One of the defining attractions of downtown Las Vegas is the extravagant Fremont Street, a major tourist attraction and home to the city's annual New Year's Eve celebrations. One of the reasons it is so popular is the Fremont Street Experience, a unique combination of a pedestrian mall and a lightshow that is accomplished by an intricately made barrel vault canopy.
The Freemont Street Experience came to life because of the work of architect Mary Kozlowski. Having grown up in Las Vegas, Kozlowski knew and loved Fremont Street and, when tasked to think of something to rejuvenate downtown Las Vegas? gambling scene, came up with what is now known as the Freemont Street Experience.
A veritable canopy that consists of one large LED display is the main attraction of the Freemont Street Experience. Stretching over 1,400 feet, the canopy houses over 12 million LED lamps, a figure that is five times larger than its original amount due to a recent $17 million upgrade. The canopy also contains 220 speakers capable of producing 550,000 watts of sound.
The combination of such potent audio and visual systems is completely dazzling and must be seen to be believed. Besides standing alone, the system is also used to put on light and sound shows, such as the ?Lucky Vegas? show that pays homage to some of the most influential figures in Las Vegas.
There are plenty of other reasons to visit Fremont Street as well. The pedestrian mall, which was created in 1994 when vehicular traffic was completely prohibited from Fremont Street, has great shopping and is enhanced by the music as well as the light and sound shows that are staged throughout the day. The Neonopolis forms the east end of the pedestrian mall and is a massive restaurant, shop, and entertainment complex.
Every city in America has a main street. Many European cities do, too, but as many of them are round it's sometimes hard to tell which it is. But that's not a problem in Las Vegas. Fremont Street is it. Of course, those who walk The Strip will argue. But visit Fremont Street and you'll be convinced. New York has Times Square at Broadway where the neon lights astound visitors. Paris is appropriately nicknamed the City of Lights. But Las Vegas is unique. Nowhere outside Asia can you find such a dazzling array of sights and sounds, with crowds to match.
Housed under a permanent canopy, the casino-lined street has over two million lights and a state-of-the-art sound system. The combined effect is, well, electric. Under the $70 million canopy walk a million visitors a year, if 'walk' is the proper term. On many nights, it's more like being the ball in a pinball game. Not that it's overcrowded, it's just that you spend so much time trying to take in all the sights, you have to bump shoulders fairly frequently.
Ninety feet above your head there are 12.5 million synchronized LED lights producing millions of color combinations, accompanied by animation and video. One second it may be a TV broadcast, the next an indefinable kaleidoscope that pops your pupils. Among the better known signs is Glitter Gulch's Vegas Vickie, exemplifying everything that is Las Vegas. Kitsch, fun, carefree and silly. Videos are projected onto the canopy, too. Some last several minutes and run the gamut from 'The Drop', a psychedelic 'happening' ala the '60s, to 'Area 51', showing earthlings in battle with aliens. 'Above and Beyond' gives visitors a view of the Earth from outerspace, while 'Fahrenheit at Night' displays some of what Vegas is best known for: beautiful women.
There are dozens of shops, everything from small indoor venues to free standing kiosks. Many of the offerings are just what you'd expect - little trinkets that will break the first time your child goes to play with it. But there is the odd interesting item here and there. If nothing else you can grab a doughnut at Krispy Kreme and enjoy the sights from the outdoor patio. The canopy is 1,400 feet (about 1/4 of a mile), so you'll have plenty of opportunity to miss something interesting. Better plan to go twice, at least once when you're sober.
For cash back deals and free deals visit http://www.dragonrewards.com/browse/all/all/all
Both Bill Morgan & Roger Thompson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bill Morgan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, The Internet and Humour. This article was provided by Low Fares. Save time and money when traveling by using Lowfares.com. Find for your next vacation now.. Bill Morgan's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.