The Tropicana received a very traditional Las Vegas farewell in the early hours of October 9th. At 5:30AM EST, the historic hotel and casino collapsed in seconds during a controlled demolition involving nearly 2,200 lbs of explosives strategically placed throughout the landmark’s pair of 23-story towers. A grand total of 917,400 square feet of steel and concrete fell to make way for a new Major League Baseball stadium that will host the city’s recently acquired A’s team, as well as a new resort overseen by the Vegas casino-entertainment company veterans at Bally’s.
According to the official announcement, demo teams laid 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord through both the Paradise and Club Towers prior to implosion. Experts also created 220 cut-point locations for Paradise’s 490 lbs of explosives, while Club’s 1,130 boreholes were packed with another 1,700 lbs of the material to ensure a smooth event. While no public viewing areas were available to maintain a safe environment, operators bid goodbye to the Tropicana with a massive fireworks display accompanied by a choreographed aerial show featuring 555 drones.
The Tropicana Las Vegas was a city mainstay since its opening in 1957, and was known for its South Beach-inspired aesthetics that earned it the nickname, “The Tiffany of the Strip.” At the time of its ribbon-cutting, “The Trop” housed the city’s largest casino.