With the closure of the Sahara, what are the top five oldest continually open casinos on the Strip now?
When the Sahara (opened in 1952) closes on May 16, the oldest casino will still be the same as it’s been for many years: the Flamingo, which opened in 1946. The Sahara was the second oldest during those same years.
Now, the second will be the Riviera, which opened in 1955.
Third oldest will be the Tropicana, which debuted in 1957.
The Aladdin opened on New Year’s Day 1966. Of course, the original hotel-casino was imploded, rebuilt from scratch, and sold to Planet Hollywood, so it might not count.
If not, then Caesars Palace would be the fourth oldest, having opened in 1966, a few months after the Aladdin.
Fifth will be Circus Circus, which debuted in 1968.
Your question specified the Strip, but if you account for the rest of Las Vegas, you’d include the Las Vegas Club (it originally opened in 1931, then moved to its present location in 1949), the El Cortez (1941), the Golden Nugget (the casino opened in 1946; the first rooms were added in 1977), Binion’s (1951), the Golden Gate (1955), the Fremont (1956), and the Four Queens (1965).
I am reading the excellent Huntington Press publication, The First 100 -- Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas. While reading about Liberace and the cause of his death, it was touching to read that his family, his Las Vegas physician, and his Palm Springs physician all appeared to want Liberace to have a private and dignified closure to his life. It was very upsetting to read that before Liberace could be put to rest, his body was seized by the (then) Riverside County Coroner and autopsied, after which he told the world that Liberace had been carrying the HIV virus. Was this coroner obligated by law to autopsy the body? And if an autopsy was mandatory, did the results have to be shared with the world or could discretion have been used? It appears more like someone just wanted their 15 minutes of fame and didn't care how much damage they caused in the process of achieving that goal. If the coroner did act outside the boundaries of his position, did the family take any action against him for, at the very least, invasion of privacy? Every detail of someone's life does not have to be advertised to the world.
Tomorrow's QoD
Will Shen Yun Performing Arts appear in Las Vegas this year?
