We forwarded this question to Matt O'Brien, author of our popular book Beneath the Neon -- Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas. Here's his response.
I’m asked this regularly, but it doesn’t get any easier to answer.
If I discourage people from visiting the art gallery under Caesars Palace, I feel like a hypocrite (since I still visit the gallery occasionally). If I encourage them to visit it and something bad happens –- they harass the homeless, they get jumped, they drown in a flood –- I’d feel somewhat responsible. It’s kind of a trick question.
So I typically suggest reading the book. Photographer Danny Mollohan and I explored the storm drains –- spider webs, shin-high runoff, blinding darkness –- so you don’t have to. Danny’s photos capture the grit, desperation, and hidden beauty of the tunnels and I detail who and what are in them and why. It’s the next best thing to exploring the tunnels –- and you won’t ruin your shoes.
If people have read the book and are still curious about the tunnels and art gallery, I refer them to Danny’s Flickr.com page (www.flickr.com/photos/dannymollohanphotography). It has more than 50 photos from the tunnels, many of which weren’t in the book. Also, in May, the Las Vegas Sun ran a story on the gallery; its Web site (www.lasvegassun.com) features pictures and videos, including an amazing panoramic pic.
Still, I realize, this isn’t enough for some people, including, perhaps, this questioner. They’ll want to see the colors come alive in person, hear their boots crunch in the gravel, smell the aerosol fumes, feel the coarse concrete canvas, and taste the mildew on their tongue. That, of course, is their choice; flood-control maps are available online and Beneath the Neon doesn’t disguise tunnel locations. Just don’t tell the graffiti crews, cops, maintenance workers, and madmen that I sent you.
For another taste of the photography that Matt's referring to, check out our June 23 Spotlight on... feature about the above-ground exhibit inspired by Matt and Danny's subterranean adventures.
