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The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is a 4 mi (6.7 km) section of Las Vegas Boulevard South, most of which has been designated an All-American Road. Only part of The Strip is located within the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada: the section north of Sahara Avenue. The section south of Sahara Avenue is in Clark County's unincorporated Township of Paradise, Nevada. The Strip is one of only a few places in the United States where possession and consumption of open containers of alcoholic beverages are allowed year-round on the street (but not in a vehicle),; although they usually are allowed in the rest of Las Vegas, they are prohibited in the rest of Las Vegas at certain times of the year.

Many of the largest hotel, casino and resort properties in the world are located on The Strip. Over the years, Las Vegas Boulevard South has been called Arrowhead Highway, "Salt Lake Highway", U.S. Highway 91, and Los Angeles Highway. The Strip was reportedly named by Los Angeles police officer Guy McAfee, after his hometown's Sunset Strip.
Boundaries

A similar view of the Strip at nightAt the northern point of the Strip is the Stratosphere while Mandalay Bay marks the southern tip. Nearly 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of the 4-mile (6.7 km) length are located in the township of Paradise, Clark County. Depending on the definition, very little to none of it is within the Las Vegas city limits. McCarran Airport (LAS) is located at the southern end of The Strip, along with the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, which also appears in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard at the north end near the intersection of east St. Louis and south Main Streets. The "South Strip" is used to describe the section of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sunset Road or Blue Diamond Road and St. Rose Parkway.

History
The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931; the first on what is today's Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941 with 63 rooms and standing for almost 20 years before being destroyed by fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become The Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. The Flamingo opened a few years later, on December 26, 1946.

In 1968, Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Flamingo and hired Sahara Hotels Vice President Alex Shoofey as President. Alex Shoofey brought along 33 of Sahara's top executives. The Flamingo was used to train future employees of the International Hotel, which was under construction. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel, with 1,512 rooms, became the largest hotel in the world, and began the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as the Las Vegas Hilton today.

The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, also a Kerkorian property, opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. At the time, this was the largest hotel in the world by number of rooms. On November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas, killing 87 people as a result of electrical problems. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing, and it was renamed Bally's.

The Wet 'n Wild water park opened in 1985 and was located on the south side of the Sahara hotel. The park closed at the end of the 2004 season and was later demolished.

The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. This change impacted the smaller, well-known and now historic hotels and casinos, like The Dunes, The Sands and the Stardust.

In 1995, following the death of Dean Martin, the lights along the strip were dimmed in a sign of respect to him. In 2005, Las Vegas renamed Industrial Road "Dean Martin Drive", also as a tribute to the famous Rat Pack singer, actor, and frequent Las Vegas entertainer.

In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The (current) MGM Grand opened in 1993 with Grand Adventures amusement park, but the park closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ti name.

View of the Strip, looking north from the Tropicana intersectionDowntown Las Vegas hotels and casinos suffered heavily from the Strip's boom. They have funneled money into remodeling the facades of casinos, adding additional security and new attractions, like the Fremont Street Experience and Neonopolis (complete with movie theaters).

In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, The Lasvegas Strip is home to a few smaller casinos, motels and other attractions, such as M&M World, Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall. Starting in the mid-1990s, The Strip became a popular New Year's Eve celebration destination.

In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for Project CityCenter, a 66-acre (600,000 m²), $7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It will consist of hotel, casino, condo, retail and other uses on the site. When completed, City Center will be the largest such complex in the world. Construction began in April 2006, and the first elements of this project are expected to be available in 2009.

In 2006, the Las Vegas Strip lost its longtime status as the world's highest-grossing gambling center, falling to second place behind Macao.

The Strip today

Transportation
While not on The Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs on the east side of The Strip from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Road.

A 24-hour pass for The Deuce bus costs $5.CAT Bus provides service on the strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce. The Deuce stops at most major resorts and continues north to downtown and the Fremont Street Experience. A current list of fares is available.

A tourist trolley service travels up and down The Strip and stops at various, but not all, Strip hotels, along with a stop at the Fashion Show Mall. The fare is $2.00 for a one way ride, regardless how far you travel down the strip. Alternatively, a 24-hour pass is $5, and exact change is required. Trolleys are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes.

Two small, free cable-pulled trams operate on the Strip. One runs between Treasure Island and The Mirage, while the other provides service to Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur.

Taxis can only stop at hotel entrances or designated spots, so when planning to get somewhere ask which is the closest hotel.

Before CAT Bus came on in 1992, mass transit on the Strip was provided by a private transit company, Las Vegas Transit. The Strip route was their only profitable route and supported the whole bus system.

Free shuttles

Las Vegas Blvd. traffic during the dayBetween Harrah's Las Vegas and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
Between Sam's Town and Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon, Harrah's Las Vegas, Riviera Hotel, and Tropicana Resort & Casino. Approximately every hour and a half.
Between Caesars Palace and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
Between Paris/Bally's and the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. Approximately every 30 minutes.
Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand and the Harley-Davidson Cafe (next to Planet Hollywood). Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
Between Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Fashion Show Mall and the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Leaves the Hard Rock on the hour.
Between Wynn Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center Monorail Stop.
Many free shuttles have a policy requiring a room key from an affiliated casino, but it is not typically enforced.

Walking around
Several Strip hotels have undertaken efforts to make the street more pedestrian-friendly. New casinos design their façades to attract walk-up customers, and many of these entrances have become attractions themselves - the Fountains at Bellagio, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Treasure Island (TI) Sirens of TI are the most well-known. People gather on the sidewalks in front of the casinos to watch these shows.

To alleviate traffic issues at popular intersections, several footbridges have been installed to help pedestrians safely traverse the roads. The Tropicana - Las Vegas Boulevard footbridges were the first to be installed, and based on the success of this project additional footbridges have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard at the Flamingo Road intersection; between The Mirage/Treasure Island and The Venetian; and the latest ones at the Las Vegas Boulevard-Spring Mountain and Sands Avenue intersection connecting the Wynn with the Fashion Show Mall.

Golf courses
In recent years, all but one of the on-Strip golf courses (the Desert Inn Golf Course) have fallen prey to the mega-resorts need for land and have closed. Developer Steve Wynn, founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts, purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts. In 2005, he opened Wynn Las Vegas, complete with remodeled golf course providing tee times to hotel guests only.

In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club opened just south of Mandalay Bay and the Strip. Catering to a high-end golf enthusiast, the Bali Hai Golf Course can easily be seen by drivers on Interstate 15.

Major hotel locations
For a full list of hotels on the Strip, see list of Las Vegas Strip hotels.

A view of Las Vegas Strip at night from I-215 (north to south, left to right)North towards Fremont Street
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Stratosphere
Sahara Avenue Sahara Avenue
Hilton Grand Vacations Club
Circus Circus
Sahara

Riviera
Echelon Place
Convention Center Drive
Wynn Las Vegas
Fashion Show Mall
Spring Mountain Road Sands Avenue
Treasure Island The Palazzo
The Venetian
The Mirage Casino Royale
Harrah's
Imperial Palace
Caesars Palace Flamingo
Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon
Flamingo Road Flamingo Road
Bellagio Bally's
Paris
Planet Hollywood
Harmon Avenue Harmon Avenue
Project City Center
Monte Carlo
New York-New York MGM Grand
Tropicana Avenue Tropicana Avenue
Excalibur Tropicana
Luxor
Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay
Russell Road
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South towards Interstate 215
to McCarran International Airport

Shopping attractions
Name Description
Bonanza Gift Store
2440 Las Vegas Boulevard South World's largest gift store, Purveyors of Las Vegas Pop culture
Fashion Show Mall
3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South Opposite Wynn Las Vegas
Grand Canal Shoppes
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South A canal, with gondolas and singing gondoliers, winds along in front of many of the shops.
Miracle Mile
3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South Part of the Planet Hollywood hotel.
The Forum Shops at Caesars
Las Vegas Boulevard South

Entertainment
Most of the attractions and shows on the Strip are located on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions include the water fountains and the Conservatory at Bellagio, the Sirens of ti show at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, and the White Tiger Habitat at The Mirage.

The shows playing in Las Vegas include five Cirque du Soleil shows, the Blue Man Group, and some imported Broadway shows like Mamma Mia! and The Phantom of the Opera.

Demolished or closed Strip casinos & hotels
Big Red's Casino: Closed in 1982. Property developed for CBS Sports World Casino (Changed name to Sports World Casino after the CBS Television Network threatened to sue)[citation needed]: Closed in 2001, now a shopping center.
Boardwalk Hotel and Casino: Demolished May 9, 2006 to make way for Project City Center.
Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino: Demolished February 6, 2006, now an empty lot.
Desert Inn (and golf course): Demolished in 2004, now Wynn Las Vegas.
The Dunes (and golf course): Demolished in 1993, now Bellagio.
El Rancho (formerly Thunderbird/Silverbird): Closed in 1992 and demolished in 2000, will be the site of the 4000-room casino-hotel Fontainebleau which is currently under construction.
El Rancho Vegas: Burned down in 1960. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club timeshare now exists on the south edge of the site where the resort once stood; the remainder remains vacant.
Glass Pool Inn: Demolished in 2006. It was called Mirage Motel until 1988 when forced to change name due to The Mirage opening down The Strip in 1989.
Hacienda: Demolished in 1996, now Mandalay Bay. A separate Hacienda now exists outside of Boulder City, formerly the Gold Strike Inn.
Holy Cow Casino Cafe and Brewery First micro brewery in Las Vegas. Closed in 2002, property currently vacant.
Jackpot Casino: Closed in 1977, now the Sahara.
Klondike Hotel & Casino: Closed in 2006, awaiting demolition.
The Landmark: Demolished in 1995. Now the site of a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center (Demolition was filmed for the feature Mars Attacks!).
Lucky Slots Casino: Closed in 1981, now a shopping center.
Lotus Inn Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1978, now a Rodeway Inn.
Money Tree Casino: Closed in 1979.
Marina Hotel and Casino: Westward pointing tower (known as the West Wing) of the MGM Grand.
The New Frontier: Closed July 16, 2007, demolished November 13, 2007 to be and replaced with the New York City-inspired Las Vegas Plaza.
Nob Hill Casino: Closed in 1990, now Casino Royale.
Paddlewheel Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1991 and reopened in 1993 as Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Hotel & Casino, which itself closed in 1996 and is now the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino.
San Souci: Closed in 1962 for the Castaways, which itself was demolished in 1987. Now the site of The Mirage.
The Sands: Demolished in 1996, now The Venetian.
Silver City Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1999, now the Silver City Shopping Center.
Silver Slipper: Demolished in 1988 for a parking lot. Now the site of the Desert Inn Road Arterial.
Stardust Resort & Casino: Closed November 1, 2006, demolished March 13, 2007. To be replaced by Echelon Place.
Tally Ho Hotel: Closed in 1966. Became the Aladdin, which in 2007 became Planet Hollywood.
Vacation Village Resort & Casino; Closed in 2002, demolished in 2006. Site of the new Town Square development.
Vegas World: Demolished in 1995 and rebuilt as the Stratosphere; parts of the old Vegas World still remain.
Westward Ho Hotel and Casino: Closed in 2005, demolished in 2006.