We are first timers to Las Vegas(going in a week) and have heard mixed reviews about the Fremont Light show. Some seemed to imply that it's in a sleezy area. We have three kids. If you've been to it, can you tell me if it's something we should do? Also should we take a bus or taxi there if we decide to go?

I can second that it is sleazy. A guy walked up to me with some story about how he needed money for his car, etc...it's old, nasty.

We parked in a nearby garage & walked over to the Fremont St. area. We were there until around 11:00 P.M. or so with no problems. It's well worth the visit. There was nothing nasty or sleazy about the area. That's a gross exaggeration.

I personally really liked the light show and don't remember the area being bad, much less what I would consider sleezy. Personally, I found less disourable the area of the strip where you find Circus Circus.

Take the bus from the strip for a little local flavor. Completly safe, Freemont isn't what I would call sleazy as long as you don't stray off Freemont. Light show is worth seeing .
Good luck at the tables!

Definitely a more colorful group of characters downtown but the light show is worth the trip. We even got to hear a cool 80s band play for the hour prior to the first light show (disco 8:30, classic rock at 9 etc...). The kids will enjoy it too.

Hi we were there for New Year and i can definately say that Freemont made the 24 hours of travelling we had to do from the UK worth it. I have 3 kids 12 9 and 6 and had no problems whatsoever and it was fantastic not just the lights but the whole atmosphere of the place......oh and the kids thought it was great as well!!

Go see the Fremont Street Light Show. There's safety in numbers, and there are plenty of other (normal) people around. Security is nearby too. I wouldn't go walking around the El Cortez or the Stratosphere though. Now those areas are sleazy!

We visited Freemont this week. The light show is definately something to see, though it is a sleazy area, lots of tourists from strip visiting. My 16 year old loved the shows, I enjoyed the 2 live bands playing. Took a taxi from Monte Carlo which cost about $16 one way as driver took long route to avoid traffic. Return, we tried for the bus, $2 pp, but after three full busloads with people standing, we took cab back. Return cab via strip cost less.

If you weren't with the kids, I'd say don't waste your time and it's overrated. (Most pro sports stadiums now have the same, if not better.) But, kids might find it entertaining.As long as you are near there, you may want to hit the Stratosphere for either the view alone or the roller coaster. They aren't that far apart by car/bus from the FSE.

I enjoyed it and would suggest it.

If you go a couple of blocks off Freemont, then yes you will run into a very bad area. We once did this by accident, it was very scary.

We saw the Freemont Street Experience a week ago. We took a bus from the strip to downtown. It was a safe way to travel at night. More than half the passengers were tourists, and we had some very interesting conversations, which made the trip seem shorter. The light show was fabulous. We were sorry we didn't get downtown earlier, because it was so cool we wanted to see more shows. We found excellent bargains in the souvenier stores downtown, too. We felt safe every minute from the bus to the light show and back to the bus. The police are all over, and so are other tourists. I recommend seeing the light show, whether you have kids with you or not. We're very glad we saved a night for it.

Everyone, please-- it's Fremont (or, more correctly, Frémont), NOT FrEEmont. And passing up on the Frémont St. Experience so you don't see sleazy things-- excuse me, we're talking Las Vegas, you have to take the sleaze with the glitz!

Don't take the bus - with your number it'd be better to take a cab. That said, it is a bit sleazy - more of a vibe than anything else. I went during the day and there were plenty of people hanging out that you could just tell were looking for trouble - but it's not like anyone ever came up to me and offered drugs or anything.

It's definitely a different place at night when most of the tourists come for the light show. We met up with friends and had dinner in the domed restaurant at the end of the street - when the light show starts, they pump in the music, so you can watch it while you're eating. Standard steak kind of place, felt like very old Vegas. Note: disregard the smelly lobby - I don't know if it was cigars or what, but I could barely breath. The restaurant is one floor up and perfectly fine.

The worst part is the parking garages - dirty, old, smelly, scary!

The actual Street Experience was okay - not really my thing but tons of others were having a great time. The casinos there are older, cheezier and some are a little run down. There are supposed to be a couple of good restaurants though.

My husband and I were in Las Vegas around New Year's, 2001. We spent an evening in the center of the downtown area and had fun. I've also heard that it gets sleazy if you wander away too far from Fremont itself, but we enjoyed the Fremont experience. It was a pleasant change from the Strip area. I don't recall being asked for money while there, but if I had been, I'd hardly remember it--that happens in any city, unless you lock yourself in a Four Seasons hotel, take a limo everywhere, and refuse to walk a block without an armed guard.

I stayed at the Golden Nugget - so right in this area - didn't find the area any more sleezy than any other part of Las Vegas. I thought the Fremont Light Show was cool - my son who was 4 or 5 at the time thought it was terrifying. He hated it. He's not afraid of very many things - pretty brave little guy - but he did not like the show at all.

Fremont St. experience is great, you don't want to miis it. It's not in a sleazy area as long as you stay on Fremont Street west of Las Vegas Boulevard and you don't wander off too far onto the side streets. The bus on the Strip is very convenient. Take either the 303 or 302. It's $2.00 each way and they run about every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Alice, you are right on the money about the casinos there being old and cheezier.