Mid-Atlantic Regional Group
Blinded Veterans Association
66th BVA National Convention, Las Vegas Nevada
Attention Blinded Veterans Association Members:
Mark your 2011 calendar and Save the dates for the Blinded Veterans Association 66th National Convention
Official Convention Dates are August 16 – 20
Golden Nugget, Las Vegas Nevada
Hotel Cost: $42.00* Per night Sunday – Thursday, $79.00* Friday and Saturday - Upgrades available at this time.
*LODGING TAX NOT INCLUDED
More information about the BVA National Convention will be made available in the BVA Bulletin and on the web page April and May but we wanted to be sure to get some information out before the year.
Visit the Golden Nugget web page to read more about the hotel and room types available. http://www.goldennugget.com/specials/eblasts/bva.html
If you have not been to a BVA convention before and would like an idea of some of what goes on during the week please check out the report provided by an attendee from last years BVA convention. http://www.bva.org/convention/index.html
Please forward this email to all other BVA members you may know. My list of email addresses includes only 2010 Convention attendees and those that responded to the membership survey. If you did not get this email from chitchcock@bva.org and would like to get future email about the 2011 convention please send me an email directly and I will include you in future email.
Las Vegas NV
Below you will find information:
Short History of Las Vegas
Fun Facts
Las Vegas Casinos
Las Vegas Museums & Attractions
Las Vegas Transportation info
Welcome!
We hope this guide will help you learn more about variety of casinos, entertainment venues and establishments available in fabulous downtown Las Vegas!
A Short History of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, which means “the meadows” in Spanish, gained its name in the 1800s when this green valley and its desert spring waters offered respite for weary travelers traversing the Old Spanish Trail on their way to California.
In 1904, a construction camp for workers building a railroad from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City was established in the Las Vegas Valley. The city’s official history began on May 15, 1905 when 110 acres of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become the downtown area. Las Vegas became incorporated as a city in 1911 with a population of 3,000.
A pivotal year for Las Vegas was 1931, when Nevada legalized casino gambling, liberalized the state divorce law by reducing residency requirements to six weeks, and construction started on the Boulder Canyon Project, now known as the Hoover Dam.
Along with bringing construction workers and their families to the area, a growing tourism industry was created as visitors came to witness the building of this engineering marvel. This, in turn, helped the area avoid the economic devastation of the Great Depression.
These changes greatly impacted downtown’s Fremont Street (named after John C. Fremont, who led a westward overland expedition and camped at Las Vegas Springs in 1844). Fremont Street evolved from a dusty whistle stop into a haven for fun-seekers.
Its isolated location and natural assets made Las Vegas attractive to the defense industry during World War II. In 1941, a gunnery school for the Army Air Corps was established. It is now known as Nellis Air Force Base and is the home of the Air Force aerobatic team, the Thunderbirds. In 1951, the Nevada Proving Grounds, located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, began atomic testing in the middle of what was then the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range, an Air Force training and practice site.
It was also during the middle of the 20th century that Las Vegas continued its triumphant march toward becoming the gambling, or “gaming,” capital of the world. During this time the use of neon emerged, transforming Fremont Street into “Glitter Gulch.”
In 1959, the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was created by resident Betty Willis. Gaining fame in Las Vegas during the post-war era were notorious characters such as “Bugsy” Siegel, who, along with others, purchased a downtown Las Vegas hotel called the El Cortez. He later went on to open the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Both hotels are still in existence.
In the 1960s, Las Vegas temporarily became home to eccentric recluse multimillionaire and aircraft mogul, Howard Hughes, who helped introduce the business world to the riches gained from investing in Las Vegas. It was corporate America’s involvement in the gaming industry that eventually muscled out the mobsters.
In the late 1980s, entrepreneur Steve Wynn changed the face of the Las Vegas gambling industry by ushering in the era of the mega casino resort. These immense, one-stop hotel and casino complexes, designed to encourage patrons to stay on-site, changed the dynamics of the valley’s industry and converted dining and retail operations into integral money-makers.
The face of downtown Las Vegas changed forever when the Fremont Street Experience opened in December 1995. More than 12.5 million LEDs and 550,000 watts of sound are part of this entertainment extravaganza situated amid a five-block, pedestrian-friendly mall of casinos, shops and entertainment venues. The Fremont Street Experience attracts millions of visitors each year.
Fun Facts About Las Vegas
The famous Las Vegas Strip is not located in the city limits of Las Vegas. The strip actually comes under the jurisdiction of Clark County.
Las Vegas is the seventh most popular destination in the U.S. for overseas travelers.
Over 37 million people visited Las Vegas in 2008.
Las Vegas offers 15 of the 20 largest hotels in the world and has more hotel rooms than any other place on Earth.
Las Vegas has become a year-round tourist destination with no off season.
With its millions of lights, Las Vegas is literally one of the brightest cities on Earth.
It is mandatory in Nevada that video slot machines must pay back a minimum of 75 percent. This amount is determined over the life of a slot machine.
Annual rainfall in Las Vegas totals slightly over four inches.
The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino opened in 1906, making it the first hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Construction on the nearby Hoover Dam began in 1931, taking 21,000 men to complete it by the opening date in 1936.
The legalization of gambling in 1931 encouraged other parts of the country to request the recall of Nevada’s statehood. Now there are forms of legalized gambling in 48 of the 50 states.
At 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.
Percentage of visitors who say they come to Las Vegas mainly to gamble: 11 percent. Percentage of visitors who end up gambling during their stay: 87 percent.
Vegas Vic, the enormous neon cowboy that towers over Fremont Street, is the world’s largest mechanical neon sign.
Gaming in downtown Las Vegas
Casinos
Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino 129 E. Fremont St. www.goldennugget.com
Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel 128 E. Fremont St. www.binions.com
California Hotel & Casino 12 E. Ogden Ave. www.thecal.com
El Cortez Hotel & Casino 600 E. Fremont St. www.elcortezhotelcasino.com
Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel 301 Fremont St. www.fitzgeraldslasvegas.com
Four Queens Hotel& Casino 202 Fremont St. www.fourqueens.com
Fremont Hotel & Casino 200 E. Fremont St. www.fremontcasino.com
Gold Spike Hotel & Casino 400 E. Ogden Ave. www.goldspike.com
Golden Gate Hotel & Casino One Fremont St. www.goldengatecasino.com
La Bayou Casino 15 E. Fremont St.
Vegas Club Hotel & Casino. Fremont St. www.vegasclubcasino.net
Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel 200 N. Main St.www.mainstreetcasino.com
Mermaid’s Casino 32 Fremont St.
Plaza Hotel & Casino One Main St. www.plazahotelcasino.com
Western Casino 899 Fremont St.
Museums & Attractions
Fremont Street Experience
425 Fremont St.
702.678.5600
Witness the $87 million light canopy and 550,000-watt sound system called the Fremont Street Experience, which covers five city blocks. Positioned 90 feet above Fremont Street, the attraction stretches 1,400 feet and consists of 12.5 million synchronized LED modules, including 180 strobes and eight robotic mirrors per block. It is capable of producing millions of color combinations, animation and video feeds, allowing the display to switch from a swirling ocean setting to a television broadcast in minutes.
Hours of Operation: Nightly from dusk until midnight.
“Nitelite” Light Sculpture. This playful sculpture takes its cue from the recycled bulbs from the original Fremont Street Experience light canopy. The artwork is located just outside the elevators on the first floor of the Fremont Street Experience parking garage at 425 Fremont St.
Fremont Street Experience
This unique, open-air museum is located across from Neonopolis at the entrance to the Fremont Street Experience, and on Third Street adjacent to the Experience. The Neon Museum and the city of Las Vegas acquired and restored these retired neon signs from some of Las Vegas’ legendary locales for public viewing. (See also: Neon Boneyard in this section under Downtown North “Cultural Corridor.”)
Old Post Office/Federal Building
300 Stewart Ave.
This Post Office building was constructed in 1931 as part of a massive government building project during the years of the Great Depression. It is an excellent example of neo-classical style. The building was the site the 1950s Kefauver hearings into organized crime. It was acquired by the city in 2002. Plans are to renovate and restore this 38,700-square-foot building, converting it into the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, with the purpose of attracting and educating tourists and locals alike.
Rotunda Gallery at Clark County Government Center
500 S. Grand Central Parkway
Organized through the Clark County Cultural Outreach, this center features exhibits of local contemporary artists.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., except holidays.
Admission: Free
Art galleries in Las Vegas
Arts Factory
18b Arts District • 107 E. Charleston Blvd. • 702.676.1111
Experience Las Vegas’ burgeoning art scene at this complex, which features a collection of artists, architects, photographers, graphic designers and galleries gathered under one roof. (Note: Some spaces are closed to the public.)
Art Center
18b Arts District • One E. Charleston Blvd. • 702.868.7880
S2 Art Group, Ltd., is one of America’s largest and oldest publishers and retailers of fine art limited editions including lithographs, etchings and mixed media artwork; all hand-pulled, limited edition lithographs, crafted from hand-drawn plates on 120-year-old direct lithography presses.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Aerial Gallery
Las Vegas Boulevard, from Charleston Boulevard to Stewart Avenue
The Aerial Gallery features banners of original art, which are suspended on light poles. These banners highlight the work of both local and national artists. The gallery is along a one-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that runs from the arts district to Las Vegas City Hall. It is the only mile-long gallery in the world. This curbside art project, coordinated by the Las Vegas Arts Commission, presents artwork every year for an estimated 30,000 pedestrians and car passengers per day.
Centennial Murals
The City of 100 Murals, a signature project of the Las Vegas Centennial in 2005, inspired the creation of permanent and temporary murals, and involved thousands of students, artists and citizens. These murals are housed at sites throughout the Las Vegas Valley including schools, public buildings, commercial structures and other facilities. The murals were produced in a variety of mediums, in all sizes and shapes, at interior and exterior locations. The themes are diverse and range from familiar Las Vegas icons to historical events that have made the area what it is today.
Murals located downtown are:
Pyramids at Red Rock Canyon – 200 Fremont St.
Glamorous Games of the Past – One Fremont St.
Las Vegas – Fourth Street/Carson Street
Nitelite – Fremont Street/Las Vegas Boulevard
Our Community – Third Street/East Imperial Avenue
Interpretive Vision – 1228 S. Casino Center Blvd.
Our History – 1630 S. Commerce St.
Las Vegas – One E. Charleston Blvd.
The Old Ice House – 708 S. Main St.
The Gutenberg Museum – 1060 S. Main St.
Feeding the 5,000+ – 231 W. Charleston Blvd.
Viva Las Vegas – 1205 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
National Youth Service Day Coalition – 900 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
The Old Fort – 500 E. Washington Ave.
Chase – 850 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
City Hall Bridge Gallery
Las Vegas City Hall
400 Stewart Ave.
Located on the second floor of Las Vegas City Hall, the Bridge Gallery highlights the works of the local artistic community with group exhibits and other exhibitions that emphasize community cultural projects and celebrations.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., except holidays.
Admission: Free
Downtown North “Cultural Corridor”
Located just north of downtown is a cultural hub that includes the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, the Neon Boneyard, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort and State Historic Park, the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, the Las Vegas Library and Cashman Center. For further information, visit www.culturalcorridorlasvegas.org
Las Vegas Natural History Museum
900 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
702.384.3466
Journey through time, visiting dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, such as the 35-foot-long Tyrannosaurus Rex. Witness the beauty of wild animals, both native to Nevada and from around the world. Investigate the diversity of the African jungle and safari in the Serengeti. Children of all ages will enjoy the Young Scientist Center, where the budding genius, or the merely curious, can discover the wonders of nature.
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a private, nonprofit institution dedicated to educating children and families in the natural sciences. Through its interactive exhibits, educational programs and preservation of its collections, the museum strives to instill an understanding and appreciation of the world’s wildlife, ecosystems and cultures.
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission: $8 for adults; $7 for seniors, military and students 12 and over; $4 for children 3 – 11; free for children two and younger.
Lied Discovery Children’s Museum
833 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
702.382.5437
Arts, sciences and humanities come to life as children touch, see, explore and experience more than 100 hands-on exhibits in the children’s museum. Traveling exhibitions rotate three per year to provide experiences. Demonstrations and workshops are offered throughout the year. It’s fun for the whole family.
Hours: Summer Hours (June 1 – Labor Day): Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.
Admission: $8 for adults; $7 for seniors, military and children 1-17. Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult.
Neon Boneyard Non-restored vintage Las Vegas neon signs are kept in this “boneyard,” situated on a three-acre downtown site just south of Cashman Center. The Neon Museum offers regular guided tours of the Boneyard. For reservation and fee information, visit www.neonmuseum.org. (See also: Neon Museum.)
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park
500 E. Washington Ave.
702.486.3511
The first permanent non-native settlers in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in 1855. They successfully farmed the area by diverting water from the creek. Today, the park includes a remnant of the original adobe fort, as well as a visitor center with interpretive displays. This historic state park is located in downtown Las Vegas, at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue.
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. (Call to verify hours.)
Admission: $1 for adults (ages 13 & up); children under 13 – free.
Reed Whipple Cultural Center
821 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
702.229.6211
The Reed Whipple Cultural Center is headquarters for the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre and the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras. Programs include art exhibits by local, regional and national artists; cultural arts classes for children and adults; concert series; lectures and live theatre. Featured series include Las Vegas Live focusing on professional Las Vegas-based artists, a chamber music series called Special Tea Saturdays, and the Youth Performing for Youth series.
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Admission: No admission for the building and gallery. Event prices vary.
Fremont East District
Fremont Street
The city is reviving the old glamour of vintage Las Vegas in a downtown entertainment area called the Fremont East District. With its convenient location near the Fremont Street Experience, this area continues to attract a diverse mixture of entertainment venues targeted at a variety of age and income groups. In 2007, the city and area property owners committed millions for a three-block renovation effort that included pedestrian-friendly street redesign, landscaping and retro-looking neon signage.
Historic Fifth Street School
Corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Clark Avenue
The Historic Fifth Street School, once known as the Las Vegas Grammar School, was built during the Great Depression in 1936 immediately off Las Vegas Boulevard (or what was formerly called Fifth Street). It was constructed in the then-popular Spanish mission-style. The school was recently renovated and revitalized, opening in the fall of 2008 as a downtown “cultural oasis” housing local arts and architectural organizations. Its common areas are available for public and private rentals.
The Centennial Plaza, a gathering place on the corner of Lewis and Fourth streets contains, among other attractions, a replica of the Liberty Bell and a Monument to the Simulacrum sculpture that sits atop a local historical time capsule. The plaza is part of the Historic Fifth Street School complex.
Adjacent to the historic school complex is the Lewis Street Corridor and the “Poets Bridge,” which features selected works of poetry embedded in concrete.
Neon Museum
Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art
Neonpolis – Second Floor • 450 Fremont St., Ste. 280
702.382.2926
Now showcased on the second floor of downtown’s Neonopolis is a wide spectrum of visual arts from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as contemporary and local art. All this and more can be found at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art.
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. (Closed Sunday through Tuesday.)
Admission: $3 for adults, members and children 12 and under – free.
Shopping Malls
Downtown outlet center
Businesses operating in Nevada are among the least taxed in the nation. The following taxes imposed in most states are not imposed in Nevada: corporate or personal income, franchise, unitary, inventory, admissions, and inheritance or intangible taxes. In addition, there is no tax on food for home use or on prescription drugs.
Las Vegas Premium Outlets
875 S. Grand Central Parkway
702.474.7500
www.premiumoutlets.com/lasvegas
Offers approximately 150 stores and 539,000 square feet of shopping in an upscale, open-air setting. In 2008, this shopping complex expanded, adding 30 stores and two multilevel parking garages. Available retailers include Burberry, Cole Haan, David Yurman, Dooney & Burke, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Swarovski and True Religion.
Transportation - Transportation around downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Transportation Center
300 N. Casino Center Blvd.
The Downtown Transportation Center (DTC), owned and operated by the city of Las Vegas, is a key transit operation and transfer site with Regional Transportation Center (RTC)routes, bus routes and taxi and shuttle services using its facilities. The DTC has been operating at its full capacity for a number of years with an average of 48 departures per hour, and the number is expected to continually increase based on demand. RTC representatives are available at the DTC to answer your questions about routes and schedules, sell bus passes and process applications for Citizens Area Transit reduced-fare photo ID cards. The Customer Service Booth operates seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
City of Las Vegas Parking Information:
City of Las Vegas Parking Meters
Multispace, as well as the traditional single-space parking meters, are available on downtown Las Vegas streets.
The multispace meters are tan-colored and pedestal-style and control several parking spaces. These meters take coins and credit/debit cards. Parking stalls for the multispace meters are indicated by pavement markings and are numbered. Drivers should locate the parking space number indicated on the curb or adjacent to their parked vehicle before making payment transactions at the multispace meter. For regular users, meter payments can be made by cellular phone when registered as an mPARK customer. To register, call1-888-mPARKGO or 1.888.672.7546.
Traditional single-space parking meters take coins and a “cash key.” The cash key is an actual key that fits on any key ring. It is like a debit card with a pre-paid, pre-programmed cash value. For information on the “cash key” program, contact the city’s Parking Enforcement Unit at 702.229.6431.
Hours and days of operation for the parking meters vary. Visitors should refer to the information posted on the parking meter.
Parking Meter Fees
On-street meter rates: $1 per hour.
City of Las Vegas-operated parking garages meter rates: $1.50 per hour (see map).
Contact the city of Las Vegas Parking Enforcement Unit at 702.229.6431, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Handicap/Disabled Parking Information
The state of Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle disabled parking rules are as follows:
• Handicapped plates and placards do not entitle the operator to waived parking fees. You must pay any meter or garage parking charges.
• You may not park in a handicapped space without disabled persons plates or placards issued by a government agency.
• Valid plates or placards from another state or country may be used in Nevada.
• Plates or placards may be used only by the person to whom they were issued. You may not use someone else’s privilege. In addition to any parking citations that are issued, the person who owns the plates or placards may be cited for allowing another person to use them improperly.
• The minimum fine for illegal parking in a handicapped space in Nevada is $250.
Disabled Veteran & Prisoner of War License Plates
These special license plates are exempt from parking fees, including parking meters. City of Las Vegas parking enforcement honors disabled veteran and prisoner of war plates from other states.
Airport
Las Vegas Airport is known as
McCarran
International Airport (Airport Code: LAS)
5757 Wayne ton Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89111
Several low cost airlines fly in to LAS.
Happy Holidays and
Kind Regards,
Christina Hitchcock
Conference Manager
End of Document