In 22 seconds, 67 years of Las Vegas history ended with the implosion of the famed Tropicana Las Vegas.
As the Tropicana went down Wednesday morning, onlookers were treated to a recording of Frank Sinatra's “Luck Be a Lady.” – a fitting serenade for a casino that saw many visits from "Ol' Blue Eyes and his Rat Pack compadres.
Just before the 22-second implosion, the crowd was entertained by a 555-drone and fireworks show. And then the 22,000 feet of detonating cord and over 2,000 pounds of explosives brought down the Tropicana’s two 22-story towers.
INSANE! Tropicana Implosion was Incredible to witness in person! Spectacular fireworks & drone show ended with 2 towers coming down.
— Attractions 360° (@SoCal360) October 9, 2024
It was freaking EPIC!!! Love the drone countdown detonator 🤯🤯🤯 👏👏👏💥💥💥#DropTheTrop pic.twitter.com/IXnCieXk0j
Built in 1957, the Tropicana was the third-oldest casino on the Strip. It witnessed the transformation of Las Vegas from the mob era to corporate casino resort town, to its latest incarnation as a sports mega center. Fittingly, the Tropicana may soon be part of the
sportification of Las Vegas. Or at least that’s what Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher is banking on.
“The demolition of the Tropicana represents an important milestone in the process of bringing A’s baseball to the world-renowned Las Vegas Strip and the community of Southern Nevada.” said Bally’s Corporation chairman Soo Kim in an earlier press release.
The Tropicana officially closed its doors in April, paving the way for the A’s new home. Potentially nine acres of the 35-acre property will be dedicated to a state-of-the-art ballpark. In July, Bally’s secured a permit for the casino’s implosion, giving it until Oct. 20th to complete the $15 million demolition.
“Bally’s is honored to have been part of this historic moment, bidding farewell to the iconic Tropicana," Kim added. "As we celebrate its legacy, we look ahead to building a world-class entertainment reports, the future home of the Athletics and cementing Las Vegas as the ultimate sports and entertainment capital.”
It had been eight years since the last Vegas casino demolition, when the final tower of the Riviera was cleared to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center. But there have been almost two dozen casino implosions in Las Vegas, including the Dunes (1993), the Sands (1996), the Alladin (1998), and the Desert Inn (2001).
And since Las Vegas is a city known for reinventing itself, it's likely the Tropicana won’t be the last casino to go down in a blaze of fanfare and glory.
