Robert,
Have you seen the threads that I've been posting over the last couple of weeks?

If you love the history, you HAVE to spend time downtown. That's where Las Vegas began. In fact, technically the Strip isn't even in Las Vegas.

Since you're staying at the Stardust, and love the history angle, you probably know that Tony Cornero was building the Stardust when he died. (And you probably know that he died while shooting craps at the Desert Inn). And you probably know that for a couple of years he ran the SS Rex Club in downtown Las Vegas (where the Horseshoe is now). If you read my thread you know that there's a light fixture in the Horseshoe that came from Tony's ship, the SS Rex. And at the Horseshoe, there's a small newsstand on the main floor, not far from where the stairs go down to the coffee shop. Near the newsstand there's a stairway that goes up...take those stairs and you're in the old Apache Hotel. They had the first elevator in Las Vegas.

When you're downtown, visit the little slot joint La Bayou. In 1931 that was the first casino to receive a Clark County gaming license (it was the Northern Club then). Then go next door to the Golden Gate Casino, it first opened in 1906 as the Hotel Nevada, was the first concrete building in southern Nevada, and had the first telephone in Las Vegas. Have breakfast (or something) in the Bay City Diner and you can read bits of history on the place mat while you're waiting for your meal.

Go down to Neonopolis. On the ground floor is a store (Lost Vegas) that has old ashtrays, some chips and other stuff for sale, but they also have a gaming museum that you'll enjoy.

And, if they haven't changed the exhibits, the Nevada State Museum in Lorenzi Park has some neat old gaming stuff (and the door to Bugsy's suite in the Flamingo), and other Nevada historical displays.

Here's some of the threads where I've been posting bits of history:
http://www.thechipboard.com/cgi-bin/tcb/tcb.pl?read=531467
http://www.thechipboard.com/cgi-bin/tcb/tcb.pl?read=531652
http://www.thechipboard.com/cgi-bin/tcb/tcb.pl?read=534280

Sorry...this kinda' got away from me! Didn't mean to ramble on...