1958 - 2006

This is the epitome of Historic Vegas, and the reason this webpage was created. The Stardust. The last of the mobster run casinos. With such a sordid history, how could we ever forget her? This resort embodied mobster mentality of skimming, scamming, and knockin' em off. Her history has so many twists and turns that her story was even made into the 1995 movie CASINO staring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone.

She offered one of the first Vegas topless reviews, the first home of magicians and Vegas staples Seigfried and Roy, a sports book every casino built after would mimic, and top notch dining, accommodation, and service.

1961

Mid 1960's-1970's

1980's

2006

Mary Shank passed along this wonderful photo of the Stardust. Notice the hotel tower being constructed, not demolished.

(Turn up your volume)

UPDATES:

8-28-07: This will probably be the last entry in this photo journal. Nothing of the Stardust remains. They've been excavating the property preparing for the lower levels of the new resort and the towers are a massive pile of rubble. Check out Vegastodayandtomorrow.com to see what cookie-cutter mega-resort will be erected on this site and keep up to date with all of the other Wynn-wannabes that are coming soon! Also, check out The New Frontier Demolition Photo Journal to watch the Stardust's lifetime neighbor follow close behind.

5-8-07: The last of the buildings standing on the property met their demise today. The utility and maintenance sheds at the west end of the property were demolished today. All that's left are neat and tidy piles or rubble and rebarb awaiting removal. The south and main marquee signs still stand, but not sure for how long. Lots of you have emailed me asking what will happen to these. I have no clue, but judging by the damage being done to the main sign marquee and the disregard for the grafiti and similar damage to the other, they'll most likely be bulldozed after all the rubble is taken away.

5-3-07: Not much to update. Slowly but surely the debris is being removed. The rubble is being condensed and separated and taken out by the truckload to be recycled into other projects around the valley. The marquee on the sign still stands, with more holes, and less diamonds. Some palm trees still scatter the property. Having not been removed by now, it's quite possible they'll stay in place and continue to thrive in Echelon Place. The rest of the trees and shrubbery from the Stardust are currently sitting on the former Westward Ho property next door. They'll also be reused in the new megaresort. If anyone's looking for a neat souvenir, I'll have vials of Stardust (concrete dust I collected the night of the demolition) for sale really cheap soon.

3-15-07: Yesterday and today the very last of the resort was bulldozed. The facade of the wing that was formerly the Royal Nevada Casino is in shambles and unrecognizable, as are the cabanas and hotel rooms that surrounded the original Royal Nevada pool. It's nearly impossible to find good quality photographs and video of the implosion thanks to the spotlights being raised as the tower came down. If anyone has any good ones, I'd love to see them. Things are still quite dusty all around the property. It's a very fine concrete dust which covers everything. I've collected some of it to keep as a memento. Stardust.

3-13-07:

The towers came down at 2:33 a.m. The lighting on the tower all night beforehand was gorgeous, fireworks show was wonderful, the crowd was large, and it was VERY nice meeting so many of you, and also seeing some familiar faces. I only wish that they had kept the towers lit as they fell. Both towers toppled at the same time. The afermath was DUSTY. Very very dusty. Quite surreal after witnessing the implosion, and then being immersed in a complete haze. Anyone with video from different angles, or perhaps brighter, please email me! I'd love to see your photographs and videos.

3-11-07: Even as I post these pictures and links, a day away from the implosion, I get a bit emotional. After spending so much time at the Stardust, both with friends drinking and having a good time, at the Terrace Bar in the summer enjoying the pool, and all these months of documenting her demise, I feel like I'm preparing for the execution of a dear friend. People with no sense of history or human connection to these sites won't understand, but it's really awesome to go through my guestbook and receive all of these emails from people who can empathize. Anyway....enough cheese.

The explosives are set, the spotlights (yes spotlights, she'll be lit up one last time), and the fireworks are all ready. They await the countdown and detonation that will bring an end to an era, sort of. That came when the casino and sports book were bulldozed, but ya know... Steve Friess, of http://www.thestrippodcast.com , was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the property up close yesterday. He's posted pictures from his once-in-a-life time photo-op at http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/ . Check them out, they're really neat. If you're out and about tomorrow and see me, say hi! I'll be the guy in the leavinglv.net t-shirt with the tear in his eye, chain smoking, heh (This is very upsetting for me! =P )

3-8-07: Today I passed a road sign reading "Industrial Road closed 3-13 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m." That's confirmation enough for me. Now, where will you be at 2:00 a.m.? The casino is gone. Very sad. The entire resort now lies in ruin, with only the old Royal Nevada rooms remaining to be demolished. The pools and spas are rubble, the cabanas are collapsed, and entire lot looks very sad. And right smack in the middle of it, the two towers stand alone and redied for Tuesday morning.

I've posted the best vantage points I could find the other night when I went to the Desert Inn parking garage implosion. The parking garage would have been the best view, but unfortunately, it's gone. Email me privately and let me know where you'll be and if you'll be taking pictures or videos! For those who haven't heard, this is turning into quite an event, fireworks and all. Don't miss this sad goodbye, the countdown has begun. But, as always, respect the demolition crew and the cops and be orderly and observe the restriction areas, and if you're asked to move, just move. No drama please.

Across Las Vegas Blvd.

Frontier Parking Lot

Top of Circus Circus Garage #2

3-5-07: All rumors now point to TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007 at or around 2:00 a.m. as the date for the towers to come down. All demolition on the towers is complete and the tarps have been set for the explosives. Now they're just working on clearing debris and finishing the Royal Nevada section. Looking through the doors of the south entrance, you can see that there's nothing left inside but debris. I've been busy putting the rest of the website together as well, so check out The Home Page to see what else is going on around the Las Vegas valley.

Photograph provided by Larry Mann, 33 year employee.

3-1-07: Over the last couple of days the entire casino has disappeared. The Royal Nevada wing is also just a shell, the entire space is rubble, save for the exterior walls and facade. The bungalows and original Royal Nevada rooms are well underway. The date for the implosion is drawing closer, less than two weeks. Will we see you there? I've posted a night shot of the view I'll be seeing when the tower comes down. Haven't had confirmation yet of whether both towers will go at the same time. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

2-25-07: As of today, work on the old Royal Nevada part of the casino has not yet begun. This past week has been focussing on clearing debris from past progress. The sign has been moved to boneyard #2. I stopped by to take a couple pictures from the road, and also got a picture of the old jetsonian letters from the sign, in boneyard #1. Check out The Neon Museum for more info on the neon sign boneyards.

2-19-07: Dismantling of the sign is nearly complete. As opposed to rumors that the sign will be going in the neon museum downtown, it's pieces will actually be going to sit in the boneyard. Sad but true. Lots of people are emailing me asking if there's going to be a meeting of people who view this site for the implosion on the 12th. As far as I know, no there is not. Email me privately if you're interested though. I'm really not that interesting of a person, ha. In other news, this week I anticipate the rest of the front facade and building will be gone, with work on the Royal Nevada wing of the hotel, including the bungalows and cabanas, being undertaken next week.

2-15-07:This update covers Sunday through this evening. Sunday I walked the perimeter of the property. Nothing amazing. Same old. The site suffered a small fire between then and today, and the smoke has blackened the side of the 9-story tower, which continues to be demolished. Other than that, nothing big to report. This morning however, as I pulled up, they were raising the crane to start taking down the sign.The porte cohere and the casino floor behind it were still intact, and the tower read "TARDUST". By the time I made it back after work, to see if they had gotten anywhere with the sign, the entire valet/main entrance had been collapsed and demolition had spread farther through the casino section. As well, all of the letters on the tower had been removed. The letters on the south side of the sign are coming down one by one, and now rumors has it that the sign will go to sit in one of the boneyards, rather than find a place in the neon museum on Fremont Street. I'm still awaiting a response from the neon museum, among others. The marquee sign on the north end of the property has been removed. I'll figure out where it's gone soon. I've heard a few rumors, but I'd rather confirm them than spread them. Anyway, if anyone else out there is taking pictures, please send some along! I'd love to see them.

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