Tropicana closing to make room in Vegas for MLB
The famous Tropicana Las Vegas resort, which held the city’s longest-running cabaret and was known for its lavish midcentury decor, will close today as it prepares for demolition to make way for a new Major League Baseball stadium.
The resort’s gambling floor will close at 3 a.m., and the hotel’s last guests will be required to check out by noon, according to the website for the resort, which is owned by Bally’s Corp., the gaming, betting and entertainment company.
After the demolition, about 9 acres of the 35-acre parcel will be granted to the Athletics baseball team for the construction of a 30,000-seat stadium, the resort said. The stadium is expected to host the team beginning in 2028.
There was discussion last year that the Tropicana would be redeveloped to make room for an integrated resort, casino and ballpark complex. Specific designs are still being finalized, according to the resort.
The Tropicana has had a storied run on the Las Vegas Strip since it opened in 1957 as the most lavish hotel and casino in the city, with a cascading 60-foot fountain and shimmering pool that piped Muzak underwater.
Longtime magicians Siegfried and Roy debuted there. Sean Connery’s James Bond stayed the night. Feathered showgirls danced in its Folies Bergere cabaret. A photo taken in 1980 captured the dancers playfully carrying comedian Joan Rivers for an awards show at the hotel.
But it has been years since the resort’s heyday, and the casino has become a relic as the city has evolved by offering entertainment that could be found in other big metro markets: major professional sports teams.
Over the years, the NFL, the NHL, the WNBA and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament have all had teams and marquee events move to the city.
Last summer, the governor of Nevada signed a bill agreeing to finance up to $380 million of the $1.5 billion baseball stadium to lure the Athletics from Oakland to a site on the Las Vegas Strip.
In November, MLB approved the relocation of the Athletics to Las Vegas, where the organization is set to open its new ballpark on the Tropicana site, according to the league.
The team will play its 2024 season at the Oakland Coliseum in California and is working with the league to evaluate options for a place to play in the interim after that season.
“We are excited to begin this next chapter in Las Vegas,” John Fisher, the Athletics’ managing partner and owner, said in a statement.
The new ballpark will feature a roof that has five overlapping layers that were inspired by a traditional baseball pennant and views of the city’s skyline, according to the league. Plans for the outfield include a large cable-net glass window facing the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard and an 18,000-square-foot Jumbotron.
On the resort’s Instagram account, longtime visitors expressed bittersweet sentiments about the resort’s closing and reminisced about the “red midcentury inspired decor,” their memories of the casino, the magic shows they enjoyed and the staff they met.
The Tropicana has had a storied run on the Las Vegas Strip since it opened in 1957 as the most lavish hotel and casino in the city, with a cascading 60-foot fountain and shimmering pool that piped Muzak underwater.