People around the world recognize the sight of the famous blue neon frontage of Binions on Fremont St., but very few know the history of the building, or that the original Hotel Apache it evolved from still lives behind the miles of neon tubes, hidden from the sight of millions of passerbys each year.

I got a peek of the old stone front a few years ago when they were changing out the corner of the facade from Binion's Horseshoe to just Binions, and was amazed how well preserved the building was.

What is never listed in the tourist guides, is that you can still walk the same halls as the hotel evolved from the Hotel Apache to the Western, SS Rex, Eldorado Club, Binions Horseshoe.....

Take the stairway about 120 feet inside from the east corner entrance next time youre in town and give yourself a trip back to the early 1930's. Just be quiet and act like youre supposed to be there. Heres a preview of what you'll see:

Outside of the original building circa 1948:

At the top of the stairs

Looking down a old hallway into the past...... If you feel a chill, it just might have been Benny Binion, Tony Cornero or many other long gone Vegas notables that walked this hall many years ago.

Theres quite a bit of old stained glass- No telling how old it might be, but it looks great still.

My next trip in time is likely to be upstairs at the El Cortez- The ONLY remaining place in Las Vegas that I can guarantee Ben Siegal walked through on a daily basis back before the Flamingo was even a thought..... Hope you liked the pics.