Stardust Resort and Casino
| Stardust Resort and Casino | |
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| Location | Winchester, Nevada 89109 |
| Address | 3000 Las Vegas Blvd South |
| Opening date | July 2, 1958 |
| Closing date | November 1, 2006 |
| Theme | Outer space |
| No. of rooms | 1,552 |
| Total gaming space | 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m2) |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Boyd Gaming Corporation |
| Renovated in | 1964 1977 1991 |
| Coordinates | 36°8′1″N 115°9′57″W / 36.13361°N 115.16583°WCoordinates: 36°8′1″N 115°9′57″W / 36.13361°N 115.16583°W |
 Video of the Stardust implosion |
The Stardust Resort and Casino was a casino resort located on 63 acres (25 ha) along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada.
The Stardust opened in 1958, although most of the modern casino complex—including its main 32-story tower—was built in 1991. It was demolished on March 13, 2007, a short lifetime even by Las Vegas standards, where casinos are torn down and rebuilt on a regular basis. Shortly after the resort opened, the defunct nearby Royal Nevada hotel and casino (opened in 1955) was converted to become part of the Stardust.
The Stardust officially closed at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on November 1, 2006, after operating continuously for 48 years. It was imploded on March 13, 2007, around 2:33 a.m. In 2007, Boyd Gaming, which owned the property, began construction on Echelon Place, Stardust's intended replacement. Construction was halted in 2008, however, during the economic downturn. In 2013, Malaysia-based Genting Group bought the site from Boyd, with plans to open Resorts World, a Chinese-themed resort, by 2018.
The famed Stardust sign became one of the symbols of Las Vegas. Young Electric Sign Company was hired to fabricate the sign. Kermit Wayne's design was selected for both the façade and the roadside signs. Although Moe Dalitz, who took over from original developer Tony Cornero upon his death, said it was from his original plans, the sign was really part of Cornero's original concept.
The Stardust sign gave visitors a panoramic view of the solar system. At the sign's center sat a 16-foot (4.9 m) diameter plastic model of the Earth. Cosmic rays of neon and electric light bulbs beamed from behind the model Earth in all direction. Three-dimensional acrylic glass planets spun alongside 20 scintillating neon starbursts. Across the universe was a jagged galaxy of electric lettering spelling out "Stardust". The sign utilized 7,100 ft (2,200 m) of neon tubing with over 11,000 bulbs along its 216 ft (66 m) front. The "S" alone contained 975 lamps. At night the neon constellation was reportedly visible 60 miles (97 km) away.
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