After 67 years of operation, legendary Tropicana Las Vegas will close on 2 April 2024 to mark the end of an era. The inevitable part of the gaming and entertainment industry since 1957, the resort has come of an age to shut down the business and step down from the stage.
Closing to Make Room For the new Athletics Stadium:
It’s the spirit of the property that will keep the story alive, but the time has taken its toll from the Tropicana’s appearance. The iconic casino will reportedly be demolished later this year to make room for the upcoming prospect, a new Major League Baseball Stadium. As USA Today reports, once the Tropicana is gone, the Sahara casino resort will be the only testimony of the time when some legendary pop starts walked the pavements of Las Vegas and rolled the tables.
”Sad for Historians”:
An exciting chapter of Las Vegas history seems over now. The announced demise may be ”sad for historians,” as University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor Michael Green reportedly said, but also a move to make way for future projects. Green reportedly told the source:“Hotels built in the 1950s were not designed for the 2020s.” As USA Today reports, Green considers that the Tropicana’s closing“reflects Las Vegas changing to keep up with and get ahead of everyone else.” He added: ”The times have changed.”
When opened in April 1957, the Tropicana represented a $15 million project and the most expensive Las Vegas resort. The luxurious 300-room property was soon called ”the Tiffany of the Strip” to become a symbol of beauty, luxury and ”quiet dignity,” according to Las Vegas Review-Journal as reported by USA Today. As indicated, the resort has also become a prestigious entertainment venue hosting artists and famous jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and many more.
Testimony of the Time:
Anyone fond of 1950s movies knows that casinos, jewels, and money had mob spinning around like a roulette ball. The Tropicana was a sort of template for these movies, according to Green, as the resort was reportedly”also known as having been opened by the mob.” The professor reportedly said that the 1950s mobster Frank Costello had a paper with winning figures from the Tropicana casino when he was shot to give the police a clue about the casino operations but also tons of material for movie makers to render a portrait of the time.
As reported by USA Today, the Tropicana’s gaming floor will close on 2 April 2024 with a tentative demolition date scheduled for October. Soon after the demolition, the land will be used for the new Athletics Stadium to mark the beginning of a new era. The memory of the property will live on as the Tropicana will reportedly work with the local institutions to “preserve the heritage and items of sentimental value within the Tropicana.”