THE iconic Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Casino is set for a spectacular farewell as it faces implosion.
This historic event marks the end of an era for the 67-year-old hotel-casino.
The Tropicana will be demolished on Wednesday, October 9, 2024[/caption]
How to watch the Tropicana casino hotel implosion
The implosion of one of Vegas’ original hotel/casinos, located at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, takes place on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at approximately 2.30 am PST (10.30 BST).
There are several options for those eager to witness this historic moment:
Online livestreams of the Tropicana casino & hotel implosion:
- KVVU FOX 5 will provide a livestream.
- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) will stream the event on their X (formerly Twitter) account.
- Bally’s Corporation will offer a livestream on Bally Live and the Bally Live app (available for Android and iPhone).
- Channel 13 (KTNV) will also stream the implosion.
Tropicana casino & hotel implosion TV broadcast:
At least three local television stations will broadcast the implosion live, including:
- KSNV 3
- KLAS 8
- KTNV 13
Important note: There will be no public viewing areas at the implosion site due to safety restrictions.
The Tropicana Hotel and Casino used to have 1,467 rooms avaliable, as well as a 50,000 square foot casino[/caption]
Tropicana casino & hotel implosion event schedule
The implosion is part of a larger spectacle:
- Starting at 2.05 am, representatives will reflect on the historic hotel and its legacy in Las Vegas
- At 2.30 am, a seven-minute fireworks and drone show will begin, featuring 555 drones and a display by Fireworks by Grucci
- At approximately 2.37 am, the actual implosion will take place, expected to last about 22 seconds.
Tropicana casino & hotel implosion details
The demolition sequence will start with the Paradise Tower, followed by the Club Tower. The implosion will involve:
- 220 cut-point locations loaded with 490 pounds of explosives in the 23-story Paradise Tower
- 1,130 boreholes filled with 1,700 pounds of explosives in the 23-story Club Tower
- A total of 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord for initiation.
Road closures
For safety reasons, roads in the surrounding areas will be closed:
- Closures start at 11 pm on October 8
- The area between Park Avenue to the north, Mandalay Bay Road to the south, Koval Lane to the east, and Frank Sinatra Drive to the west will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic
- Roads are expected to reopen by 6 am on October 9
Two structures that remained standing amongst the rubble of the once booming Tropicana Casino photographed on the eve of its implosion[/caption]
Historical significance
The Tropicana Las Vegas opened on April 4, 1957.
At the time it was the most expensive and lavish casino on the Strip, costing $15 million to build.
Nicknamed the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence, it quickly became a hotspot for celebrities and high-rollers.
The resort had early connections to organized crime figures like Frank Costello.
Over the decades it underwent numerous expansions and ownership changes.
The site will be cleared to make way for the construction of a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics[/caption]
The Tropicana hosted legendary entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin.
In its 67-year history, it remained a familiar landmark on the Las Vegas Strip, blending classic Vegas charm with modern amenities through various renovations.
Its demolition marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
Future plans
The site will be cleared to make way for the construction of a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics — a $1.5 billion, 33,000-fan capacity domed ballpark.
There will also be a new entertainment resort destination created in partnership with Bally’s Corporation.
The A’s stadium will be built on nine acres of the 35-acre site, with Tropicana owner Bally’s planning to construct a future resort on the remaining acreage.
Plans are on track to have the site cleared for the A’s to begin construction on the ballpark in the second quarter of 2025.
