360 Vegas

Random Vegas The original monorail was only a joint venture between MGM Grand and Bally’s.  It opened in June of 1995.  In the early 2000 it expanded to become the Las Vegas Monorail (vintagelasvegas.com)   TwitPic of the week It isn’t anything historic except that it was the first incarnation of the Caesars Palace sign, shared by @summacorp.  You can tell because it only uses 3 of the 4 pillars on the sign. Future versions added more sign boards and eventually grew to encompass 6 pillars of signage. It was never the tallest or the grandest, it’s just a great POV of a magnificent sign that captured my imagination. News 360VV15 Update Virgin Strike Tallest hotel proposed

Random Vegas This week in 1974 the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials began airing on NBC.  All (except the 1st) were taped in the Ziegfred Room at the original MGM Grand.  It went on hiatus from 80-83 after the hotel fire. The last was taped in late 1984 (@_GrandpaD) TwitPic of the week It’s beyond sad to see the Dunes turret marquee in pieces, as shared by @Vegas_visual. A marquee among marquees. A game changer. Its destruction was a giant wake-up call to all who loved the city, it will continue to grow and evolve at any and all expense. Nothing will stop this city from evolving into whatever it needs to be to continue to be one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. So we have to be grateful for what we have and enjoy it while we have it, or risk getting your heart broken. News 360 Book Update When We Were Young 2025 A’s Stadium Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace Caesars Sales

Random Vegas For a time, Las Vegas had the three tallest neon signs in the world as the Dunes sign rose to 180 feet, the Frontier’s sign rose to 184 and Stardust’s most iconic sign rose to 188 feet to be the tallest sign in the world for the decade to follow (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) TwitPic of the week Oh come on Harrah’s, how is that riverboat casino not like a 1,000 x better than the homogenized casino you have now.  In this week’s picture by @las_when, we not only get to enjoy the riverboat again but its neighbor Imperial Palace.  Then just for fun take a look to the right at all that undeveloped real estate in between Excalibur and Caesars. You can tell this picture is from the mid 90s because they are working on the land that will become the Fountains of Bellagio. The savvy viewer will spot Aladdin across the street from all that land.  This POV is from Treasure Island, the same view that helped us fall in love with the city for the first time in 2006. News 360 Book Update

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/360vegas/360-vegas-presents-vegas?ref=project_build We wrote a book and now we need your help to get it published. Contribute to our kickstarter and receive various rewards for doing so. A link can be found on the blog and via social media. If you can’t find it, just let us know and we’ll get it for you. Thanks for your support. 

Random Vegas  The largest free standing LED sign in the world is Aria’s marquee at 260 feet high and 65 feet wide  TwitPic of the week  Only in Vegas can a building grow. For example, look no further than Caesars Palace. This is a property that opened as a 700-room resort and today has almost 4,000. More than that, its multiple expansions took over an entire city block.  Say what you will about the interior layout this property is sexy as hell, especially shared via @maverickheli's unique POV. I’m not sure which I prefer, the original with the Sarno blocks and teal backlighting or the more authentic Greco roman esthetic. Either way, she’s a looker.  News 360 Kickstarter Bed Bug Scars Sick New World 2025 LIV Las Vegas Closing Bally’s Tropicana Plans

September 2024  

Random Vegas  The temperature in Las Vegas reached 100 degrees six times in Oct 2024.  Between 1937 and 2023, It hit 100 degrees in October a TOTAL of 6 times. (LasVegasLocally)  TwitPic of the week  A unique perspective of a unique lady in Vegas history. The Tropicana was called “the Tiffany of the strip”.  The nickname is said to come from the property’s shape as a necklace. That POV was captured with week by @_GrandpaD. We are honored that we got to be there for her demise. She will forever have a special place in my heart as a result.  The saddest part of this story is that Tropicana was profitable before it closed, just like another icon many feel was gone before its time, Stardust. News G2E 2024 Slot Vultures Halloween In Vegas

Random Vegas Most people know the story about Sands boss Carl Cohen knocking two of Frank Sinatra’s teeth out after one of his legendary temper tantrums.  But did you know that a similar situation happened at Caesars Palace?  Sinatra wanted credit to play $16k a hand at baccarat but the casino limit was $2k and he was already being allowed to play at $8k a hand.  When he was told no, Frank of course got angry and made a scene that included some threats.  In response, the hotel’s executive vice president pulled a gun on Sinatra.  He was later booked for assault with a deadly weapon but charges were later dismissed.  That man’s name was Sandford Waterman.  Sinatra didn’t finish the rest of his engagement at the property but eventually returned and apologized. TwitPic of the week Thank you 1968 for existing and for the photographer that captured this view, shared by@Summacorp, of the Stardust marquee in all her massive glory. This sign is one of the most iconic in Vegas history and thankfully was saved by the N

Random Vegas Clark County paid $4k for the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in 1959.  In 2008 they paid $400k to build the first 12 parking spaces. (@Vegas_Visual) TwitPic of the week It may not be as glorious as the original, but Fremont St is still stunning as shown by @FSELV.  Even the Fremont St Experience canopy stretching 4 city blocks is beautiful in its own way.  Arial views of Vegas give us a change to appreciate the collection of awesome we get to experience as humans.  I’m so grateful for the ordinance that requires neon to be preserved downtown. News Review Journalism Caramella Celebrity Gambling

Random Vegas Over $40,000 per year is collected and donated to charity from coins tossed into the Venetian canals and fountains (VitalVegas) TwitPic of the week This week’s winner by @Bluestorm2000 perfectly sums up the appeal of Vegas, sometimes things just line up and despite the odds and the house edge, sometimes you just win.  That’s why we gamble, for those moments.  Here we have a picture of Bellagio with the sun acting as a solar crown to the peak of the building.  What else can you say about this building that hasn’t already been said.  Nothing I can think of this week. News Top Rated Hotel Casinos

Surly dragon, sexy showgirl, and cute puppies. If I told you the best magic show in Vegas right now is starring a short, unkempt, surly Englishman in a poorly-fitting sequined dragon costume, you would probably question my opinion.  But Piff the Magic Dragon is hands-down the most entertaining magic show I’ve seen in Vegas, and that includes all the celeb-magicians. Caesars Entertainment snatched up a contract with Piff in 2015 after he appeared on America’s Got Talent. He was no stranger to Vegas, having worked in the Cosmopolitan’s Rose.Rabbit.Lie and Spiegelworlds’s Vegas Nocturne in 2014. He also toured as a supporting act for Mumford & Sons during their 2012 tour and is on their album cover for “Babel.” I first saw Piff in 2020, shortly after he was moved from the tiny Bugsy’s Cabaret (the same place you can currently see Wayne Newton and X-Burlesque) to the 700 seat Flamingo Showroom due to social distancing requirements. Mrs. Jaydubs describes Piff as “that surly uncle who comes to the party, an

Random Vegas If you’re dealt a winning hand in video poker and accidentally fail to hold some or all of the cards before hitting “deal/draw”, some casinos, upon request, can review the last hand played and pay you what you would have one. (@VitalVegas) TwitPic of the week It’s the best view I’ve ever seen of the mistake in the desert, shared by @VitalVegas.  The giant MGM lion entrance formerly on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana.  It still seems like a silly superstition that designers should have known about.  Apparently, Asians consider it bad luck to walk under the mouth of a lion or some variation on that theme.  So, they avoided entering the property via this entrance.  In response, MGM decided to tear it down just 3 years after opening.  It’s one of the largest architectural missteps in Vegas history. News Hughes/Silver Slipper Myth Riviera Plans U2 UV Las Vegas Ad

Random Vegas Another reason the Strip began to outpace Fremont St was theming.  By the 50s the western motif was outdated and abandon by new properties opening on the strip.  This is why a more sophisticated client was attracted to the area. While on Fremont, the western motif was alive, well and expanding.  (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) TwitPic of the week History in the making, literally.  This week’s winner goes to @FSELV for a picture of the Fremont St Experience canopy under construction.  We lament on this show the loss of the black sky to frame Fremont Neon but respect what the Fremont St Experience did to draw people back downtown.  It is in that spirit that we celebrate this photo. News 360 Vegas Live Boring Co Update

Random Vegas The Sphere has been averaging over $1 million in ticket sales per day.  It generated nearly half a billion dollars in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30th. (LasVegasLocally) TwitPic of the week Talk about things changing but staying the same.  This perspective shows us the strip south of the curve in Las Vegas Blvd. Featured prominently is the Mirage marquee.  Then, because it’s 1994 and Caesars Palace is set back from the strip, and the Dunes site is being prepared for Bellagio construction, we get to see all the way down to Excalibur and the brand-new Luxor.  Across the street we see Harrah’s while it’s still a riverboat called Holiday Casino, then we see LINQ still themed as Imperial Palace.  Hilton still owns Flamingo, Bally’s still uses MGM Grand’s original marquee, and the original Aladdin still exists.  Speaking of MGM Grand, in the distance we can see the new MGM Grand and the recently deceased Tropicana.  Thanks as always to @Summacorp for sharing this pic. News Paris Celebrate

Random Vegas  Super successful restaurants make $20-25 million a year.  STK at Cosmopolitan makes almost $50 million a year and Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace generates more than $60 million a year. (Vital Vegas)  TwitPic of the week  Dunes, Caesars Palace, Flamingo and Aladdin.  Those that still remain look radically different from how they looked in 1980.  This photo shared by @summacorp shows just how cluttered things used to be on the strip before the Mirage boom started buying up all available land to make super casinos.  Today, this same perspective would show off Mekka Walgreens, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Horseshoe and Flamingo as well as Caesars and Bellagio.  News E-500 Swingers F1     

What is it with Cirque du Soleil and Vegas? Ever since Steve Wynn invited Mystere to set up shop at Treasure Island in 1993, the French-Canadian circus brand that has made absurdity its trademark has become an inextricable part of Vegas entertainment. As of this writing, there are 5 Cirque du Soleil shows that call Vegas home (6, if you count the Cirque-owned, but not Cirque-developed, Blue Man Group) and there have been a total of 11 Cirque shows that have had permanent runs in Las Vegas. Some of them had shorter runs than others...   Come aboard, we're expecting you... Kà was the fourth Cirque du Soleil show developed for the Las Vegas market, and it has the distinction of being the first Cirque show to tell a cohesive narrative. If you’ve never seen a Cirque du Soleil show: most Cirque shows have a theme but not a narrative. Mad Apple is themed after New York City.  “O” is themed after water. I’ve read that Mystere is themed after “the origins of human life and our connection with the universe,” so you kn

Random Vegas  Frederick W. Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx saved his company by gambling in Las Vegas.  When FedEx had a hard time paying their $24,000 fuel bill, Smith took the company’s last $5,000 to gamble and managed to win $27,000 on blackjack and kept the business afloat.  TwitPic of the week  The year is 1985 and featured in this picture is the Dunes in all her glory including the satellite casino named the Oasis.  Beyond being a snapshot in time of a property I adore, shared by @Summacorp what captivates my imagination is virtually all this landscape has been almost completely reimagined over the next 20 years.  We all know Bellagio is in the place Dunes used to be but other than the Jocky Club, everything is different.  The entire southwest of the real estate.  It’s missing Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, all of CityCenter, Park MGM, NYNY, Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay.  Ironically almost everything around it is the same, although updated like Barbary is now Cromwell and Flamingo is no longer a Hil

Random Vegas  Open containers are legal if you are using a limo or party bus.  Not legal in a rideshare or taxi. (Las Vegas Trivia Tidbits Book)  TwitPic of the week  It’s something we take for granted for in Vegas, not knowing what time of day or night it is.  But viewing an atomic explosion has got to be an experience like no other.  Here we see downtown Las Vegas in the midst of just such an occasion, shared by @Summacorp.  Even in this picture the magnitude of these explosions is palatable.  The light in the distances somehow makes the casinos in the foreground look like they belong to a model playset in comparison to the expanse of light.  Amazing that you can describe something so destructive as beautiful.  News Caesars Sells WSOP Venetian Happy Hours

Random Vegas  Hilton, at one time, had the tallest sign in Vegas at 362 feet tall, taller than the Landmark Hotel itself and only a few feet shy of the Hilton itself.  On July 18, 1994, it was blown down by 70-80 mph high winds.  Fortunately, no one was injured.  The sign was rebuilt in 1997 but not nearly as tall at only 279 feet tall. This is the sign Westgate has to this day. @summacorp  TwitPic of the week  Do you realize how much Vegas history is in this one shot shared by @Summacorp?  We’ll start with Circus Circus since it’s the easiest to orient yourself with.  Here you can see her 5 fountains and carousel marquee as well.  Next door you have Travel-lodge to the left, still there today, and Westward Ho on the right, not with us anymore. Across the street you have the Thunderbird, Algiers and Riviera. Today its Fontainebleau and a parking lot for the LVCVA. Beyond that we can see the International, the Convention Center and the Landmark.  Today the International is the Westgate and the convention cent