Las Vegas residents, tourists visit Strip resort for final time before doors close
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The countdown is on as residents and tourists alike said their goodbyes to a property on the Las Vegas Strip that has been around for decades.
The Tropicana Las Vegas casino floor officially closes its doors at 3 a.m., on Tuesday with the property itself closing at noon.
“It’s only until something is gone that it seems to matter; It shouldn’t be that way,” tourist, Michael Lawhorn told 8 News Now ahead of the ‘Tropicana Las Vegas’ closing down.
“My brother and I have never been to ‘Tropicana’ before so we came down here to check it out before it’s gone,” High school student Kayden Halbert said.
Tourists and Las Vegas residents swarmed the hotel lobby just to get a glimpse and do one last lap inside.
As for those who wanted to get a hotel keepsake, Lawhorn said it wasn’t easy.
“The only souvenirs you can get are these plastic bags or if you’re lucky you can find someone to get you a $5 chip,” he shared.
Tropicana Las Vegas was built in 1957 and is one of the longest-standing casino resorts on the Strip.
Its closure will soon make way for another historic venue; Las Vegas’ first Major League Baseball stadium, but locals such as Monica Fabila said the Strip isn’t the place for it.
“You got the Knights playing over here and the Raiders over there, what are they doing to our Strip,” she exclaimed.
“I think the renderings of the new stadium look beautiful, but why have it built on the Strip?” Fabila added. “There is plenty of property in the valley for it to be built elsewhere.”
An official locking of the doors photo-op will take place at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, and the actual property will be intact for several months.
As demolition won’t start until October there is still time to visit and take pictures outside of the property.
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