Stardust Goes Down In a Big Fireworks Display

At 2:34am this morning, another part of Vegas history bit the dust as the legendary Stardust Hotel and Casino was brought down in a mass of fireworks, explosions and dust clouds.

People vied for views of the the event from the Peppermill to the Stratosphere and quite a show it was. Those in attendance were first treated to a four-minute fireworks show that rivaled any 4th of July sky display. The entire north Strip was alight as wave after wave of fireworks exploded above the Stardust. About three minutes in, small charges seemed to go off on each floor, preparing the building for the final blows.

To everyone’s surprise, a numerical countdown was illuminated on each side of the building, counting down the last ten seconds of the Stardust’s existance. At zero, Boyd chairman Bill Boyd’s four grandsons pushed a plunger to detonate the final charges that brought the building down within a minute.

It was quite a final bow for the Stardust, which was such a major player in the growth of Las Vegas. When it opened in 1958, rooms were only $8 a night and throughout its 48 years, it remained a mid-price alternative to the megaresorts that were popping up south on the Strip. Over the years, everyone from Siegfried and Roy to Wayne Newton performed at the resort. But it was the reported mob-ties that brought the property an extra layer of noteriety. So much so that Robert DeNiro’s character in Martin Scorcese’s film “Casino” was reported to be based on Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust in the mid-1970s.

Unfortunately the glitz and glamour of the megaresorts from Mandalay Bay to Caesars Palace lured Vegas visitors away from the once landmark resort and it was closed in November 2006.

Clean-up is expected to take two to three months. After that, construction will begin on the Echelon Place project, which is expected to open in 2010.

For more on the Stardust implosion, both KLAS-tv and the Las Vegas Review-Journal have videos and photos online.

Did you witness the event? Or are you sad at the loss of the Stardust? Please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear what you think.