Klondike Hotel & Casino

1966 - 2007

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The Klondike Hotel & Casino is located at the South end of the Las Vegas strip, across from the famous Las Vegas sign. Opened in 1962 as a Motel 6. The property was purchased in 1976 by the owners of the Imperial Palace and a casino, bars, and cafe was added. It served it's purpose as a favorite of locals and "in-the-know" tourists looking for good game, good people, and good food bargains. The Klondike is located at the southern most end of the strip, just before the airport, and directly across from the world famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, which sits in the median. The Klondike actually played a major roll in the sign's life for a while, directly providing electricity to light it when power was cut from it after the power bill was not paid. The casino also made a small cameo in the movie Miss Congeniality 2.

The Klondike was sold to Royal Palms Communities and closed it's doors on June 30, 2006. Plans were made to demolish the resort and replace it with yet another mega-resort, but as of the end of 2007, nothing has happened. For a while, the motel sat open and abandoned with the furniture and fittings only partially removed. The casino's unique murals depicting western prospectors were allowed to be defaced with grafiti and the casino doors were left open. For the first few months it was closed the property was used as a training facility for the K9 unit of the LVPD.

Eventually, with the hotel rooms still providing mattresses, blankets, etc, the property became a magnet for the homeless. The population grew to the point that at the end of October 2007, the city gave the owners an ultimatum: Either repair the property by December 18th, or demolish it by November 13th. November came and went and the motel and casino were properly gutted and boarded up. As of January 2008, nothing has been done with this property and it still sits vacant just down the street from Mandalay Bay.

UPDATES: Web Page Design

3-17-08

Work began on the demolition this week. After a year and a half of uncertainty, the casino is coming down. The motel bungalows are all completely gone. Not sure what will be done with the property. Another sad loss for the quirky Vegas niche.

3-20-08

LeavingLV.net was there to watch the last of the Klondike come down on a rainy morning. The prospector from above the entrance was saved, although damaged. All the other neon/signage lay in a mutilated pile. Fairwell to another lady of the South Strip!

6-14-08

Mr. Klondike is propped up in Dr. Lonnie's garage awaiting possible restoration and display.

 

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