This page updated 03/13/10 06:23:41 Neonopolis May 20th-27th 2009 - Gallery of 61 Images The dreams aren't broken down here - they're just walking with a limp - Tom Waits Rohit Joshi, Neonopolis Developer - Photo Credit: Las Vegas Sun May 9th 2007 - In an announcement last week that somehow failed to make a Jay Leno monologue, it was revealed at a City Council meeting that the oft-maligned and questionably designed Neonopolis would undergo that most dicey of marketing gestures, a name change. Goodbye Neonopolis, hello Fremont Square. To date, the improvements on Fremont Street somehow have done nothing to brighten the prospects of Neonopolis. The place hasn't even been able to keep a decent bar open. If anything, it's only gotten weirder since changing hands and being developed by Rohit Joshi. Whether Joshi ends up being a shrewd businessman or a dizzy dreamer remains to be seen. Neonopolis has been the scene of more unkept promises than a singles bar at closing time. It's a place where its operators have been unable to give away space to legitimate businesses. - John L Smith - Las Vegas Review-Journal The Star Trek: The Experience attraction is moving to Neonopolis after a long run at the Las Vegas Hilton. One level will be devoted to rides, and other space will be allocated to a Star Trek themed restaurant and museum. The attraction will be revised from its run at the Hilton, which focused mainly on the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV show, to include the entire history of Star Trek. The re-opening of the Experience is aimed at coinciding with the release date of the new Star Trek movie. Tickets are expected to be in the $20-$25 range. As of May 24th 2009, no construction has started. May open in 2010. Click on Thumbnail for 640x480 view
East side of former Viva Las Vegas! Gifts	These people were lost and couldn't find Fremont Street	Empty vendor's carts waiting for business	Carts formerly sold everything from sun glasses to cell phone accessories
Formerly sold knock-off perfumes	Abandoned Galaxy Theaters ticket booth	Orange Julius has left the building	No more Margaritas or Tex-Mex food here
Jillian's Open for business	Elevator tower with restored neon signs	Aztec-Mexican Gifts & Art went home to Mexico	WET Ultralounge is gone
Las Vegas Gambler's Supply store & Museum was behind empty vendor's carts	These retail spaces were always empty on my previous visits	Rented AC units cool Jillian's Restaurant	Locked back door to a deserted Jillian's
View from Fremont Street & South Las Vegas Blvd	17,500 sq ft Telemundo Studios is located on the 3rd floor	No Air Conditioning after $300,000 bill goes unpaid	Deserted Sushi Hama - Formerly La Salsa
Del Prado Jewelers is the only tenant on 2nd floor	The sign in the door says it all	Ads for closed Galaxy Theaters	Used to sell baseball cards and sports memorabilia
At one time they sold knock-off designer purses	Big Amazon parrots used to sit on your shoulder for pictures here	Former Tanning Salon, Oxygen Bar, & Bikini Shop	Empty carts & broken dreams
Viva Las Vegas! Gifts was in this space	Elevators are turned off - they now sleep in the parking garage on level P2	Empty vendor's carts wait in the shade	This hall used to be filled with vendor's carts
Derelict karaoke stage featured live bands on weekends	Defunct Pretzel shop - They sold the best pretzels this side of New York City	The sounds of silence - not even pigeons visit	Empty stores, empty balconies, and broken promises
Escalator to 2nd floor - now just a stairway	The Las Vegas Playhouse has gone "dark"	Telemundo Television - bought their own AC units	Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art
No more strikes or spares at Jillian's Hi Life Lanes	Escalator to 3rd floor - now just a stairway	Contemporary Asian Art Retrospective of an empty gallery	Southern Nevada Center for the Arts - Artists lease studios here
Mopping floors at Neonopolis is like re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic	Even the plastic flowers look dead	Cooling mist, but no one here to keep cool	An artist has planted a crop of tomatoes
Del Prado Jewelers - only retailer on 2nd floor	A fitting movie poster: "Land of the Lost Neonopolis"	Southern Nevada Center for the Arts banner	This retail space was always empty on my previous visits
Taste of California Deli: Open for business	Taste of California Deli: Bought own AC units	Jillian's: Rented AC units	Front Entrance to Neonopolis
Action Finance restored sign	Elevator tower with restored neon signs	Elevator tower with restored neon signs	Some of the three miles of neon tubes here

VEGAS.com Review: The open-air Neonopolis, a 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex in the heart of downtown Vegas, is seen by the city as the fuse to light that area's redevelopment fire. The mall is modeled after San Diego's Horton Plaza and boasts a number of goodies -- none better than the 43,000-square-foot, two-story entertainment complex Jillian's. Entering the property from Fremont Street, you'll find the first level is a video- and skill-game paradise (12,000 square feet of it), with skeeball, air hockey, the latest ride simulators and classic video games. The first level also boasts the Video Cafe, a sports enthusiast's dream, with five 60-inch TVs that are great for watching football, hockey, racing -- you name it.

 The café also serves up a tasty menu with signature dishes from the Kentucky-based chain, such as the delicious white chicken chili and pulled pork sandwiches. And Jillian's lunch specials, which are served Monday through Friday, are priced just right at $5.99 -- including the drink. But Jillian's doesn't stop there. The HiLife Lanes, located on the second floor, have to be the coolest place in town to bowl, with its giant video walls and retro lounge. Seven pool tables also occupy the second floor, as well as the Pecos Room, a great place for your next private party.

 The Crown 14 Theatres, though, seem to be the centerpiece of Neonopolis. Advertised as a place to see films that range "from adventure to indie," Crown 14 offers some of the largest theaters in town -- five auditoriums are double the size of the nine others -- and the convenience of midnight movies on Friday and Saturday, the perfect end to Fremont Street's nightly entertainment. Also, Crown 14 offers the best movie prices in town. There's also a chance to see some vintage neon signs, and the spacious food court offers pizza, hamburgers and other fast fare. Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Food court hours are Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Located at the east end of the Fremont Street Experience where Fremont Street meets Las Vegas Boulevard.


Map and pictures from the