Category: The Strip

On This Date: November 21, 1980 The MGM Grand’s Fire Disaster

November 21, 2019
MGM Grand Fire November 21,1980

MGM Grand Fire November 21, 1980

The MGM Grand fire occurred on November 21, 1980 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Bally’s Las Vegas) in Las Vegas, located on the corner of Flamingo Road and the Las Vegas Blvd. The fire killed 85 people, mostly through smoke inhalation. The tragedy remains the worst disaster in Nevada history, and the third-worst hotel fire in modern U.S. history. The fire was caused by an electrical ground fault inside a wall from a restaurant call “The Deli” located on the the south end of the casino.

MGM Grand ( now Bally's) Worst Fire Disaster in Nevada's History on Nov. 21, 1980

MGM Grand (now Bally’s) Worst Fire Disaster in Nevada’s History on Nov. 21, 1980

Fire spread across the areas of the casino in which no fire sprinklers were installed. Smoke spread into the hotel tower. A total of 85 people were killed and 650 injured, including guests, employees and 14 firefighters. While the fire primarily damaged the second floor casino and adjacent restaurants, most of the deaths were on the upper floors of the hotel, and were caused by smoke inhalation. Openings in vertical shafts (elevators and stairwells) and seismic joints allowed toxic smoke to spread to the top floor.

The fire at the MGM lead to new strict fire regulations for all hotels and commercial buildings in Nevada and are consider the most

Photo by: Wikipedia.org

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On This Date: November 13, 2007 the New Frontier Hotel was Imploded

November 13, 2019
The New Frontier was a hotel and casino

The New Frontier Hotel and Casino imploded on November 13, 2007

On this date, November 13, 2007 the New Frontier Hotel and Casino was imploded on the Las Vegas Strip. Originally, the property started as a nightclub called Pair-O-Dice that opened in 1930, then The Ambassador Night Club in 1936 and was renamed the 91 Club in 1939 for its location on US 91. It was subsequently rebuilt and renamed the “Hotel Last Frontier” in 1942. On April 4, 1955, it was renamed the New Frontier, following a modernization of the resort.

The Last Frontier Hotel & Casino, (later renamed the New Frontier) was the second resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip and operated continuously from October 30, 1942 until it closed its doors for good at 12:00 A.M. on July 16, 2007.

The resort had the distinction of hosting Elvis Presley’s first Vegas appearance in 1956, and the final performance of Diana Ross and The Supremes on January 14, 1970. The New Frontier was also the starting place for Vegas headliners, Siegfried & Roy before they Moved to the Mirage.

The building was demolished on November 13, 2007. In 2007, A new hotel casino, tentatively titled the Las Vegas Plaza, was proposed to be built in its place but those plan were scuttled in 2011.

Photo By: Wikipedia.org

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On this Date: October 27, 1993 Treasure Island Hotel Opened on the Las Vegas Strip

October 27, 2019
Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino now called “TI”

Treasure Island was opened by Mirage Resorts on October 27, 1993 under the direction of Steve Wynn at a cost of $450 million. The resort was originally going to be a tower expansion for the Mirage, but become its own resort. The property sits at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd (the Strip) and Spring Mountain Road. Its current neighbors consists of the Mirage, Venetian, Fashion Show Mall, the Palazzo and the Wynn Resort.

The resort is home to Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère. When opened in 1993. Originally, Treasure Island had a free “Buccaneer Bay” show in a large man-made lake fronting the resort. The show included 2 boats, one in dock and another,a pirate ship, which sailed into port to rain mayhem, but ultimately is sunk at the last cannon shot. In 2003, the show was replaced the Sirens’ Cove featuring the Sirens of TI which removed the sailing pirate ship to make was for new mall space and also become more adult orientated. The Sirens’ Cove was closed on October 21, 2013.

On December 15, 2008, MGM Mirage was sold for $775 million to Phil Ruffin, former owner of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino.

Photo by: Treasure Island (4068177090) by Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom

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On This Date: October 27, 1993, The Dunes Hotel was Imploded

The Dunes Hotel and Casino

The Dunes Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip

On October 27, 1993 the Dunes Hotel and Casino on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Road was imploded to make way for the Steve Wynn’s new project, the Bellagio Resort.  The Dunes opened on May 23, 1955 and remained open until it closed on January 26, 1993.

The Dunes was demolished in a grand ceremony that involved major fireworks displays and the use of several “cannon blasts” from the English ship ‘HMS Britannia’ of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

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On This Date: October 17, 1956 The Hacienda Hotel Opened on the Las Vegas Strip

October 17, 2019
Hacienda Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip

Hacienda Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip

The Hacienda was a hotel/casino that operated on the Las Vegas Strip from 1956 to 1996. The Hotel was closed on December 10, 1996 and later was imploded on New Year’s Eve in 1999.

The Hacienda, while being designed, was called  the Lady Luck (not to be confused with the downtown’s Lady Luck), but before it was finished it was sold and eventually opened as the Hacienda in 1956. The Hacienda resort initially opened in 1954 without a casino. The hotel owned its own fleet of airliners for its ambitious air travel promotions, it was located directly across from McCarran Air Field.  The Hacienda was also one of the first Strip hotels to market to families and budget travelers. After the implosion, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Hotel was built on the old Hacienda site.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries – See more at: http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/sky/1759#sthash.SFei5Q9I.dpuf
University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries – See more at: http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/sky/1759#sthash.SFei5Q9I.dpuf
Hacienda Hotel neon sign

Hacienda Neon Horse from the original hotel now stands in Downtown Las Vegas (restored)

B & W Photo By: University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries
Photo: Neon Horse – LasVegas360.com

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On this Date October 15, 1998 the Bellagio opened on the Las Vegas Strip

October 15, 2019
The Fountains at the Bellagio

The amazing fountains at night at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Bellagio resort open on October 15, 1998. the resort was conceived by Steve Wynn. Located on the old Dunes hotel and golf course on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Road.  The main tower of Bellagio is 36 floors tall, has 3015 rooms. The Spa Tower, which stands to the south of the main tower, is 33 floors and contains 935 rooms.  The Bellagio’s famous attractions include: Bellagio Gallery Of Fine Art, Bellagio Conservatory, the Fountains of Bellagio and Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic production called “O”.

In 2001, The hotel was featured in the movie Ocean’s 11 starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts.

Wynn sold Mirage Resorts to MGM Grand in 2000, resulting in the formation of MGM Mirage.

Photo by: wikipedia.org

 

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