[1] The site was chosen by Station Casinos in 1986, as the company believed that the east side of the Las Vegas Valley was under served.

[4][5] Attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony included Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones and Nevada governor Robert Miller.

[4][5] The project was expected to employ 1,700 people, with approximately 260 employees from the Palace Station expressing an interest in being transferred to the new property.

[15] The 44 table games were located in a casino pit accompanied by stained glass murals depicting 19th century trains.

[2] In December 1995, Boulder Station added several new amenities, including an 11-screen movie theater operated by Act III Theatres,[19][20] and later by Regal Cinemas.

[19][20] In response to customer requests, Boulder Station opened an 8,000 sq ft (740 m2), 600-seat bingo parlor in June 1996.

[22] In the late 1990s, Boulder Station launched its Very Important Seniors (VI$) program, offering special discounts to the large number of nearby elderly residents.

[29] A $50 million renovation began on Boulder Station ahead of the August 2008 opening of its new, nearby competitor, Eastside Cannery.

During this time, the Railhead was closed as a concert venue so it could operate as a temporary buffet while the original one underwent remodeling, which concluded in November 2008.

[36] As of 2012, Boulder Station included Pasta Cucina, an Italian restaurant that received a "B+" in a review from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Station Casinos, alleging that the company had unlawfully withdrawn representation.

[45][46] In November 2000, a man crashed a vehicle into Boulder Station, which subsequently sued the driver and the car's owner for $21,790 in damages.

[47] In 2002, a 30-year-old armed man robbed a change booth inside Boulder Station and later opened fire while fleeing through the casino, injuring a slot employee.

[52][53][54][55] On December 31, 2008, a 53-year-old man made a bomb threat against Boulder Station as part of a robbery attempt to pay his medical bills, prompting the evacuation of the casino area.

[28] Country performers at the Railhead have included Trace Adkins, Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Kenny Chesney, Phil Vassar, Zac Brown Band, Miranda Lambert, and the Dixie Chicks.

[73] Other country performers have included Mel Tillis,[74] Leon Russell,[75] Tanya Tucker,[76] Vince Gill,[77] Dwight Yoakam,[78] Brad Paisley,[79] Diamond Rio,[80] and Don Williams.

[81] Other performers have included Jerry Vale,[82] Belinda Carlisle,[83] Diane Schuur,[84][85] Vince Neil,[82] Gaylord and Holiday,[86] Chris Duarte,[87][88][89] Keiko Matsui,[90] Brian Wilson,[91] Wayman Tisdale,[92] Robin Trower,[93] Blue Öyster Cult,[94][95] The Alan Parsons Project,[96][97][98] Delbert McClinton,[99] and Los Lobos.