Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park (original settlement jokes)

Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park preserves the site of the valley’s original non-native settlement, established by Mormon missionaries in 1855 (originally called Fort Baker). The park includes reconstructed adobe walls and interpretive exhibits about early settlement and irrigation in the Las Vegas Valley. Residents sometimes jokingly contrast this modest pioneer outpost with the modern neon-and-casino image of the Strip, noting the city’s humble beginnings. The site is maintained as a state historic park and open to the public.