The Tropicana Las Vegas has been imploded. The venerable 1950s Las Vegas Strip casino resort’s two towers were brought down at 2:30 a.m. local time on October 9.
The implosion followed a livestreamed farewell event, including speeches, music, fireworks, and a genuinely impressive aerial drone light show. The Trop, as locals called it, is set to be replaced by a new Major League Baseball stadium to host the relocated Las Vegas Athletics after their 2027 move from Oakland.
The casino resort opened in 1957 and closed earlier this year. In its heyday, Tropicana was one of the most prestigious and famous casino resorts in the world.
Owner Bally’s has stated that a new casino resort could be possible on the prime Las Vegas Strip land once the stadium is complete. However, it has been tight-lipped on any details so far.
“It is honoring what the Tropicana has meant to Las Vegas,” said Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill this week before the implosion.
“It’s been a big part of our identity, our brand, and certainly early in its history, it was an iconic location. Now we’re going to turn it into a new iconic location, which is very fitting for Las Vegas. It’s very exciting for our city to bring Major League Baseball here.”
The Demolition
The Tropicana stood for 67 years, and its two main towers were demolished in just 22 seconds. Or seven minutes, 22 seconds if you count the pre implosion fireworks and drone show.
Songs picked for the soundtrack included classic Rat Pack and rock ‘n roll favorites, including “Luck Be a Lady Tonight” by Frank Sinatra, “Everybody Loves Somebody” by Dean Martin, and of course, “Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis.
All the while, the drones choreographed out the logos of all the companies involved with the proceedings across the sky, as the impressive fireworks flashed and popped either side, illuminating the newer Las Vegas Strip resorts around.
Those brief pictures included the logos of the Tropicana itself, its last owner Bally’s, the Oakland A’s, and a giant “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. The drones even turned into a picture of a detonator for the final countdown.
And then, they were gone. In just 22 seconds, nearly 60 years of history collapsed to nothing but rubble, with dust clouds floating on the Nevada desert wind. It was the first casino resort implosion in a decade, after several back-to-back in the mid-2000s era.
The History
The Tropicana’s low-rise hotel wings were among the few true 1950s era Mafia- and Rat Pack-connected buildings left on the Las Vegas Strip.
When it opened in 1957, it was a celebrated event, and the resort quickly became a favored haunt of the rich and famous of the day. The resort, featured in multiple Hollywood movies, saw performances from the biggest stars of the time.
Into its later years, Tropicana, in some ways, kept up with the Las Vegas Strip mega casino resort boom that was ushered in by the recently departed Mirage Las Vegas. It added two hotel towers in the 1970s, and it upgraded them both in the 2010s.
The Tropicana remained a profitable concern right up until Bally’s April 2024 decision to close its doors. But it never felt like it truly did compete with the newer, shinier, more expensive casino resorts that eventually surrounded it. Nevertheless, it was beloved by a strong crowd, with many thousands booking out Las Vegas Strip rooms well in advance in order to get a good view of the implosion.
The Future
The 35-acre site is now set to be cleared for construction of the ballpark. Nine acres has been set aside by Bally’s for the stadium project.
“In this case, it’s nice to see a plan coming together,” Bally’s Chairman Kim Soo said, speaking to local Las Vegas media.
“We’re very excited to do our part for the county and the state. We’re contributing this very valuable land, or a piece of it, to welcome the more than billion-and-a-half stadium. I think it’s going to be a game changer.”
There are no firm plans for exactly what will go on the rest of the site. The operator did confirm once again they have a long term goal of building a new casino resort on the site, but not until well after the new stadium is finished and opened, which should be in mid-2027. Construction on the Las Vegas A’s stadium is expected to begin early in 2025.
“It’ll take a number of weeks to clear the site from the rubble,” said Hill.
“As far as I know, the thought process of breaking ground somewhere in the April time frame is still the plan. So full speed ahead along those lines.”
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
