Street art may not come to mind when you think of Las Vegas. That’s fair, I thought the same thing. Are there even opportunities for street art in Las Vegas?
The brief answer is yes: Las Vegas has top notch street art. Better yet it’s all within walking distance if you’re staying downtown.
Downtown Las Vegas is filled with street art on and around Fremont Street thanks in part to the annual Life Is Beautiful festival. The epicenter of the street art downtown is roughly around Container Park, roughly a ten minute walk from the downtown casinos. The area has a mix of world famous artists with a handful of local artists here and there.
The mural spaces for Life is Beautiful are often in alleys or on abandoned buildings, which there are unfortunately a lot of in this part of downtown. Outside of the street art there’s not a lot to see and do in this area.
That said you’ll find Atomic Liquors in this area, the bar where patrons famously used to go up on the roof and watch the nuclear bomb tests in the distance.
The Arts District is also downtown but a little more of a walk, maybe 20-30 minutes from the downtown casinos. It’s also not far from The Strat (formerly The Stratosphere.) The free Downtown Loop Shuttle has two stops in the Arts District as well.
Despite the name, the Arts District feels like a nice small town within a city — plenty of great dining, cafe, and bar options — but you have to ignore The Strat’s giant tower looming over you.
My opinion might be different if I’d visited during one of the special events thrown in the Arts District, but on a weekday afternoon I found it a nice break from the all the “Las Vegasness” of Las Vegas, and a rare glimpse into the local art scene in a city not known for local art.