By Janina Benedik on July 28, 2026
How one entrepreneur is using immersive technology, historical research, and storytelling to help visitors discover the Las Vegas that existed long before the Strip.
For most visitors, Las Vegas is synonymous with dazzling casinos, world-class entertainment, and nightlife that never sleeps. But beyond the bright lights lies a remarkable history that many never get the chance to discover.
That is exactly what inspired Jami Rodman, founder of Las Vegas Guided Tours, to create experiences that reveal a different side of the city.
Through immersive historical experiences, cutting-edge technology, and compelling storytelling, she invites visitors to discover the city not just as it is today, but as it once was, revealing the people, places, and stories that shaped one of the world’s most recognizable destinations.
Long before launching Las Vegas Guided Tours, Jami spent years researching the city’s early history while writing her book The Las Vegas Madam. Along the way, she uncovered something she hadn’t expected: a growing curiosity about the stories that existed beyond the city’s famous casinos and entertainment.
Visitors were fascinated by the lesser-known history of old Las Vegas, from its Red Light District and early casinos to the colorful characters and events that helped shape the city. Yet few organizations were presenting that history in a way that was both engaging and historically accurate.
Jami’s first step was to create a self-guided mobile app, allowing visitors to explore historic Fremont Street at their own pace. But as travel resumed after the pandemic, she began hearing the same request again and again.
People weren’t just looking for directions.
They wanted someone to bring history to life. That demand became the inspiration for Las Vegas Guided Tours.
Today, Las Vegas Guided Tours specializes in immersive historical walking tours through downtown Las Vegas and Fremont Street, offering visitors a chance to experience a side of the city that many never discover.
Rather than presenting history as a series of dates and facts, Jami and her team have created an experience that blends compelling storytelling with archived photographs, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and live actors in period costumes. Historic images are brought to life, while familiar streets reveal how they looked generations ago. Together, these elements give visitors a vivid sense of the people and events that shaped modern Las Vegas.
The result is an experience that feels less like a traditional guided tour and more like stepping back in time.
That same immersive approach has also opened the door to new opportunities beyond walking tours. Today, the company also delivers keynote presentations, convention programs, theatrical productions, private events, and other interactive experiences that bring Las Vegas history to audiences in a variety of settings.
While countless companies introduce visitors to the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, Jami chose to tell a very different story, one that begins long before the mega-resorts and neon skyline. Her tours explore the city’s original Red Light District, the years of Prohibition, the emergence of the first casinos, and the people, events, and cultural influences that shaped early Las Vegas.
Rather than focusing on sensational stories, each tour places these chapters within their broader historical context, revealing how they influenced the city’s identity and evolution. It’s an approach that appeals to a remarkably diverse audience, from history enthusiasts and curious travelers to local residents eager to discover a side of Las Vegas they never knew existed.
By combining meticulous historical research with engaging storytelling, Jami has created an experience that entertains visitors while offering a deeper understanding of one of America’s most fascinating cities.
Although Las Vegas Guided Tours is a relatively young company, the journey behind it began many years earlier. When she founded Las Vegas Guided Tours, Jami had already built and operated three successful ventures, each one teaching valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, leadership, and growth.
Looking back, she believes the most successful businesses are built where genuine passion meets a real market need. Equally important is recognizing that no business succeeds alone.
Today, Las Vegas Guided Tours is supported by a diverse team of tour guides, historians, actors, designers, developers, marketers, and creative professionals who work together to transform years of historical research into immersive experiences. It is this combination of expertise, collaboration, and shared purpose that allows every tour to feel authentic, engaging, and memorable.
For Jami, Las Vegas has always been about more than its world-famous entertainment. What fascinates her most is the city’s history and the remarkable transformation that turned a small desert town into one of the world’s most recognizable destinations.
Throughout its history, Las Vegas has attracted people willing to take risks, pursue ambitious ideas, and build something entirely new. Jami sees that same entrepreneurial spirit woven into the city’s past, which is why she believes understanding its history makes the modern Las Vegas even more compelling.
As Las Vegas Guided Tours has grown, its work has also gained industry recognition. The company was named Best Historical Tour of 2025, received a TripAdvisor Excellence Award, and was nominated among the Best Tours in Las Vegas in both 2024,2025 and 2026.
Despite that recognition, Jami remains equally committed to serving the local community. Alongside her team, she continues to support local history through the Nevada Small Business Association and regularly offers discounted experiences for residents, veterans, active military personnel, researchers, and other community groups whenever possible.
Although walking tours remain at the heart of the business, Jami continues to look for new ways to help people engage with Las Vegas history. She is currently exploring opportunities involving virtual reality, holograms, expanded theatrical productions, and museum partnerships, all designed to make the city’s past even more accessible and immersive.
Her ambition is to create a dedicated historical attraction where technology, live performance, and carefully researched storytelling come together to create a truly immersive experience.
For Jami, preserving history isn’t simply about remembering the past. It’s about helping people understand how the people, decisions, and events of yesterday continue to shape the city visitors experience today. If visitors leave with a deeper appreciation of Las Vegas and its remarkable history, she considers the experience a success.
Website: lasvegasguidedtours.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram
Email: contact@lasvegasguidedtours.com
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