the hotel’s deluxe guest rooms, which feature boutique furniture and 40-inch plasma TVs.

Boulder Station has five onsite restaurants, ranging from The Broiler steak house, where you can enjoy aged beef grilled over mesquite charcoal, to the more casual Cabo Mexican restaurant, home to 40 different kinds of margarita. Viva Salsa caters to the late-night crowd, who can enjoy tacos and burritos topped with ingredients from the salsa bar.

Las Vegas: The Strip Past and Present

Mentioning Las Vegas usually conjures up images of spinning roulette wheels and stone-faced poker players. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll want to make a beeline for the casinos lining the neon-lit Strip. But for lower-stakes gambling in a throwback Vegas atmosphere, head downtown to Fremont Street. Vintage signs and showgirls crowned with headdresses recall the days of Sinatra and Martin, but this Glitter Gulch burns much brighter today than it did in the Rat Pack era: beginning at dusk, a canopy of more than 12 million LED lights erupts in a psychedelic light and music show every hour.

Educational attractions have never been Sin City's strong suit, but the Mob Museum boasts a winning formula: bank robberies, prostitution, and money laundering. Exhibits profile legendary Mafiosi from Capone to Gotti, and mob artifacts include the bloodstained, bullet-pocked brick wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Within the former federal courthouse, you can fire a Tommy gun simulator, participate in a police lineup, or enter witness protection for the rest of your life.

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