There’s the pyramid-shaped Luxor, the elaborately themed Treasure Island (or “the TI”) with artificial cove, the old-world MGM Grand, glamorous Caesars Palace, Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay,and Bellagio, where the illuminated fountain show attracts throngs of tourists every evening. The Strip was made popular as a location in countless Hollywood films, and is known today for its five-star casino resorts, decedent day-spas and pools, and glamorous nightlife.Īs well as the much-photographed “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign, erected in 1959 and now listed on the National Register of Historical Places, The Strip is home to landmark hotels and casinos. The Flamingo was among the first, opened by mobster Bugsy Siegel in 1946 and named for his leggy girlfriend, whose nickname was Flamingo.
Here’s where you’ll find the quintessential Vegas: Lavish casinos, glamorous clubs, hopping piano bars, and those infamous wedding chapels and neon lightsĪt the heart of the Las Vegas is the four-mile (six-kilometer) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard affectionately dubbed ' The Strip' Hotels and casinos began cropping up here in the mid-1940s.
