Stardust Hotel & Casino Las Vegas History (1958–2007)
The Stardust Hotel & Casino opened July 2, 1958 at 3000 Las Vegas Blvd S with a 216-foot YESCO sign and closed Nov 1, 2006 before its March 13, 2007 implosion.
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Dunes Hotel & Casino Las Vegas History (1955–1993)
The Dunes Hotel & Casino opened May 23, 1955 at 3650 Las Vegas Blvd S with a 30-foot Sultan statue and closed Jan 26, 1993 before its Oct 27, 1993 implosion.
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Sands Hotel & Casino Las Vegas History: Copa Room & Rat Pack
The Sands Hotel & Casino opened Dec 15, 1952 at 3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, hosted the 1960 Rat Pack Copa Room summit, and was imploded Nov 26, 1996 for The Venetian.
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Riviera Hotel & Casino Las Vegas History (1955–2016)
The Riviera Hotel & Casino opened April 20, 1955 at 2901 Las Vegas Blvd S as the Strip's first 9-story high-rise, closed May 4, 2015, and was imploded in 2016.
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Tropicana Las Vegas History (1957–2024): Mob Era to Implosion
Tropicana Las Vegas opened April 4, 1957 at 3801 Las Vegas Blvd S for $15M, ran Folies Bergere for 49 years, closed April 2, 2024, and was imploded Oct 9, 2024.
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The Mirage Las Vegas History (1989–2024): Volcano to Hard Rock
The Mirage opened Nov 22, 1989 at 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S for $630M, launching the modern Strip megaresort era before closing July 17, 2024 for Hard Rock's rebuild.
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Desert Inn Las Vegas History: Wilbur Clark & Howard Hughes
Opened April 24, 1950 at 3145 Las Vegas Blvd S by Wilbur Clark and Moe Dalitz, the Desert Inn hosted Howard Hughes in 1966 before its Oct 23, 2001 implosion.
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Moulin Rouge Hotel Las Vegas: 1955 Resort & 1960 Agreement
Opened May 24, 1955 at 900 W Bonanza Rd, the Moulin Rouge Hotel Las Vegas broke Jim Crow barriers and hosted the 1960 Strip compact before fires ended its era.
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Flamingo Las Vegas History: Billy Wilkerson & Bugsy Siegel
Founded in 1945 by Billy Wilkerson at 3555 Las Vegas Blvd S and opened Dec 26, 1946 by Bugsy Siegel, the Flamingo launched luxury Strip resorts. Full story.
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Landmark Hotel Las Vegas: Space-Age Tower & 1995 Implosion
Built in 1961 at 364 Convention Center Dr by Frank Carroll and opened July 1, 1969 by Howard Hughes, the 356-ft Landmark Hotel imploded on Nov 7, 1995.
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Aladdin Hotel Las Vegas History: 1966 Opening to Implosion
Rebuilt from the casinoless 1963 Tallyho Inn at 3667 Las Vegas Blvd S, Milton Prell's 1966 Aladdin hosted Elvis's wedding before its April 27, 1998 implosion.
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El Rancho Vegas History: First Strip Resort (1941–1960)
Opened April 3, 1941 at 2500 Las Vegas Blvd S by Thomas Hull and Wayne McAllister, El Rancho Vegas birthed the Strip and $1 buffet before its June 1960 fire.
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Hotel Last Frontier Las Vegas History: New Frontier & Strike
Opened Oct. 30, 1942 at 3120 Las Vegas Blvd S by R.E. Griffith and architect Bill Moore, Hotel Last Frontier became New Frontier and imploded Nov. 13, 2007.
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Hacienda Hotel Las Vegas History: 64-Day Flight & Implosion
Opened in June 1956 at 3950 Las Vegas Blvd S by Warren and Judy Bayley with architect Homer Rissman, the Hacienda Hotel was imploded on Dec. 31, 1996.
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Vegas Vic Pioneer Club Fremont Street History: Glitter Gulch
Opened in 1942 at 25 E Fremont St and crowned in 1951 by YESCO's 40-foot neon Vegas Vic, the Pioneer Club anchored Glitter Gulch until closing in May 1995.
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Las Vegas Atomic Testing History: 1950s Mushroom Clouds
Authorized by President Truman on Dec. 18, 1950 just 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Nevada Test Site fired 100 atmospheric nuclear blasts (1951–1962).
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Frank Lefty Rosenthal Stardust True History Behind Casino
From 1974 to 1982 at 3000 Las Vegas Blvd S, Frank Rosenthal ran Allen Glick's Stardust while Tony Spilotro enforced the skim until FBI raids ended mob rule.
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Elvis Presley International Hotel Las Vegas History (1969–76)
From July 31, 1969 to Dec. 12, 1976 at Kirk Kerkorian and Martin Stern Jr.'s International Hotel (3000 Paradise Rd), Elvis Presley played 636 sold-out shows.
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Liberace Las Vegas Showrooms: 1944–1986 Golden Age History
From his 1944 Hotel Last Frontier debut to his $50,000-a-week 1955 Riviera opening, see how Liberace and French revues built Las Vegas casino showrooms.
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1931 Las Vegas Gambling Legalization, Hoover Dam & Pair-O-Dice
In March 1931, Six Companies won the $48.9M Hoover Dam contract and Nevada signed AB 98 legalizing casinos, launching Fremont Street and the Pair-O-Dice Club.
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Original 1973 MGM Grand Las Vegas: History, 1980 Fire & Bally's
Opened Dec 5, 1973 at 3645 Las Vegas Blvd S, Kirk Kerkorian's original 2,084-room MGM Grand survived the 1980 fire to become Bally's (1986) and Horseshoe (2022).
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Caesars Palace (1966) & Jay Sarno: Las Vegas Strip History
Opened Aug 5, 1966 at 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S by Jay Sarno and architect Melvin Grossman, Caesars Palace transformed the Strip with Roman fountains and boxing.
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Sahara Hotel Las Vegas History: Club Bingo, Prima & 1964 Beatles
Opened Oct 7, 1952 at 2535 Las Vegas Blvd S by Milton Prell and Del Webb on Club Bingo's site, the Sahara hosted Louis Prima, the Beatles, and returned in 2019.
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Binion's Horseshoe Las Vegas: Benny Binion, $1M Cash & WSOP
Opened Aug 14, 1951 at 128 E Fremont St by Benny Binion, Binion's Horseshoe unveiled the $1M cash display in 1954 and launched the World Series of Poker in 1970.
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Golden Nugget Las Vegas History: 1946 Opening to Steve Wynn
Golden Nugget Las Vegas opened August 30, 1946 at 129 E. Fremont St. under Guy McAfee, added a 579-room tower under Steve Wynn in 1977, and operates today.
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Circus Circus & The Mint History: Fear and Loathing's Vegas
Milton Prell opened The Mint at 100 E. Fremont St. in 1957 and Jay Sarno opened Circus Circus in 1968; Hunter S. Thompson immortalized both in March 1971.
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Silver Slipper & Thunderbird Hotel History on Highway 91
Hotel Thunderbird opened Sept. 2, 1948 at 2755 Las Vegas Blvd. S. before imploding in 2000; Bill Moore's 1950 Silver Slipper was razed for parking in 1988.
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Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign History & Betty Willis
Designed by Betty Willis at 5100 Las Vegas Blvd. S. and funded for $4,000 in May 1959, the 25-foot Welcome to Las Vegas sign remains uncopyrighted today.
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Las Vegas Casino Implosions Timeline: Every Blast (1993–2024)
From Steve Wynn's Oct. 27, 1993 Dunes blast to the Oct. 9, 2024 Tropicana implosion, CDI explosives leveled 14 Las Vegas resort landmarks for megaresorts.
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Vintage Las Vegas Casino Chips, Postcards & Matchbooks Guide
Identify 1931–1987 Las Vegas clay casino chips, Curt Teich linen postcard codes, and pre-1973 front-strike matchbooks using edge molds and Regulation 12.
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