The Stardust

[arm53]

Just because I like the pic and the time. 2006

The empty lot there now is useless for all.

Sometimes it's best to leave things alone. :p

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp62/arm53/5-31-06007.jpg

[misterKeno]

Seems like i was at the Stardust just yesterday!

Thx for the pict.

*sigh*

[Boston_Bill]

I really miss the Stardust. My favorite memory was seeing Wayne Newton there.

[nchikk]

Thanks for the memory. I liked playing BJ there just about better than any other casino. I remember their chips, with the metal centre. I just really liked those. I also have a vague recollection of eating at their coffee shop and having a prime rib dinner for about $5 or $7, somewhere in that range...of course, this was a very long time ago.

[Buffalo Man]

That brings back memories. We use to always stay at the Stardust. We ran down twenty seven flight of stares at four in the morning once (earthquake). Man that was scary. I was there the last night it was open. Sure wish it was still there.

[7777]

I miss it also, it was one of the first Casinos i used to go to when i was in my early years.

[marmirdc]

Great memories..one of my favorite places to play...sigh...

[SteveSlot]

I saw my first Las Vegas Show at the Stardust. I can't remember the name of the show, but I remember it as being a good time.

SteveSlot

[jbenter]

Good Pic - thanks for sharing. Sad to see so many of these old places gone. I sort of really liked the old style Vegas.

Sorry - I have to say it - I HATE CITY CENTER!

Sorry.

[ISing4UnMe]

Cool pic of the Stardust...What a waste to have torn it down for nothing...

[Treasurerat]

Who can forget the lobster tail and steak for $9.95 and with coupon $7.95.
Memories - always good ones re the Stardust.

[jr7110]

this is good news for Stardust lovers - student at UNLV are creating a virtual recreation of Old Las Vegas - they have already created a virtual Sands from back in the day and the next vintage hotel they are resurrecting is The Stardust!!!

I know Steve does not like us posting links to articles so if you are interested in reading more, go to the Las Vegas Sun website and look for an article titled: Stardust is next stop in virtual tour of Old Vegas

This would be cool if they would do this for ALL the old hotels that are now just a memory!!!!

[JLee1709]

... It was the only hotel I stayed at for 8 years strait. I am still lost when I go out there. We have tried several properties since they took it away and still can not say any one of them have filled the void.
... speaking of "The Void"... it is a shame that they demolished a great property for nothing... we all lost in this decision.
Maybe they should ask us(ELV family) next time they get the notion to up and blow up another landmark.

[ISing4UnMe]

... speaking of "The Void"... it is a shame that they demolished a great property for nothing... we all lost in this decision.
Maybe they should ask us(ELV family) next time they get the notion to up and blow up another landmark.

I agree! :)

[Lori R]

I stayed at Stardust 3 times--twice in those garden rooms in the back and once in the new tower, right after it was built. I just loved playing at the Stardust. Back in the day, it felt like one of the nicer joints, especially compared to Circus. I used to love their buffet, back before buffets became big business. I sure do miss going in there.

[Hedgehog]

this thread really put a lump in my throat. stardust was "my place". Remind me to tell ya my "Joe Vitarelli" story sometime.

First (and best) real sports book, fictionalized in "Casino" ... man I miss it. Thx for the memories

[SteveSlot]

I have several fond memories of the Stardust but one involved the jumping fountains in front of the place. Anyone remember those? That was a great place to people watch from the benches located near the fountains. The fountains would squirt jets of water from one spot to another and they almost always surprised people as they walked by. It was great watching their faces. I saved a lot of money because of those fountains.

SteveSlot

[JLee1709]

yes Steve the leeping fountains were one of the best people watchin places on the strip.

[Hoss_Lass]

Count me in with missing the Stardust too.... first hotel that my sister and I stayed in when we started our annual Las Vegas sister trips. She loved that hotel. We saw Wayne Newton there, sat right next to the stage. I stayed there the last month before the implosion, have a ton of pics and memorbilia. Saw Don Rickles there, his last show at Stardust. He had a few choice comments about the pending implosion too!

*Sigh*, if you're feeling really nostalgic, book a tour at the Neon Boneyard and go and touch the now dismantled Stardust sign that was part of the Strip for so long. It seems to be in hibernation right now, one day they hope to have it up and lighting a Las Vegas street once again.

[misterKeno]

1977... stayed at the Stardust with my folks. I was a little kid. Enjoyed the pool.

mK

[ChicChas]

A former boss of mine told how her uncle moved from Chicago to Vegas in the '60's and was a craps dealer at Stardust for many years. Her father apparently considered doing the same but decided against it.

At any rate, the uncle eventually got involved in real estate and did very well. She claimed that the house next to the golf course used in CASINO was her uncle's house.

[Winegums129]

Why did they pull down the stardust? It was 48 years old so why destroy it? sell it! such a waste of materials not to mention the impact on the environment. Im guessing they will do the same with Lady Luck which is closed. I went to visit that yesterday, I just love that old style vegas. It has such a special feeling, I would of loved to of seen it all when It was all first built. It must of been amazing in its day I found these clips on Youtube, one of the hotel inside and the other is the implosion.

memories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4rtwPkNB-8

bye bye Stardust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_QO_qeErCk&feature=related

[jr7110]

Why did they pull down the stardust? It was 48 years old so why destroy it? sell it!

Actually they DID sell it - it was the new owners who imploded it to make way for a proposed $4 billion resort called Echelon Place - unfortunately, the economy tumbled and the entire project has come to a halt. WHat a shame -the new owners of Stardust could have still kept the money rolling in and a lot of people employed if they had kept the place running instead of hastily imploding it.

You can read a little more about what was supposed to be built here:

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4319566#

[YSinAppleton]

I will add my sorrow over losing the Stardust too. The worst part for me is the fact that there is nothing there now. It was imploded for nothing. We spent a lot of time gambling there and never went to Vegas without stopping in a few times.

[Lucky45]

Actually they DID sell it - it was the new owners who imploded it to make way for a proposed $4 billion resort called Echelon Place
New owners?? If I remember right Boyd Gaming had been running the place since the early 80's after the mob was kicked out and then bought it out right in 85.

[jr7110]

New owners?? If I remember right Boyd Gaming had been running the place since the early 80's after the mob was kicked out and then bought it out right in 85.

oops - then it's my bad....I thought it had been sold to make way for Echelon Place -I guess I was confusing it with what happened with The Frontier. I never really spent too much time in either place, which I am sorry about now since they are both gone.

[JLee1709]

yep Luckys right Boyd Gaming has/does still own that piece of property, I think even they wish they had had a crystal ball to see the economy fall so bad, then they would have left it be and done a face lift.... and all of us would have been happy....

[Stargirl]

Loved the Stardust. The signs, the jumping water, the casino. Taken down wayyyy too soon. :mad: I do have pix of myself inside it. If I can figure how to post pix, I will share. I got some pix playing the slots. I had someone tell me that taking pix is forbidden. I thought so for the pit area, but as long as it's just granny at a slot machine with no one in the background, it was okay.

[Y2J2006]

My third ever trip to Vegas, and 3rd in 2006, was to the Stardust a week before they shut the doors. I really liked the place, had a great feel to it and really was in good shape for an older property.
Boyd should have never imploded it, they could have just did some renovations and spruced it up a bit. Wasn't like no one was staying there.

[Jim Colyer]

There is much to be said for the old Las Vegas.

[jr7110]

There is much to be said for the old Las Vegas.

Actually the Stardust was not an "older" property - the name has been around since 1958 but the original Stardust was torn down long ago and rebuilt (the same thing was done with the Aladdin etc...The original Aladdin was imploded and rebuilt on the same site. The former Aladdin resort that is now Planet Hollywood was built in the late 1990's)- the Stardust that was imploded a few years ago was only built in 1991.

[Lori R]

Actually the Stardust was not an "older" property - the name has been around since 1958 but the original Stardust was torn down long ago and rebuilt (the same thing was done with the Aladdin etc...The original Aladdin was imploded and rebuilt on the same site. The former Aladdin resort that is now Planet Hollywood was built in the late 1990's)- the Stardust that was imploded a few years ago was only built in 1991.

Actually, JR, the new tower was built in 1991 but the original tower and the garden rooms were still there.

[jr7110]

Actually, JR, the new tower was built in 1991 but the original tower and the garden rooms were still there.

I was aware of that but I was referring to the main casino area because that is what most people saw of The Stardust (unless they actually stayed in the original Tower or garden rooms.) I have photos and footage of the original building and it was WAY nicer than the "newer" version that was constructed so I consider the original to be the "old" Stardust. I never stayed at the Stardust so all of my own experiences were in that newly constructed tower with the casino in it....

[Lori R]

I was aware of that but I was referring to the main casino area because that is what most people saw of The Stardust (unless they actually stayed in the original Tower or garden rooms.) I have photos and footage of the original building and it was WAY nicer than the "newer" version that was constructed so I consider the original to be the "old" Stardust. I never stayed at the Stardust so all of my own experiences were in that newly constructed tower with the casino in it....

I'm sorry. I didn't understand that you were just talking about the casino, although I don't thnik that completely went away--I think they just added to it but I could be wrong. I've stayed at the Stardust 3 times (first time in 1989)--twice in the garden rooms and once in the new tower soon after it was built. The second time I stayed there, I met friends coming in from St Louis. The new tower was under construction. As a way of compensating for the construction noise, they comped us show tickets. That was my first and only Las Vegas production show.

[wildpitcher]

Old Vegas lives on!! It's downtown, though.

I gambled at the Stardust a few times, but never stayed there. The internal ambiance was so classic. One time when I was there they were filming something.

As for the gambling, meh. I lost my shirt there every single time.

I miss The New Frontier more than the Stardust, though.

[batteryman]

Stayed there a dozen or so times. Really miss it. It had the best sports book.