LAS VEGAS – The Tropicana, a staple of the Las Vegas Strip, had a rich history that spanned nearly 70 years after opening its doors in 1957. Known as the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its elegance, the hotel-casino gained prominence through its entertainment, featuring the famed showgirl revue Folies Bergere and legendary jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong.
However, on Wednesday at approximately 2:30 a.m. Pacific time, the Tropicana was demolished in a swift 22-second implosion. Over 2,000 pounds of explosives were used to bring down the Paradise Tower and Club Tower, marking Las Vegas’ first casino implosion in nearly a decade. This demolition is set to pave the way for a new Major League Baseball stadium for the relocated Athletics, formerly from Oakland, California.
Arik Knowles, the general manager and vice president of hospitality for the Tropicana, spoke to onlookers, saying, “Let’s not think of it as an ending, but as the beginning of something even greater.”
The farewell event featured a spectacular display of 555 drones and fireworks coordinated to music from iconic Vegas artists such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Drones also created visuals of the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and the Athletics logo.
Due to safety protocols, there were no public viewing areas for the implosion, but an exclusive event attracted around 500 invited guests. The interest surrounding the event led to a surge in hotel rates in the vicinity, with Mandalay Bay charging starting prices of $699 for rooms that night, a stark contrast to the less than $80 available for stays later in the week. Other nearby hotels like Excalibur, Luxor, and Oyo were reported fully booked.
Steve Crupi, a former TV news reporter dubbed the “implosion guy” for his extensive coverage of Las Vegas demolitions, noted the unique allure of these events, stating, “There’s something magical about implosions. A structure that big being brought down in as little as 5 seconds? It just seems impossible. But they execute it with such precision that it really is a work of art.”
The Tropicana’s history of grandeur is not the first time Las Vegas has leveraged explosions to draw tourism. In the 1950s, the city marketed atomic tourism with schedules for bomb detonations for visitor viewing sites, highlighting society’s fascination with explosives, as noted by David Schwartz, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Over the years, Las Vegas has seen multiple notable implosions, including that of the Dunes in 1993, where a pirate ship facade seemed to fire upon the resort. The Tropicana’s demolition was carefully orchestrated, ensuring minimal dust and disruption, with the use of pre-gutting the towers and early timing to accommodate less wind and traffic.
As for the future, Las Vegas is shifting towards sports, signaling a new era of development. The Tropicana site will transform into the home of the Athletics, planned alongside a new casino resort. The proposal includes a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat indoor stadium, aiming for an opening in time for the 2028 MLB season. Bally’s Corporation’s chairman, Soohyung Kim, acknowledged the Tropicana’s legacy but emphasized the need for continual growth in the city, stating, “In order to remain the tourism capital of America, it needs to keep building and growing.”