Las Vegas Strip casino has one last act before implosion

Many Las Vegas Strip visitors are nostalgic for resorts, casinos and restaurants that have long passed their best days.

People might have treasured memories at one particular place or have built connections with staff over the years.

Not every Las Vegas Strip location builds this sort of loyalty, but if a business manages to last for decades in a tourist hotspot, it probably has some customers who will mourn its loss. That’s certainly the case with Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, a huge Strip-facing bar that sits in front of Caesars Entertainment’s (CZR) Flamingo.

That venue, which lasted for 20 years, brought a little piece of the musician’s vibe to the Strip. It closed on April 15, and while its best days were well behind it, the venue had friendly staff, and perhaps the best people-watching spot on the Strip.

It’s likely that the venue’s final days were filled with toasts, tears and a lot of margaritas (and probably stolen shakers of salt).

The end of the Tropicana, the second-oldest resort casino on the Strip, was an emotional affair for people who had been visiting the property for more than 50 years. People paid huge prices for stays during the resort’s final days, and now fans of the Tropicana will have a chance to keep pieces of it alive in their homes.

Tropicana closed in early April. Image source: Shutterstock

You can own a piece of The Tropicana

Tropicana, which closed on April 2, will be imploded at some point to make way for a new stadium for Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Bally’s Corp. has operating rights to the property and has vague plans to rebuild a resort casino adjacent to the stadium, but that project is not likely to begin until 2028 at the earliest.

Before the implosion, however, International Content Liquidations will sell off some of the contents of the resort casino. It’s not selling traditional memorabilia or assets; instead, the sale offers the contents of “The Trop’s” 1,800 hotel rooms.

Prices are all over the map, but they are inexpensive. You can buy a dresser for $1 or a desk for $8. A king-size bed will set you back $99 while a 42-inch TV will cost $55, according to the liquidation company’s website.

The sale will also include full suites at prices ranging from $1,500 to $3,500, Casino.org reported.

“That includes anything you can physically remove from the premises in a 10-day period,” the website reported. “This means carpeting, plumbing fixtures, and pipes. In fact, buyers are advised to bring a carpenter, a plumber, and a six-person demolition team — as well as a truck that’s at least 24 feet long — to get the most bang for their buck.”

Another Las Vegas Strip Icon nears its final days

The transition of the Mirage to Hard Rock has been a slow painful one. Fans of the former MGM Resorts International (MGM) property have experienced death by 1,000 paper cuts.

In November 2023 Hard Rock International closed Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. That had been a signature part of the property, which connected it to the legendary magicians who’d once graced its main theater.

In the coming months, Hard Rock will also close the Mirage Volcano to make way for its signature Guitar Hotel (although a date for that has not been set).

The property, however, will soon lose another iconic piece of its destiny,.

“Cirque du Soleil and Apple Corps Ltd. announce today that ‘The Beatles: Love.’ the groundbreaking production celebrating the music and legacy of The Beatles through the artistry of Cirque du Soleil, will conclude its historic Las Vegas run at The Mirage on July 7, 2024, as the resort begins its transformation into the Hard Rock Las Vegas,” according to a news release.

The show has been running for 18 years and has been seen by more than 11.5 million people.