The Mob Museum and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino Team Up for Fremont Street Exhibit

^{Golden Gate Hotel & Casino will display historic Vegas artifacts from The Mob Museum (inset) near the hotel lobby during August. (Photos: Paul Brown / Alamy, courtesy of the Mob Museum)}

LAS VEGAS – Two of downtown Vegas’s most old-school names are joining forces for an artifact display that plays into Golden Gate Hotel & Casino’s existing “The Night Starts Here” promotion. The Mob Museum (officially the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement) is lending artifacts to Golden Gate for a limited-time display on the casino floor, running Aug. 3 through Sept. 3.

The artifacts highlight the 120-year-old casino at One Fremont Street and its impact on the city. Expect items like a 1930s-era slot machine, an array of Prohibition-era liquor bottles, and vintage ashtrays, all displayed in the hotel lobby.

If you're heading down for the exhibit, it's worth timing your visit around the promotion itself. To attend “The Night Starts Here,” visit Golden Gate’s Club One loyalty rewards desk between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with a valid ID. Both new and existing members will receive a wristband granting access to the open bar at Bar Prohibition, plus a sealed envelope with a mystery free play voucher that’s worth anywhere from $5 to $1000. The voucher must be used from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Once you’re at Bar Prohibition with your wristband, you’ll get free play and complimentary drinks from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hang onto your wristband, as it gives you 25% off admission to the Mob Museum.

As part of “The Night Starts Here,” there’s a leaderboard running from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the top 10 players will split a $1,000 prize pool. You must be present at 8:30 p.m. to claim a win, and the top prize includes free admission to The Mob Museum. During this time, you’ll also have the chance to win a limited-edition t-shirt if you earn 1000 points or hit any taxable jackpot.

Mob Museum Killing It With Visitors

For The Mob Museum, the partnership offers an opportunity to take pieces of Las Vegas history beyond the museum's walls and into another institution that has witnessed much of that history firsthand. While visitors typically experience these artifacts within the museum, the exhibit gives casino guests another way to connect with the city's past, even if they hadn't planned to visit a museum that day.

Jonathan Ullman, president and CEO of The Mob Museum, said the collaboration highlights the shared role both organizations have played in preserving Las Vegas history. 

“This new partnership with Las Vegas’ longest-operating hotel gives visitors a chance to enjoy Fremont Street while also discovering artifacts, places, and moments that made it a global phenomenon,” Ullman said in a release.

The Mob Museum sees around 400,000 visitors annually and is located in the actual 1933 federal courthouse, with four immersive floors where mob hearings were held. The museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and offers guests an exclusive look at Mob stories, from the birth of the Mob all the way to the present day. 

General admission tickets cost $37.95 and include access to the exhibits. A Premier Pass for $54.95 includes access to the exhibits and two interactive experiences. This is an activity you’d only get here in Vegas.

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The Mob Museum preserves artifacts and stories from Las Vegas' mafia past, making it a great partner for Golden Gate's exhibit celebrating more than a century of history on Fremont Street. (Photo: Chon Kit Leong / Alamy)

Golden Gate Straddles Past and Future 

Golden Gate has been part of Fremont Street for over a century, giving it a front-row seat to nearly all of Las Vegas's history, and CEO Derek Stevens doesn't take it for granted.

“Being part of Las Vegas for more than 120 years gives us a unique appreciation for the stories that have shaped this city,” Stevens said. “We’re proud to partner with The Mob Museum to showcase artifacts that bring that history to life, while incorporating our newest offering, ‘The Night Starts Here.’ Guests have the opportunity to experience both the past and the excitement of what’s to come.”

Derek and his brother Greg Stevens bought full ownership of the property in 2016 after buying out Mark Brandenburg’s 35% share of the business. Circa Hospitality Group, owned by the brothers, also owns Circa Resort and Casino and The D in Vegas.

Golden Gate's longevity has entrenched its landmark status as the city’s most historic hotel and casino. It opened in 1906, back when a room only cost $1 a day. They’ve seen everything from the 1920s and Prohibition to the present. It straddles the line between the past and the nostalgic by preserving 10 of the property's original rooms, dubbed the “Original 10”. Its future is highlighted with two opulent penthouses and a generous gaming floor.

Vegas has always had the duality of the past and the future. The Mob Museum reminds us not to forget the past, while the Golden Gate just asks us to start the night there.