16 Cool Rat Pack Haunts You Can Still Visit in Las Vegas and Beyond

In our fractured, post-digital media environment, it's an increasingly rare thing for one artist or group of artists to truly define our pop culture for any period of time. That's why it can be so fascinating to look back and revel in the memories of those who did. In the 1950s, '60s, and beyond, the American media world was often dominated by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Vegas strip-centered entertainers collectively dubbed the Rat Pack. Here are some of the best places in Las Vegas and beyond to learn about and revisit their well-publicized high society antics.

Related: 40 Famous People's Homes You Can Visit

Las Vegas

Though it's gone through many iterations, the Golden Gate Hotel stands as the oldest casino in Las Vegas, dating back to 1905, and has been the site of many firsts for the city ever since. Called the "original" hangout of Rat Pack members like Sinatra, Martin, and Davis, the ritzy spot has recently been expanded and renovated with new guest rooms, making it once again a central fixture in downtown Vegas, for which there's been a resurgence of visitor interest.

Beverly Hills, California

Older than the town of Beverly Hills itself, this luxe pink hotel was favored by many Old Hollywood icons even before the Rat Pack, including Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, and John Wayne. Sinatra and Co. had drinking bouts in the surviving Polo Lounge, while honorary members Lauren Bacall (rumored to have originated the "Rat Pack" moniker) and Marilyn Monroe stayed here while making their respective films "Designing Woman" and "Let's Make Love" onsite.

Hoboken, New Jersey

As evidenced by some of the humorous banter on his live records, Frank Sinatra wasn't exactly fond of his New Jersey hometown, but Hoboken still cherishes a select few neighborhood fixtures favored by Ol' Blue Eyes, like this enduring home-cooked Italian eatery. Founder Leo DiTerlizzi was a close friend of Sinatra's before his post-fame move out to the West Coast, and subsequently turned the restaurant into a tribute of sorts, featuring framed photos and an extensive jukebox of strictly Sinatra.

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Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs served as Sinatra's home and a quieter desert hideaway for Rat Pack members visiting from either Vegas or Hollywood, and the Purple Room was one of their favored hangouts and performance venues, where Sinatra proposed to his fourth and final wife, Barbara. The high-class joint located within the Club Trinidad Hotel still hosts cabaret stars and jazz and show tunes crooners of whom Sinatra and Co. would have heartily approved.

Las Vegas

Offering "the best steaks on earth" since 1958, the Golden Steer is Las Vegas' oldest steakhouse and retains the old-fashioned, red-booths-and-white-tablecloths look that made it such a hit with Rat Pack stars and Chicago mobsters alike. Sammy Davis Jr. in particular came here often after shows since the hotels he performed at had segregated bars. For the full Rat Pack experience, reserve Sinatra's plaque-commemorated favorite table ahead of time and order cherries jubilee or bananas foster as dessert for a fiery tableside show.

Related: 15 Old-School Dishes Making a Comeback at Restaurants

Miami Beach, Florida

Spanning multiple city blocks, the Fontainebleau was Miami Beach's most luxurious building upon its opening in 1954, so naturally Rat Pack members frequented and performed there while in the area. It also featured in their films such as Sinatra's "A Hole in the Head" and Jerry Lewis' "The Bellboy," then fell into relative obscurity before undergoing a $1 billion facelift in 2008.

Las Vegas

Opened in 1952, Atomic Liquors is known as Las Vegas' oldest free-standing bar and serves as a link through much of Sin City's iconic past. In addition to appearing in films like "Casino" and "The Hangover," it has drawn performers like the Rat Pack, the Smothers Brothers, and Barbra Streisand in their respective eras. Today, Atomic has an emphasis on diverse craft beers with weekly specials and cool cocktails like the Hunter S. Mash and the Atomic Mule.

Naples, Italy

For a Rat Pack-approved experience in the Old World, head to this five-star seafront hotel with views of Mount Vesuvius. Erected in 1882, the Grand Hotel Vesuvio was alluring enough to attract members of the extended celebrity family like Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, and Rita Hayworth, who represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their famous clientele from throughout the years.

Las Vegas

Sinatra's chief performance venue in Vegas was once the now-defunct Sands Hotel, but his public feud with its billionaire owner Howard Hughes drove him to favor the Caesars Palace hotel and casino starting in 1967. The 1,000-seat theater gave him a bigger audience for the latter era of his career and the baccarat tables a new outlet for his high-stakes gambling tendencies, while the Cleopatra's Barge lounge was a favored bar for him and Dean Martin after shows.

Las Vegas

The Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge opened in 1972, making it another of the few Strip mainstays to weather decades of redevelopment. Also featured in "Casino" and "Showgirls," the 24-hour restaurant and bar has remained a popular hangout for visitors and performers alike, from the days of Dean Martin and other Rat Pack members to Penn & Teller, even now that its day-glow lighting and extravagant tiki cocktails have been rendered more kitschy than swanky.

Palm Springs, California

Frank and Barbara held their pre-wedding dinner at this white glove-style supper club in the Ingleside Inn. They still have a dress code and nightly entertainment recalling the style and songs of Rat Pack stars, plus traditional cuisine from brunch until dinner, most notably the New York Steak a la Sinatra with truffle bordelaise sauce.

Las Vegas

This home on the National Register of Historic Places once belonged to the Sands Hotel's bandleader Antonio Morelli and his wife, Helen, who regularly hosted the hotel's most prominent entertainers like Sinatra, Martin, Tony Bennett, and Nat King Cole for parties and rehearsals alike. The house was moved and renovated in its current location in 2001 and is available to view through pre-arranged group tours, offering a rare glimpse into one of the mid-century modern homes where the Rat Pack spent their spare time.

Palm Springs, California

The titular owner of Johnny Costa's on the main drag of downtown Palm Springs was not just Frank Sinatra's server but his friend, too, also preparing food for the singer from the comfort of his nearby home. Of course, the restaurant still features the crooner's favorite dishes prominently on the menu, the linguine and clams, and Steak Sinatra, pan-seared just the way Frank liked it, with garlic, mushrooms, and bell peppers in red wine sauce.

Palm Springs, California

Opened in 1936 by a mobster member of the Purple Gang, Sinatra once called this Rat Pack hangout of the late '50s his "home away from home," where he favored staying in the two-story Colony Palms Suite with yard. Guests can still rent the suite, though its lower level has been converted to a meeting room, and appreciate the evocative Mediterranean "Casablanca"-style decor.

Las Vegas

In 1982, Frank Sinatra signed a contract with Steve Wynn to perform at this downtown Vegas mainstay, at which point the hotel scrambled to set up a dressing room and performance venue called the Theater Ballroom. Sinatra appeared in nationally televised commercials for the hotel, and along with country singer Willie Nelson christened the stage on its opening night. It's safe to say his influence played a large part in the Golden Nugget's continued expansion and success, now incorporating an extra 500 hotel rooms and a three-story poolside aquarium.   

Related: Must-See Vegas Attractions That Aren't on the Strip

Hoboken, New Jersey

Lepore's Chocolate Shop was opened well after Sinatra had moved from Hoboken, but he would still stop by while playing shows in New York City to commune with the still-living owner Mario Lepore and pick up some of their chocolate-covered apricots — another favorite food he frequently had shipped out West. Nowadays the sweets shop is another of Hoboken's veritable Sinatra shrines, with cutouts of his personage and his hit songs playing on a loop.