Las Vegas Tourist Attractions And Sites: The Riviera

June 14, 2016 - This morning marks a turning point on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. A historical moment was recorded by hundreds of locals and a few dozen visitors alike. News teams rallied for their position on the surface and in the skies overhead via helicopters. The Riviera's Monaco Tower would be removed from existence in the early morning hours.

The Riviera Sign - Las Vegas Strip - Image M Burgess

The Iconic Riviera Sign - One of the original neon creations familiar on the Resort Corridor in Las Vegas.

Everyone who was interested in the event jockeyed for position as close as the security monitors would let them. Paradise was closed to all traffic as were all the streets surrounding this aged property. The west end proved to be an adequate viewpoint for this author. The wait began. The first firework would launch and this would be the signal to pay close attention as the countdown began. A historical Vegas property would be turned into dust and rubble momentarily. There would be a large, gaping hole in the familiar skyline where this old resort stood.

Interested onlookers drove as far in as they possibly could and gridlocked both the Strip corridor North and Paradise Road just east of the location. This stall in traffic movement would allow for spectators to safely step out of their cars and watch from the travel lanes. Cell phones were out and the implosion parties began. The fireworks and colorful displays were magnificent.

Implosion parties are a tradition in this fair city. These hotels and casinos have hosted the biggest names in show business. It is with honor they are demolished. They are carefully folded up like an old, familiar blanket and tucked away in photograph and video, a chapter in the city's history book.

The close of a property's chapter in local history ends with a pyrotechnic bang and a nice crowd. They cheer, hoot, and holler in delight at the fireworks show preceding the explosion. The whistles and applause echo along with the concussion within the wired building. One by one support beams and flooring structures would knock loose and the structure would collapse neatly upon itself, leaving a huge dust cloud in its wake. It is the death of an icon. It is the end of an era.

East View

(From my friend Travis Gunter)