Legendary Vegas Stardust Demolished

The Stardust Casino was once considered the center of poker in Las Vegas. The Stardust’s Poker Room was voted Vegas’ best in 2002 and 2003. The Stardust officially closed on November 1, 2006. It was imploded on March 13, 2007, around 2:33 A.M. Later this year, construction will begin on Echelon Place, which will replace The Stardust.

The Stardust opened on July 2, 1958. The attendees of the opening included governors, senators, city and county officials and Hollywood celebrities.

The entertainment registry started with the spectacular French production show Lido de Paris. Lido was conceived by Pierre-Louis Guerin and Rene Fraday, and staged by Donn Arden.
The opening night lounge lineup offered, from dusk to dawn, Billy Daniels, The Happy Jesters, The Vera Cruz Boys and the Jack Martin Quartet. Daniels became the first entertainer to sign a long-term residency contract in Las Vegas when he agreed to appear for 40 weeks per year for three years.

Tony Cornero’s dream became a $10 million 1,065 room reality, charging just $6.00 a day. The resort featured the 105-foot long Big Dipper swimming pool, a 13,500 square foot lobby, a 16,500 square foot casino, and a decor featuring rich red and deep brown colors and indirect lighting.

The famed Stardust sign also became a symbol 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 Dalitz 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 diameter plastic model of the Earth, taken from the Sputnik. 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 feet of neon tubing with over 11,000 bulbs along its 216 foot front. The “S” alone contained 975 lamps. At night the neon constellation was reportedly visible 60 miles away.

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