Las Vegas Strip
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[edit] Boundaries
The Strip runs from the Stratosphere at the northern end to Mandalay Bay on the southern end. Of the 4 miles, nearly 3.5 miles of it is located in the township of Paradise, Clark County. Depending on the definition, very little to none of it is within the Las Vegas city limits. McCarran Airport (LAS) is located at the southern end of The Strip, along with the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, which also appears in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard at the north end near the intersection of E. St. Louis and S. Main Street. The "South Strip" is used to describe the section of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sunset Road or Blue Diamond Road and St. Rose Parkway.
[edit] History
The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931; the first on what is today's Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941 with 63 rooms and standing for almost 20 years before being destroyed by fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become The Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. The Flamingo opened a few years later, on December 26, 1946.In 1968, Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Flamingo and hired Sahara Hotels Vice President Alex Shoofey as President. Alex Shoofey brought along 33 of Sahara's top executives. The Flamingo was used to train future employees of the International Hotel, which was under construction. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel with 1,512 rooms, would become the largest hotel in the world, and begin the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as the Las Vegas Hilton today.
The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, also a Kerkorian property, opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. At the time, this was the largest hotel in the world by number of rooms. On November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas, killing 87 people as a result of electrical problems. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing and it was renamed Bally's.
The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. This change impacted the smaller, well-known and now historic hotels and casinos, like The Dunes and The Sands.
In 1995, following the death of Dean Martin, the lights along the strip were dimmed in a sign of respect to him. In 2005, Las Vegas renamed Industrial Road "Dean Martin Drive", also as a tribute to the famous Rat Pack singer, actor, and frequent Las Vegas entertainer.
In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The (current) MGM Grand opened in 1993 with Grand Adventures amusement park, but it closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ti name.
Downtown Las Vegas hotels and casinos suffered heavily from the Strip's boom. They have funneled money into remodeling the facades of casinos, adding additional security and new attractions, like the Fremont Street Experience and Neonopolis (complete with movie theaters).
In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, The Strip is home to a few smaller casinos, motels, and other attractions, such as M&M World, Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall. Starting in the mid 1990s, The Strip became a popular New Year's Eve celebration destination. Wet and Wild water park, located next to the Sahara hotel, closed permanently at the end of the 2004 season.
In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for Project City Center, a 66 acre (600,000 m²), $7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It will consist of hotel, casino, condo, retail and other uses on the site. When completed, City Center will be the largest such complex on Earth. Construction began in April of 2006, and the first elements of this project are expected to be available in 2009.
[edit] The Strip today
[edit] Transportation
While not on The Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs on the east side of The Strip from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Road.
CAT Bus provides service on the strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce. The Deuce stops at most major resorts and continues north to downtown and the Fremont Street Experience. A current list of fares is available.
A tourist trolley service travels up and down The Strip and stops at various, but not all, Strip hotels, along with a stop at the Fashion Show Mall. The fare is $2.00 per ride, exact change required. Trolleys are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes.
Two small cable-pulled trams operate on the Strip. One runs between Treasure Island and The Mirage. The other provides service to Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur.
[edit] Free Shuttles
- Between Harrah's Las Vegas and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
- Between Caesars Palace and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
- Between Paris/Bally's and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
- Between Barbary Coast and The Orleans. Approximately every 15 minutes.
- Between Barbary Coast and Gold Coast. Approximately every 15 minutes.
- Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand and the Harley-Davidson Cafe (next to the Aladdin). Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
- Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Fashion Show Mall and the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
- Between Wynn Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center Monorail Stop
Many free shuttles have a policy requiring a room key from an affiliated casino, but it is not typically enforced.
[edit] Walking around
Compared to major roadways in other cities, the Las Vegas Strip is becoming pedestrian-friendly. New casinos design their facades to attract walk-up customers and many of these entrances have become attractions themselves - the Fountains at Bellagio, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Treasure Island (TI) Sirens of TI are the most well-known. People gather on the sidewalks in front of the casinos to watch these shows.
To alleviate traffic issues at popular intersections, footbridges have been installed to help pedestrians more safely cross the roads. The Tropicana - Las Vegas Boulevard footbridges were the first to be installed, and based on the success of this project additional footbridges have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard at the Flamingo Road intersection; between The Mirage/Treasure Island and The Venetian; and the latest ones at the Las Vegas Boulevard-Spring Mountain and Sands Avenue intersection connecting the Wynn with the Fashion Show Mall.
[edit] Golf courses
In recent years, all but one of the on-Strip golf courses (the Desert Inn Golf Course) have fallen prey to the mega-resorts need for land and have closed. Developer Steve Wynn, founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts, purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts. In 2005, he opened Wynn Las Vegas, complete with remodeled golf course providing tee times to hotel guests only.
In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club, opened just south of Mandalay Bay and the Strip. Catering to a high-end golf enthusiast, the Bali Hai Golf Course can easily be seen by drivers on I-15.
[edit] Demolished Strip hotels
- Boardwalk Hotel and Casino: Imploded May 9, 2006 to make way for Project City Center.
- Desert Inn (and golf course): Demolished, now Wynn Las Vegas.
- The Dunes (and golf course): Demolished, now Bellagio
- El Rancho Vegas: Burned down in 1960. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club timeshare now exists on the south edge of the site where the resort once stood.
- El Rancho (formerly Thunderbird/Silverbird): Demolished, now slated for the Fontainebleau, a proposed new 4000-room casino-hotel.
- Glass Pool Inn was called Mirage Motel until 1988 when forced to change name due to The Mirage opening down The Strip in 1989.
- Hacienda: Demolished, now Mandalay Bay
- Marina (hotel and casino): Westward pointing tower (known as the West Wing) of the MGM Grand
- The Sands: Demolished, now The Venetian
- Vegas World: demolished and rebuilt as the Stratosphere; parts of the old Vegas World still remain.
[edit] Major Hotel Locations
| Name | Rooms | Opened / Notes | |
| Stratosphere 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,444 | April 30, 1996 | |
| Sahara 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 1,720 | 1952 | |
| Circus Circus 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,770 | October 18, 1968 | |
| Westward Ho 2900 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 744 | 1963 Closed on November 17, 2005 | |
| Riviera 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,100 | April 20, 1955 | |
| Echelon Place 3000 Las Vegas Blvd. South | Stardust July 2, 1958- November 1, 2006. Echelon Place to open in 2010. | ||
| New Frontier 3120 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 1,000 | October 30, 1942 | |
| Wynn Las Vegas 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,716 | April 28, 2005 | |
| Treasure Island (TI) 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,900 | October 27, 1993 | |
| The Venetian 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 4,049 | May 3, 1999 | |
| The Mirage 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,049 | November 22, 1989 | |
| Casino Royale 3411 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 152 | Nob Hill 1979 Casino Royale 1992 | |
| Harrah's Las Vegas 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,616 | 1992 Previously known as the Holiday Casino | |
| Imperial Palace 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,700 | 1980 Previously known as the Flamingo Capri | |
| Flamingo 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,642 | 1946 - known as the Flamingo Hilton from 1974-99. | |
| Caesars Palace 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,348 | August 5, 1966 | |
| Barbary Coast 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 200 | 1979 | |
| Bellagio 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,000 | October 15, 1998 | |
| Bally's 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,814 | Bonanza Hotel July 5, 1973 as the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Sold in 1986 and renamed.<ref>The exact dates differ in some sources.</ref> | |
| Paris 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 1,900 | September 1, 1999 | |
| Aladdin 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 2,567 | 1963 as the Tally-Ho. Rebuilt and reopened on August 18, 2000. As of 2006, is undergoing renovation and will be renamed the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino when work is complete. | |
| Project City Center | Under construction | ||
| Monte Carlo 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,002 | June 21, 1996 | |
| New York-New York 3790 Las Vegas Blvd South | 2,024 | January 3,1997 | |
| MGM Grand 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 5,044 | December 18, 1993 The MGM Grand Las Vegas is currently the largest hotel in the world. | |
| Tropicana 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 1,800 | 1957 | |
| Excalibur 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 4,032 | June 19, 1990 | |
| Luxor 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 4,407 | October 15, 1993 | |
| THEhotel at Mandalay Bay 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 1,117 | 2004 On November 17, 2005 the hotel started to change the signage to set this hotel apart from the Mandalay Bay. | |
| Mandalay Bay 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 3,700 | March 2, 1999 | |
| Four Seasons 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South | 424 | 1999 Top four floors of Mandalay Bay's main building. | |
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| Schematic map of major hotel locations on the Strip | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Shopping attractions
| Name | Description |
| Bonanza Gift Store 2440 Las Vegas Boulevard South | World's largest gift store, Purveyors of Las Vegas Pop culture |
| Fashion Show Mall 3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South | Opposite Wynn Las Vegas |
| Grand Canal Shoppes 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South | A canal, with gondolas and singing gondoliers, winds along in front of many of the shops. |
| Desert Passage 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South | Part of the Aladdin hotel. |
| The Forum Shops at Caesars Las Vegas Boulevard South |
[edit] Also see
- Macau, as of 2006 the largest casino gambling centre in the world (in US dollar terms, gross revenues), overtaking the Las Vegas Strip.
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Las Vegas Weather and Climate
- Las Vegas Strip Virtual Tour - 650 photographs arranged in two virtual tours: at day and night. June 2006.
[edit] Sources
- Yahoo! Maps listing distance from Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay.
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