Why you should experience Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Plaza Hotel & Casino is a storied resort where Downtown's railroad heritage, classic casino culture, architectural legacy, and ongoing reinvention converge into one of Fremont Street's defining hospitality destinations.
Occupying the western gateway to Fremont Street, the property presents sweeping casino floors, historic architecture, contemporary resort amenities, and lively public spaces that immediately reflect the character of Downtown. Anticipation steadily builds as vintage Las Vegas traditions blend with modern entertainment, dining, and recreation across a property that has continuously evolved for more than five decades. The defining moment arrives through a setting where historic identity and contemporary hospitality remain closely intertwined within one of Southern Nevada's most enduring resort properties. The result is an experience defined by heritage, continual evolution, and one of Downtown's most significant resort destinations.
What you should know about Plaza Hotel & Casino.
Plaza Hotel & Casino is best known for opening on July 2, 1971 as Union Plaza, replacing the historic Las Vegas Union Pacific Railroad Depot, a Mission Revival structure completed in 1940 and designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, whose passenger station served Las Vegas until the arrival of Amtrak in 1971. Developed by Jackie Gaughan, the original resort opened as the world's largest casino with approximately 504 hotel rooms before expanding through multiple renovations that ultimately produced more than 1,000 guestrooms, while the preserved railroad station façade remains incorporated into the property's Main Street entrance and was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ownership passed through Barrick Gaming before Tamares Group, led by Poju Zabludowicz, acquired the resort in 2005, initiating extensive reinvestment that included a comprehensive guest room renovation, the addition of the CORE Arena, Pickleball Plaza, a rooftop swimming pool, and new dining concepts while preserving the property's historic identity. Continuous operation for more than five decades, direct association with Las Vegas' railroad history, incorporation of the former Union Pacific depot, repeated modernization, and recognition as the western anchor of Fremont Street Experience have established Plaza Hotel & Casino among Southern Nevada's most historically significant resort properties.
The former railroad depot remains one of the few surviving architectural reminders of Las Vegas' passenger rail era, preserving Gilbert Stanley Underwood's Mission Revival design within a contemporary resort environment. Modern additions including CORE Arena introduced one of Downtown's first permanent outdoor equestrian and multipurpose event venues, while Pickleball Plaza expanded the property's recreational offerings through one of the largest dedicated rooftop pickleball complexes in the region. Longstanding gaming operations, continuing capital investment, diverse dining venues, annual special events, and preservation of the property's transportation heritage collectively demonstrate how Plaza Hotel & Casino continues balancing historical significance with contemporary resort development.
How to fold Plaza Hotel & Casino into your trip.
Plaza Hotel & Casino is best experienced as the centerpiece of a day exploring the origins and continuing evolution of Downtown.
Begin at Fremont Street Experience, where the celebrated pedestrian promenade, live entertainment, and historic casino corridor introduce the district's enduring energy before continuing to Plaza Hotel & Casino to appreciate one of Downtown's most historically significant resort properties. Continue to The Mob Museum, whose nationally recognized collections examine the intertwined histories of organized crime and American law enforcement while expanding the historical perspective established at the Plaza. Conclude at The Neon Museum, where restored vintage signs preserve decades of Southern Nevada's visual history and provide a fitting finale celebrating the city's architectural and cultural evolution. The progression moves naturally from the historic casino corridor to hospitality heritage before concluding with preserved design history, revealing how Downtown continues honoring its past while embracing continual renewal.
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