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Las Vegas, New Mexico: The Old West At Its Best

Las Vegas, New Mexico: The Old West At Its Best

Last Updated on January 29, 2024

This is the continuation of stories from our epic New Mexico Road Trip. Highlights I shared so far included the appropriately named white desert White Sands, trekking with llamas and the magnificent Carlsbad Caverns.

Bright lights, loud music, pool parties, gambling and people on vacation who are enjoying massive casinos, giant buffets and air-conditioned shopping malls. That’s what usually comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas. Las Vegas, New Mexico couldn’t be more different from its bigger cousin of the same name in Nevada.

las vegas bridge street at dusk new mexicoWe were driving up to Las Vegas from Roswell, a town I had mixed feelings about, and were stopping here primarily because it seemed like a convenient place to interrupt the long drive from Roswell to Santa Fe. Plus, I had read somewhere that it was a picturesque town with an old Wild West vibe, which is why I wanted to check it out. The hotel I had found, the Historic Plaza Hotel, looked promising, but apart from that we didn’t know what to expect.

las vegas new mexico plaza hotel and parkArriving at the hotel was already an experience in itself. Sitting on the North West end of the main town square, you can’t miss the grand building, easily the most impressive structure around here. We rolled up right to the hotel where we could park outside for free right on the square (gasp.. does that even still exist?!) and when we walked through the historic entrance doors it felt like we had stepped back straight into the late 19th century.

I expected posh ladies in flowing satin dresses waiting in the lobby for their carriages to be loaded, sipping on a glass of champagne while their servants were loading up the luggage and getting the horses saddled.

las vegas new mexico plaza drugsWe didn’t spend much time in the hotel though – instead, we headed right back out to explore Las Vegas – what we had seen so far, was so much more charming than we’d expected. The town square, Plaza Park, was where the town had been founded in 1835, following the typical Spanish-colonial model. The green space is filled with leafy trees and wooden statues, all centered around a gazebo in the middle of the park where a Mexican mariachi band was playing live music.

Park Plaza Las Vegas New MexicoIt’s no wonder that Las Vegas is one of the most popular movie locations in the South West for any kind of old-fashioned Wild West movie. The entire town seemed like one big movie set! At the same time, it felt so unpretentious – and it is rare that you find yourself in a place that transports you back into another era in such a genuine way, without even trying (I am looking at you, Tombstone!).

las vegas new mexico bridge street housesWe found ourselves walking straight into Plaza Antiques, a quirky antiques and vintage store where we were greeted by two sleepy cats and the friendly owners who happily chatted with everyone in the store. I love this about small towns – people always show interest in visitors and enjoy conversing with strangers instead of feeling forced to make small talk.

Plaza Antiques Las Vegas New MexicoBeing in a store filled with so much memorabilia and delightful little trinkets while we had a car that allowed us to buy stuff and actually be able to transport it home was too tempting, however, so we left quickly and walked down to Bridge Street, a street that is lined by beautifully restored Italianate houses on both sides. It really couldn’t be any quainter – and the parked SUVs feel completely out of place. Again, horse carriages would have felt more fitting.

Las Vegas New Mexico Bridge StreetThe preservation of historic buildings in Las Vegas is part of the New Mexico Main Street program, an initiative founded by the state in 1985 to revive abandoned main streets and town centers throughout New Mexico, which focuses on bringing town squares and the surrounding streets back to live while preserving historic buildings, maintaining their original facades and architectural features. There are over 1,000 registered historic buildings in Las Vegas, the majority of them well over 100 years old.
las vegas new mexicoIt seems like everybody in Las Vegas knows each other, and the community spirit comes across in the Main Street Program in which the renovations are mainly done with the help of volunteers. Everybody comes together to help paint storefronts and clean up homes that are about to get restored.

las vegas new mexico murpheysThe program led to the creation of new shops and business around the Plaza Park and Bridge Street area but also the historic Railroad district. Independent little stores, galleries, cafés and restaurants have opened in the historic buildings, bringing them back to life, and we peeked into art studios, an independent book store, and an old-fashioned drug store.

Las Vegas New Mexico shops and galleriesLocated only 70 miles east of Santa Fe, you would think that more visitors make their way to this little town, but Las Vegas is overlooked by most New Mexico visitors – a true hidden gem, even though you can barely call it hidden. In the early to mid 19th century, the town became an important point along the Santa Fe Trail, a historic route between Missouri and New Mexico that transported people and goods before the railroad arrived in 1879.

las vegas trainThe arrival of the train line led to an even bigger growth and an influx of different cultures from the east coast. With those, new architectural styles came to Las Vegas, diversifying the design of the buildings around town greatly.

While the town had originally been set up in classic New Mexico style, with small adobe homes and a big Indian influence, the late 19th century saw a wide range of architectural styles being added to the city-scape of Las Vegas: in some parts of town, Victorian houses dominate; in others you’ll see Queen Anne, Mission Revival and Italianate buildings. Most of these buildings are still intact today, and over 900 buildings here are now listed on the national Register of Historic Places!

las vegas new mexico bridge street housesWe let a free map that is handed out by the Visitor Center guide us; it outlines all of Las Vegas’ historic places and landmarks and different historic districts. In addition to the Park Plaza and Bridge Street District and the Railroad District, the Douglas/6th Street is a third historic district.

las vegas new mexico historic housesAround Carnegie Park we found many impressive Victorian buildings, some lovingly maintained by private residents, others housing B&Bs, and the beautiful neo-classical Carnegie Library in a lovely setting right in the middle of the park. You could see how well Las Vegas did at the turn of the 20th century – the little town even had an electric tram system back then.

Victorian Houses in Las Vegas New Mexicolas vegas new mexico libraryWhile the town boomed when the railroad put it on the map for the important East-West trade, its glory faded just as quickly when rail travel for both goods and people was replaced by interstate highways and travelers would bypass Las Vegas on the I-25 just south of it.

las vegas new mexico murpheysAs little as the façade of the town might have changed over the past one hundred years, behind the scenes a lot is happening with new businesses like the Old Town Drafthouse micro-brewery or art galleries arriving and after the successful renovation of the Historic Plaza Hotel, more businesses may follow suit.

The once grand but long abandoned Castañeda Hotel near the train station was originally built in 1888/89 as a grand railroad hotel and even hosted Theodore Roosevelt, but started losing money in the 1940s. After roughly 70 years of it sitting empty, it was finally restored and opened its doors to guests again in 2019. Just up a block from the hotel is the City Of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection (open Tuesday – Friday 10am – 4pm), which in addition to local history also tells the story of the cavalry unit (led by future US president Theodore Roosevelt) in the 1898 fight for Cuba.

With the hotel opening, the surrounding historic railroad district may also benefit from it and hopefully see more independent bakeries, cafes and galleries open their doors here. Stop at Pedro’s Bakery if you have a sweet tooth, and at Dicho’s if you’re a coffee lover. The breakfast burritos here also don’t disappoint! If you’d like a more old-school restaurant, Hillcrest Restaurant and Trading Post Saloon, which opened in 1949, is for you.

las vegas new mexico railway districtlas vegas new mexico amtrak train stationIf you happen to be in the area, make sure to stop in this little town. No matter if you plan a New Mexico road trip or travel across the country, you won’t regret visiting Las Vegas. At just over 15,000 inhabitants, the town is tiny. You can easily take in most of the town in half a day – stroll around the historic districts, have a meal at El Rialto or Charlie’s Spic & Span Cafe or enjoy a drink in Byroon T.’s Saloon (see below for details).

las vegas new mexico adobe house

Travel Information Las Vegas

Where to sleep in Las Vegas New Mexico

Staying at the Historic Plaza Hotel was a fantastic experience, and we found a great deal on Booking.com ($89 for a double room). You can read our full review here.

The historic Castañeda Hotel is about a mile east of “Old Town Las Vegas” in the Historic Railroad District. It’s a small hotel with only 16 rooms, all recently renovated. Rooms start at $129 per night.

las vegas plaza hotel new mexico

Where to Eat & Drink in Las Vegas, New Mexico

Charlie’s Spic & Span Bakery & Café is the happening place in Las Vegas – you can get anything here from sopapillas and classic New Mexican fare to good coffee and baked goods.

For a drink, head to Byron T.’s Saloon inside the Plaza Hotel. It offers the perfect Wild West experience and you can mingle with both other visitors and locals.

Right next door is El Rialto, a classic New Mexican restaurant (sadly for us, very meat-focused, but everybody kept recommending it us, so it must be good).

las vegas new mexico cowgirl mural

What to do in Las Vegas, New Mexico

Head to the Visitors Center for the free Las Vegas map and visitors brochure and visit the historic homes and districts. Stroll down Bridge Street and take in the beautiful architecture, and pop into the shops along the street.

las vegas new mexico bridge street and plaza

The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial on Grand Avenue (open Tuesday – Saturdays from 10am to 4pm /10am to 4pm on Sundays May – September) is free and has exhibits on the local history, the city’s famous residents and the Santa Fe Trail.

Las Vegas New Mexico

James Haines

Friday 9th of June 2023

We visit Las Vegas every year on our way from Tucson to Denver to see our family. This article entirely overlooks an aspect of the once proud town that has long been economically depressed for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, much of the town is now in taters as a result. A handful of tidy and well maintained Victorian homes still exist within tree lined neighborhoods but the preponderance of severely neglected homes with cars and trucks parked in the front yards fill the long spaces between these very charming homes.

The Covid “Stay at Home” edict imposed by the state devastated and wiped out many successful small businesses. Then there is the impact of Chinese imports and mega-buinesses such as Walmart that have smashed the dreams of those hoping to start or maintain a mom and pop business of their own.

Yes, do visit Las Vegas and do avail yourself of the fascinating history and the many historic buildings. Do help the staggering percentage of Las Vegas citizens and business owners who clearly struggle to make ends meet.

This is not Disney Land and the harsh reality of business failures, the death blow effects of Covid shut downs and loss of pride in home ownership are simply impossible to overlook.

Sorry to make these comments but you should be aware of all that awaits you when you visit this once famous small, western American town. Like me, you are likely to leave town asking yourself the same question: how did this happen?

Juanita

Thursday 2nd of September 2021

Thank you so much for this article on the internet Las Vegas New Mexico is my home town born and raised in this town growing up in this town was great. I have very fond memories of this place I come back to it and don't want to go back home especially that my mom and some of my siblings still live there I would love to come back to Vegas to retire .And yes what happens in this Vegas should not stay just in Vegas. Let it be known it exists.

susi q

Wednesday 30th of September 2015

Do not forget to take your bathing suit to jump into the hotsprings outside of Montezuma's castle just 10 minutes from Las Vegas.

wedding cakes in las vegas nm | askervani.com

Friday 2nd of January 2015

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davy delgado

Saturday 26th of July 2014

What a terrific story/review. That's exactly the way I felt the first time I entered the Plaza Hotel. I've visited Las Vegas Grandes every year since I was seven in 1963 and have witnessed its many changes/updates. The smothered green chile chicharone (chee-char-oh-neh) burritos are the best in New Mexico and Tome on the Range Book Store across the street is a Northern New Mexico favorite. The true secret of Las Vegas Grandes' beauty is situate 16 miles southeast (8 miles south of NM Highway 104, the lower Gallinas River valley. My family came from there (Caon del Agua, Chaperito, La Liendre) in the 1870s. Looking forward to your next visit there and review!

Dany

Monday 28th of July 2014

Thanks so much, Davy! I can't believe you've been to Las Vegas every year since 1963!! Amazing. I bet it's changed a lot in all those years.