Fully Committed to ‘FALLOUT’: Video Game Tourism is a Growing Industry in Cottage Vegas. |

Published on: September 25, 2024, 08:12h.

Last updated on: September 24, 2024, 09:28h.

Tell a die-hard fan of “Fallout: New Vegas” that you’re traveling to Sin City and they might envy you—not for your stay on the Strip, but because you’ll be just 40 miles away from Goodsprings, Nev.

A “Fallout: New Vegas” fan celebration gathers people dressed as their favorite game characters at the Pioneer Saloon in in this undated photo. (Image: eventbrite.com)

This is the spot where the Pioneer Saloon is located, a place that inspired some of the most memorable locations in the game released in 2010. Despite being outdated in terms of technology by 14 years, “Fallout: New Vegas” continues to be revered on social media platforms, Reddit threads, and fan websites.

The Prospector Saloon in “Fallout: New Vegas” is actually the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nev. (Image: Bethesda Softworks)

The Atomic Museum in Las Vegas recently announced a special one-day trip that starts and ends in Goodsprings. The ‘Fallout: New Vegas’ Mojave Wasteland Bus Tour will take place on Nov. 16 and costs $80 per person.

What was not mentioned in the press release is that Vegas Specialty Tours already offers a Goodsprings Fallout Bus Tour four days a week for $159.95 per person.

Regular meetups occur at the Pioneer Saloon, which also hosts an official annual fan celebration.

For fans of “Fallout: New Vegas,” Goodsprings, Nev. holds the same significance as Liverpool, England does for Beatles enthusiasts.

Goodsprings Eternal

Men gather in front of the Pioneer Saloon for a photo circa 1915-1930. Other than an ATM and a jukebox, it’s easy to imagine the Pioneer as it was on opening day. During the colder months, it’s still heated by a wood-burning stove. (Image: UNLV Special Collections)

Goodsprings is a small town with around 250 residents, named after Joseph Good, a former cattle ranch owner in the area.

Aside from the Pioneer, which opened in 1913, Goodsprings also features a century-old general store, schoolhouse, church, jail, and cemetery.

Established in 1856 by Mormon settlers, Goodsprings is home to what is believed to be the oldest underground mine in Nevada, yielding $25 million in lead and zinc ore.

Despite its proximity to the bustling tourism hub of Las Vegas, Goodsprings remains a popular tourist spot.

The Pioneer is not the oldest bar in Nevada, with that title going to the Genoa Bar and Saloon in Genoa, Nev., established in 1853.

Prior to its connection to “Fallout,” the Pioneer served as a filming location for various productions, including “The Twilight Zone” and movies like “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Miss Congeniality 2.”

The Pioneer also has a somber history, with a room dedicated to a tragic event that occurred in 1942, involving Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were the world’s most popular celebrity couple from 1936 through 1942. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Goodsprings serves as the emotional centerpiece of “Fallout: New Vegas,” a video game set in a post-apocalyptic world. The saloon in Goodsprings is where players are first exposed to the devastated Mojave Wasteland.

More significantly, it’s where players encounter the only morally upright characters in the game. The residents of Goodsprings offer unwavering support as players navigate their role in a complex power struggle.

Stephen Staats, the owner of the Pioneer, revealed the impact of the game on their business, with visitors flocking to the saloon daily due to their connection to the video game.

“We had a young man fly in from Philadelphia for his birthday because of the game,” Staats shared. “He said it was his dream to visit.”

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