Save the Riviera Las Vegas! - The Rat Pack Era Vegas Strip is fading fast!

  • by: Alan Pachter
  • recipient: LVCVA - LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY, City of Las Vegas Nevada
  • IT IS TIME FOR LAS VEGAS TO BEGIN HONORING THEIR HISTORY, rather than blowing it to SMITHEREENS!

    60 Years on the Strip deserves better than history-erasing demolition!

    The Fabulous Riviera Las Vegas opened on April 20, 1955, as the very first US 91/ Las Vegas Strip high-rise hotel tower. Today, this is one of only two 'Strip' buildings remaining from 1950s-era Las Vegas. (the other being parts of the Tropicana, and nothing earlier remains)

    The Riviera Casino/ Resort was closed on May 4, 2015, and the current plan is to destroy/ implode the entire premises.

    To attempt to chronicle the history of this property would take volumes, however let's just say, this place was home to true Las Vegas Royalty. Luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Liberace, Don Rickles, Debbie Reynolds, Ann-Margret, Phyllis Diller, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley and Joan Rivers are just the tip of the iceberg:

    Riviera- Notable Performers

    AMONG THE OBLITERATED LAS VEGAS HISTORICAL PROPERTIES TO DATE are:

    • Dunes
    • Desert Inn
    • Sands
    • Stardust/ Royal Nevada/ Aku Aku Restaurant
    • Sahara (Don the Beachcomber)
    • Hacienda
    • Aladdin
    • Thunderbird/ Silverbird/ El Rancho
    • The Frontier/ Silver Slipper
    • The original Flamingo
    • Barbary Coast/ Bill's Gamblin' Hall
    • Showboat
    • Landmark
    • Castaways
    • Silver City
    • El Morocco
    • Algiers
    • Bob Stupak's Vegas World
    • Westward Ho
    • La Concha
    • Countless Restaurants & Motor Courts

    ...and the list goes on! ALL of these places are gone FOREVER! And some --including the Stardust and original Thunderbird/ El Rancho properties were wiped out for no good reason -- their failed, unfinished replacements sit idle today: half-built, baking and rotting for years on end in the desert sun. UNACCEPTABLE!

    Please do not let this fate befall the Mighty Riviera. This is truly our LAST CHANCE: the current plan is to raze ALL BUILDINGS, and transform the property into yet another Convention space and parking lot. We need to URGE LVCVA - the LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY to find a way to preserve the original hotel tower, at the very least. One proposed plan is to refurbish and transform the glorious tower into a Las Vegas Strip Museum, so future generations can enjoy the rich cultural history of this bygone entertainment mecca -- this completely unique corner of history & Americana.

    Fireworks, clouds of dust and parking lots are no substitute for REAL HISTORY!

  • NO MORE IMPLOSIONS!!

    Please sign, and please be passionate; so many millions of us have such great memories of this Fabulous town.

    For more info on how to get involved & help preserve Las Vegas History while helping local worthy causes, please visit:

    www.LostVegas.us

    Opening Day at the Riv - 1955

    Riviera, happier times

LVCVA: Las Vegas icon in danger: The Rat Pack era is vanishing forever!

Please Help Us Save the Riviera Las Vegas!
60 Years on the Strip deserves better than history-erasing demolition!


We ask, at the very least, that you re-purpose the original, historic Riviera high-rise Hotel tower. This Mid-Century structure could certainly prove to be a huge draw, if used as a Las Vegas Strip/ US Route 91 History Museum.


NO MORE IMPLOSIONS! Please don't let this chance go up in yet another massive cloud of dust!

Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.