El Cortez Hotel & Casino

The El Cortez Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas

The El Cortez is the oldest casino of Las Vegas in continuous activity, opened in 1941, a building charged with history listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Las Vegas audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this witness of historic Las Vegas, with a Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and an iconic neon sign, that passed for a time into the hands of figures of organised crime.

The oldest casino in activity of the town

You are in front of one of the most emblematic places of historic Las Vegas: the El Cortez. Opened on 7 November 1941, it is the oldest casino of Las Vegas in continuous activity, that is to say it has never ceased to function since its inauguration, a rare fact in a town where everything transforms ceaselessly. Here, no futuristic mega-resort, but a building charged with history, listed on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States, for its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, of Spanish colonial inspiration with its white walls and its tiles, and for its iconic neon sign. In the 1940s, the El Cortez passed briefly into the hands of famous figures of organised crime, like Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, two major names of the American underworld who played a role in the rise of gambling in Las Vegas, illustrating the murky links between the mafia and the beginnings of the gambling town. These figures, fascinating and disturbing, are part of the dark legend of Las Vegas. The establishment then kept a family operation, attached to preserving its period character while maintaining it. Today, the El Cortez remains a popular and authentic casino, prized by the lovers of old Vegas, who appreciate its timeless atmosphere, its old-style gaming tables and its no-frills atmosphere. A historic casino and a witness of old Vegas, the El Cortez is a fine stop of the discovery of Las Vegas.

What to see

Here you discover the oldest casino of Las Vegas in continuous activity, opened in 1941, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and its iconic neon sign; passed for a time into the hands of figures of organised crime like Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, it has kept its period character and its authentic atmosphere of old Vegas. The El Cortez is a witness of historic Las Vegas. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The El Cortez Hotel and Casino lies on Fremont Street, in the Fremont East District, in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, reachable on foot. It is a hotel-casino in activity, open continuously, whose access is reserved for adults. You admire its façade and its neon sign, and you discover it during a walk in Downtown.

Why is the El Cortez important in Las Vegas?

Because it is the oldest casino of Las Vegas in continuous activity, opened in 1941, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and its neon sign; it passed for a time into the hands of figures of organised crime like Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, and has kept the authentic atmosphere of old Vegas.

Where is the El Cortez in Las Vegas?

On Fremont Street, in the Fremont East District, in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, in the United States.