On November 22, 1989, the Mirage Hotel and Casino opened its doors. The Mirage was the first new resort to be built on the Las Vegas Strip for more than 15 years, the last opening being the MGM Grand. When it opened, the $630 million Mirage was the largest hotel in the world with a […]
On November 7th 1941 the El Cortez Hotel and Casino opened it doors. It promoted itself as “The new Uptown Hotel in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas,” and the city’s largest and most fashionable resort, playing a vital role in the economic development of Fremont Street. Originally constructed for $325,000, the Spanish Ranch style […]
On November 3rd 2016, singer and dancer Kay Starr passed away. An occasional performer at the Las Vegas Strip casinos, Kay also sang at Harry S. Truman’s presidential inauguration in 1945. She went on to achieve gold with her signature song ‘Wheel of Fortune’. Kay could tackle almost every genre of song, from pop to rock […]
On 18th October 1968 Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel & Casino opened its doors. Although no longer part of the frontage, Circus Circus opened with an acre of water fountains in the front of the ‘Big Top’, which is still the largest permanent big top in the world at 90ft tall. Costing $15 million, it […]
#OnThisDay in 1966 Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino opened with a lavish launch party that reportedly cost $1,000,000! At the time Caesars Palace was the largest hotel ever built as a single unified project in Nevada. It had 700 rooms across 14 crescent-shaped floors, although some were still being built when it first opened its […]
On June 2nd 1966 the Four Queens Hotel & Casino opened on Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. The casino was named after the four daughters of the founder and president Ben Goffstein. In turn, they were named after a queen from a pack of cards: Michele (the eldest) was the Queen of Spades, Benita the […]
On 24 May 1955 the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino opened. It was located at at 900, Bonanza Road on the west side of Las Vegas; becoming what the promoters called “the nation’s first major interracial hotel”. Opening to standing-room only mixed crowds, the night stage show included the stage show an all African American […]
On 23 May 1955 the Dunes Hotel and Casino opened – the 10th resort on the Strip, and Las Vegas was booming! Two other casinos had opened in the previous month, the Riviera and Royal Nevada, and the off-Strip Moulin Rouge was planned for the following day. The Dunes was themed on the stories of […]
On May 3rd, 1999, the Venetian Hotel and casino opened its doors to the sounds of trumpets and singing gondoliers! The Venetian is located where the Sands Hotel and Casino used to stand. Construction started in 1997 and the final building comprised of 3,036 rooms, was 35 storys high and eventually cost $1.5 billion – making […]
On April 24th 1950, Wilbur Clark’s Desert Inn opened its doors and became the fifth major resort on the Strip. While it had taken a couple of years to complete the construction due to money troubles, the final building was a place of luxury and offered 300 hotel rooms. The resort also provided views of […]
