Landmark (hotel and casino)

Landmark
The Landmark in 1986, four years before closure, and nine years before implosion
Location Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
Address 364 Convention Center Drive[1]
Opening dateJuly 1, 1969
Closing dateAugust 8, 1990; 34 years ago (August 8, 1990)
ThemeIncan
Space Age
No. of rooms503 (1969)
524 (1977)
498 (1990)
Total gaming space14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) (ground floor)
3,000 sq ft (280 m2) (29th floor)
Casino typeLand
Owner
List
ArchitectInitial design:
Gerald Moffitt
Ed Hendricks
1966 design:
George Tate
Thomas Dobrusky
Renovated in1971, 1983
Coordinates36°07′59″N 115°09′21″W / 36.133051°N 115.155808°W / 36.133051; -115.155808

The Landmark[a] was a hotel and casino located in Winchester, Nevada, east of the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Frank Caroll, the project's original owner, purchased the property in 1961. Fremont Construction began work on the tower that September, while Caroll opened the adjacent Landmark Plaza shopping center and Landmark Apartments by the end of the year. The tower's completion was expected for early 1963, but because of a lack of financing, construction was stopped in 1962, with the resort approximately 80 percent complete. Up to 1969, the topped-off tower was the tallest building in Nevada until the completion of the International Hotel across the street.

In 1966, the Central Teamsters Pension Fund provided a $5.5 million construction loan to finish the project, with ownership transferred to a group of investors that included Caroll and his wife. The Landmark's completion and opening was delayed several more times. In April 1968, Caroll withdrew his request for a gaming license after he was charged with assault and battery against the project's interior designer. The Landmark was put up for sale that month.

Billionaire Howard Hughes, through Hughes Tool Company, purchased the Landmark in 1969 at a cost of $17.3 million. Hughes spent approximately $3 million to add his own touches to the resort before opening it on July 1, 1969, with 400 slot machines and 503 hotel rooms. In addition to a 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) ground-floor casino, the resort also had a second, smaller casino on the 29th floor; it was the first high-rise casino in Nevada. Aside from the second casino, the five-story cupola dome at the top of the tower also featured restaurants, lounges, and a night club.

During the 1970s, the Landmark became known for its performances by country music artists. The resort also played host to celebrities such as Danny Thomas and Frank Sinatra. However, the resort suffered financial problems after its opening and underwent several ownership changes, none of which resulted in success. The Landmark entered bankruptcy in 1985, and ultimately closed on August 8, 1990, unable to compete with new megaresorts. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority purchased the property in September 1993, and demolished the resort in November 1995, to add a 2,200-space parking lot for its convention center. In 2019, work was underway on a convention center expansion which includes the former site of the Landmark. The Las Vegas Convention Center's West Hall expansion opened on the site in June 2021.

  1. ^ "Diana Ross reaches out and touches Las Vegas audiences at Caesars". The Arizona Republic. July 21, 1985. Retrieved June 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. The Landmark Hotel is located at 364 Convention Center Drive [...].
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