Tropicana Las Vegas brings down the house in spectacular farewell for MLB Stadium
09 October 2024
The Tropicana Las Vegas in Nevada, USA, has been demolished in true Sin City style.
A spectacular fireworks and drones display lit up the former hotel and casino - and the entire Las Vegas skyline, before the 67-year-old resort was brought down at 2.30am via an explosive event that lasted 22 seconds.
The Tropicana, which was opened in 1957 and later served as Michael Corleone’s Las Vega casino business in the 1972 film The Godfather, was the last remaining casino of the Rat Pack-era heyday on the Las Vegas Strip.
As such, its farewell celebration - designed and executed by specialist company Fireworks by Grucci - incorporated 555 drones and 150 pyro-drones that gave the countdown to the blast.
Controlled Demolition, Inc., which recently conducted the blasting for the cleanup of the collapsed Scott Francis Key Bridge, carried out the demolition of the hotel’s two, 22-storey towers.
The structural steel-framed Paradise Tower featured 220 cut-point locations loaded with 490 lbs of explosives, while the reinforced concrete-framed Club Tower was slated to have 1,130 boreholes filled with 1,700 pounds of explosives.
Around 22,000 linear feet of detonating cord initiated the implosion in both towers. The demolition sequence started with the Paradise Tower, and both structures collapsed within seconds after the implosion button was pressed.
“The Tropicana Las Vegas was one of the original pioneers of the Strip, setting the stage for the vibrant, larger-than-life entertainment destination we know and love today,” said Bally’s Corporation Chairman Soo Kim.
“It’s fitting that this iconic site now represents the future of Las Vegas as we look forward to welcoming Major League Baseball, the Athletics, and an exciting new entertainment complex.
“This moment in Las Vegas history represents more than just the next chapter—it’s the evolution of the Strip, where legend meets innovation to create something truly unforgettable.”
Athletic’s owner, John Fisher, said: “The demolition of the Tropicana is an important milestone in the process of bringing A’s baseball to the world-renowned Las Vegas Strip and the community of Southern Nevada.
“We hope that, in time, this site will become a place of unforgettable experiences for fans of the game. We extend our gratitude to Bally’s and GLPI for their partnership as we embark on this project together.”
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