Desert Inn Implosion Video - Las Vegas October 23 2001




A moderately gigantic temple of chance"(The New Yorker).


Pre-dating the Bellagio by 50 years, the Palm Spring's styled Desert Inn was the first Strip hotel to use the unique 'water-in-the-desert' features of a front fountain, rear pool and Dancing Waters show.


The rear swimming pool was the first to use the 'curved' modern fifties shape, breaking away from the 'square' pools of the forties El Rancho, Last Frontier, Flamingo and the Thunderbird.


The 1950 Desert Inn's front entrance, lawn and observation Skyroom, (built in the shape of an airport control tower) offered the Strip's highest viewpoint.

A 1980 view of the Desert Inn area of the Strip.