I've lived here since 1992 - and the thing that stands out to me watching this is that the Strip used to just be a city street. Sure it was still "The Strip" but there were motels, local stores, locals casinos, strip malls, places that were not exclusively catering to tourists. Nowadays it's like Rodeo Drive or Broadway.
I moved to Vegas in 1979 as a contractor.. I did a 25yr run of work there building casinos, buildings and houses, made a ton of money and then split to retire on a Midwest farm... Totally miss the old school Vegas... It was much better in the old days.. Now its nothing more then another Disneyland theme park, kind of sad... But glad I got to see and experience it before everything changed so radically...!!
@@blahblahmeowchow6383 I don't think you get it... The old school charm it had, is lost... The new buildings have nothing to do with that... It's the people that have changed it..!!
Disneyland theme park? This statement would be true if it were say..... 1996 buy fast forward 25 years and the family friendly vibe the strip tried for has been since long dead!!
@@CONSOLETRUTH2 is this true ? I have heard people say this Disney land thing a million times ! What steps did they take to try to make it family friendly?
The only thing that hasn't changed is Circus Circus! I'm surprised it made the cut and still exist! I grew up in Las Vegas and have seen the city changed so much.. I miss old Las Vegas!
@717 Flyer Yes! That was the very first casino I ever went to. It was 1969, and I was 9 years old. I'm now 60, and it's still standing. It's become the butt of a lot of jokes now. Today it has such a bad reputation as you probably know. 😅
I always find myself in this section of CZcams with old footage and often I find myself wishing I could just crawl into the frame and live there. Postwar Los Angeles or New York, Anytown, USA in the 50s and 60s - the footage is great to watch but sometimes makes my heart ache reminiscing on a time I never even experienced. It’s even worse to read the comments from older individuals confirming that it was, in fact, a great time and us young folk totally missed out. This one was pleasantly different for me. I’m in my mid 20s and my buddies and I have a yearly Vegas trip and it is always an absolute blast. For some reason the tackiness of modern Vegas is charming to me and looking at these side-by-sides, it’s just massive now. Walking the strip at night feels unreal with the equivalent of 50 suns in LED lights shining down on you. Every year it’s a full 72 hours of about the most fun any of my friends and I have all year. When I look at these pictures, I find myself excited to go to the modern Vegas more than I wish I could visit old Vegas. I think that’s a lesson in itself. I know I’m not the only young person who sometimes wishes I grew up in a different generation. The reality is everyone remembers their youth fondly. The stories we hear, the movies we watch and the books we read about the past are likely written by someone reminiscing on their childhood, or their 20s, hell, their 40s or 50s! Your life is already great right now because you will look back on it fondly in time, so smile and recognize you just “crawled into the frame”
What a marvelous video! When it was recorded in 1988: anyone who saw might even be bored. Of course, you wouldn’t be bored if you had never been there, or wanted a vacation memory. But now, it’s a fascinating history of what used to be!
They built three towers, demolishing the originals. Please don't chime in. If you never seen the original. Just because the land is in the same location.
Loved this video. I have been visiting Las Vegas yearly since 1983. The only thing you missed was imploding the dunes for the Bellagio. Great memories.
My first stay was in 84 at the Desert Inn. The Toyota Convention had that hotel and the Frontier across the street. A bunch of us were up all night and then the big scam. Four of us had seen the Leader board for the PGA Pro-Am tournament starting that morning at the Desert Inn course. We walked into the pro shop and impersonated the first foursome on that board. Told them our equipment was lost and wouldn't arrive until late afternoon so they gave us all new clubs and bags on the house to use. On the first tee, the fairway was already roped off and a smallish crowd on both sides that gave us a warm applause when our bogus names were called out. Only two of us had played before but were 100 average golfers while the other two had never played. I and the other golfer got off the tee ok but the other two both missed their balls. The crowd applauded. we picked up and off down the fairway we went. The rest of the story was epic and movie quality but that's another story to tell.
I first went in 1972 for a vacation ( drove the Strip in 69 but) - were 2 young to gamble. I loved the layout of the Flamingo casino. It was like a big living room with couches and chairs along the long wall.
Thank you so much Ron for doing this video. I stopped on this because I turned 21 in 1988 and couldn't wait to go to Vegas stay at Tropicana. If I had a choice I would definitely go back to the old Vegas. Appreciate it thank you again 🤗🤗🤗
2:49 Circus Circus's $2.29 breakfast in 2021 would inflate to $5.30. They currently charge $19 + tax. Better than a lot of other places on the strip, but it shows just how much of a tourist trap Vegas has become.
This honestly is a beautiful time capsule for me. My first trip to Las Vegas, my family stayed at Vegas World. I dont remember a whole lot, I was 6 years old, what I do remember is that there was like a galaxy type atmosphere in the hotel. We went to see an Elvis impersonator, who actually sang to me and gave me his scarf. This video encaptures exactly what I grew up with to now. So much has changed to this little desert city.
Thank you. I was a delivery driver on the Strip for many years till 2001 I retired. I went back in 2019 and found it very claustrophobic. and had a panic attack.
At least I know it wasn't just me. I felt claustrophobic in 2019. It's like there's no space to breathe and the side walk shrunk. Maybe it's all those lights in your face now that used to be set back and you could enjoy them
@@sonnie6210 Thanks for sharing that I did not know if any felt the same. Not like the old days when the Hacienda was way out of town, My girlfriend worked there as a model seemed like a long drive hahaha
Thanks for making. I've lived here since 1987. I knew things had changed a lot, nothing's ever allowed to get old in Vegas except the roads, right? Seeing the changes like this still shocks me.
Thank you for all your videos Ron. The memories that have been enjoyed again after watching them is priceless. My father and I spent a lot of time in Vegas, most of the places we enjoyed together are gone. Your videos helped bring a piece of them back for me. Thank you!
This is an epic videologue for nostalgists. THANK YOU!!!! Vegas has lost so much of it's tiki, tacky wackiness that made it unlike any other destination.
@Celm Remember the Churchill Downs Race and Sportsbook? I used to go there in the 80s once I turned 21. It was like stepping back in time to the 1940s...I loved it! 😊
Ron, Thank you for making this video! Can't lie it brought a tear to my eye... I was stationed at Nellis 88-92 and this NC boy fell in love with Vegas at least the Vegas during that time. I have been back many times over the years and while Vegas does get much bigger, In my opinion Vegas in the late 80's and early 90's was alot better! I will always love Vegas but it just isn't the same.
Thanks Ken. We have Nellis in common. I was stationed at Nellis 74-75. Loved the area so much decided to live in Vegas when I got out. I love the surrounding desert areas more than the city, but it has its charms at times. With the recent convid crisis, the town is really taking a hit. But I think once it's over it will be like the roaring 1920's of the past. Stay safe.
I was stationed at Nellis (area 2) from 84-88. I remember south of Tropicana was empty lots for sale and seedy motels. The welcome to las Vegas sign was just north of Tropicana..
Hey Ken, yeah I remember there use not be much of anything thing after the Trop. I still love the Tropicana one the few old places still around. Area 2 you must have been red horse or Ammo 😀. I was with the 57 EMS Parachute Rigger. I sure do miss those old days. Good times.
I was The when the Mirage opened, then it was the biggest baddest place on the strip. I use to love to go up to Mt Charleston and hangout by the fire pit drinking Mt Charleston coffees, eating Steak and lobster at the Stardust, cruising around Lake Meade... Vegas was definetly a crazy young airmen from NC to be stationed at right out of high school.
I went to Vegas in the summer of 1988 , stayed at Dunes and had an absolutely magical time. I remember going to see Tom Jones , can't remember at which hotel though, it looks so different now and I'm so sad dunes is not there anymore .
Excellent video! I’m sure this took a lot of work to put together. There should be awards for CZcams videos like this. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful memories with all of us sentimental old farts.
Seriously different. When I compare early 2000 to now... It's already so different... But late 80's and now is like 2 different places... Thanks for sharing.
Thnx for posting. I sure miss those old places and is sometimes hard to remember where they actually were.. Seemed then the strip was a long way from the airport. not now..
Great video. I was surprised that in the 1988 video they did not have the hotel at the end of the strip the Holiday Inn. It was a crappy hotel and I was glad they removed it. It had a boardwalk theme and an old wooden roller coaster like cony island meets Atlantic City
I've been to Las Vegas a good many times since 2006 staying in Caesars, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, Venetian, Palazzo, Trump, New York New York, and Red Rock off strip. It was cool to see the resorts before my time there.
I happened to be in Vegas during the time they were adding the huge ellipse to the front of Fashion Show Mall...I didn’t know what the hell it was and it freaked me out a bit....such a huge piece of architecture just sort of floating there, over the road!!
I am both saddened and happy to see the city expand and improve. But with each passing casino it is like losing an old friend. There is almost nothing left of my town of the 70's. RIP Las Vegas Strip.
Cant believe not more people have not seen this. I was just wondering what hotels were brand new and all the history on them. Thanks. Will be alittle bit more knowledgeble on my next visit to Vegas.
Brought back many memories - Awesome job and perfect music that touches the highs and lows of the various emotions Las Vegas can create deep within.... Thanks for sharing!
I love the old style Las Vegas. I stayed in the old Sands and in the Marina Hotel which is now a part of the MGM Grand. In the 80s it had more style, flair.... I was there last in 2002 and seeing it today... oh, wow... what a difference. But not a positive... to me. And I remember the low prices for rooms and food. Bootle beer in a casino just 75 cents...
As a kid in the 90s we would stay at the westward ho usually and I loved going to wet n wild, circus circus and then stratosphere when it opened and that guniess book museum all walking distance. And the bronze crazy girls butts. Really miss wet n wild, they had great rides.
Las vegas was much more Heavy , Warm and Vibrant with all the buildings , casinos and motels that caused excitement in the 80s and 90s . They got rid off soo many monumental buildings that gave the town the Soul ,Structure and Stature that made people physically go there to have a blast and a great time . Don't get me wrong, still a massive area where times and memories can be made but its just a shadow of its past self with all the empty dead space , no stores and soulless modern hotels destroying the very nature that gave Vegas its noteworthy and unique reputation . From spectacular dreamy greatness to a shivering cold Disney theme park .Technology destroyed the physical human experiences intended for completeness .Incredibly ass .
It was so much warmer, friendlier, and more interesting and fun when I was there in 1980. I'm so glad I got to visit Circus Circus with my dad. I really want to go back and explore all of the older places before they go boom. Oh yeah, I got to see Ipi Tombi! Not sure how to spell it but it was an amazing show, I was 11 years old so I was impressed with the string and flap costumes on the lady dancers, when they jumped up and down titties were flying everywhere, it was glorious!
Im sorry to tell you but you're too late. It's changed so much and the special touch had evaporated. I went from 94 till 2019 every 1 to 2 yrs and last visit was so disappointing like the magic has left
@@sonnie6210 Yep, most of the Hotels have the customer service approach of supermarkets these days, you are just another faceless customer passing through. When they get 40 million plus visitors a year it just isn't possible to provide the individual attention that they used to for any but the biggest spenders. Downtown apparently you can still get a bit of the old Vegas vibe but I never stay there so can't say.
@Walter Finch Me too. I went there starting in the early 80s after I reached 21. I used to like to go to the Churchill Downs Race Book also. It was located in a tiny strip mall next to the original MGM Grand parking lot.
I would always go through that side entrance that led straight into the sportsbook in the late 90's. Not a lot of people would enter or exit that side door so it always felt like I wasn't supposed to enter that way.
Great work on this video. Have been going since 1980 and while I have fond memories of hotels past, I much prefer the hotels of today. Thanks for doing this.
you ask most of the locals and they all say they hate what it has become. When I first went in 1964 It was the most exciting place in the world you had space between the clubs now its horrible everything is on top of everything. No space at all
Reminds of that 1978-81 ABC crime drama series called "Vega$", which started Robert Urich as private eye Dan Tanna. The old casinos were there when the Aaron Spelling-produced series was filmed there.
I wish you would have showed the dunes where bellagio is now and also the Hacienda where Mandalay bay is now or the old Board walk where Monte Carlo was at....I liked the rest of it and it's always nice to see old footage
Love this video, thanks for doing it. Cool to see how things changed (for better or worse). I think they should of kept those hotels and just added to the strip with more. I feel having hotels that's been there from the start shows character in the city. I still love staying at circus circus and Excalibur I don't care what nobody says, they are cheap and good enough for me lol Idk why every time you show the implosion clip I laugh, it's the sound or something, not sure what it is but gets me everytime 😭 even though I wish all those buildings were still there 😢 Finally note: they need to bring back the pirate show. That still iritates me that's its gone. Not sure who's bright idea it was to take it out especially when everyone loved it and it was doing so well.
8:27 Wow that looks like the sphere. I know it's not the sphere that recently opened, but what an eerie premonition. Shoot, I looked at again a few more times, might just be a perfectly manicured tree. LOL
First time going to Vegas was in the early 80's. It was fun and still had that old school feeling like you were in Sin City. Prices were reasonable and it was fun. Fast forward thirty years later, Vegas is in no way the valued vacation it once was. Table games on the strip today are a min. of $20-25. Not affordable.
After watching this and hearing my great grandparents and grandparents stories of their times in vegas, its really sad to see so many of these places they loved demolished for mega resorts. What happened to the old vegas charm? the only memories I have of their visits are matchbooks. Something you don’t get these days! I would have loved to visit the Stardust, Aladdin ect these days. Luckily the neon museum has a few relics kept from the past for us to remember.
My grandpa collected matchbooks too, which I now have and love and cherish. It’s cool to see someone else like them too. 🤗 My parents and Aunt were compulsive gamblers and I grew up about 2,3 hours away from Vegas. We were there 1,2 a month. And that’s a lot back then. This 1988 video is exactly what I think of when I think of the Strip. We use to go to Wet n Wild every summer and the Sahara hotel (which was right next door at the time) use to have a clock and temperature on top of their building facing the water park. I would lay on a floatee and float around the lazy river all day, just staring at that thing. Lol Back then, Vegas, was NOT made for kids, AT ALL. Yeah, they all had an arcade in the casinos, but you’ve been to one arcade you’ve been to them all, and they could get boring very quick. What’s so funny, is our parents were extremely overprotective and controlling, yet, once we hit Whiskey Pete’s (stateline/ Primm Valley) they didn’t care if we got jobs at a brothel. 🤦🏻♀️ To this day, I loathe gambling. But I do wish at times, I could go back to this. ❤️
I've lived here since 1992 - and the thing that stands out to me watching this is that the Strip used to just be a city street. Sure it was still "The Strip" but there were motels, local stores, locals casinos, strip malls, places that were not exclusively catering to tourists. Nowadays it's like Rodeo Drive or Broadway.
I would be lost walking the strip now.
Imagine the changes from 1974 till today. I'm still amazed at the spread of homes in this valley or "meadows".
Yeah I remember thinking in 92, all these people from LA were moving in. The 70s, 80s Vegas was gone for good.
Man do I miss these times. I was in high school,, Las Vegas was more affordable, and my dad was still alive. 😔
I've lived here for every one of the changes, was a 21 dealer through most of it. I miss the old Vegas.
I moved to Vegas in 1979 as a contractor.. I did a 25yr run of work there building casinos, buildings and houses, made a ton of money and then split to retire on a Midwest farm... Totally miss the old school Vegas... It was much better in the old days.. Now its nothing more then another Disneyland theme park, kind of sad... But glad I got to see and experience it before everything changed so radically...!!
So.... you made a bunch of money building a bunch of new casinos for 25 years, and are now complaining that those casinos were built?
@@blahblahmeowchow6383 I don't think you get it... The old school charm it had, is lost... The new buildings have nothing to do with that... It's the people that have changed it..!!
Disneyland theme park? This statement would be true if it were say..... 1996 buy fast forward 25 years and the family friendly vibe the strip tried for has been since long dead!!
Luv vegas rather go to Fremont instead of the strip
@@CONSOLETRUTH2 is this true ? I have heard people say this Disney land thing a million times ! What steps did they take to try to make it family friendly?
I visited Vegas in the 70's, 80's , 90's and 2000's. It's like going to an amusement park that keeps changing the rides.
Was there in the late 80's. It was great, cheap and so much more fun.
I lived in Las Vegas from 2001-2007. Just since then it’s changed so much! I miss that Vegas!
Same
Idk why thinking of my dad being young around these times makes me tear up...
I have to confess. I had a few tears when I was making this.
Me too, and his mom years earlier 😇😑😪
I get very sad when I realize the Vegas I once knew is gone. I can relate 😢😢😢 I miss my old man. I miss the old Vegas. I miss when I was happy.
The only thing that hasn't changed is Circus Circus! I'm surprised it made the cut and still exist! I grew up in Las Vegas and have seen the city changed so much.. I miss old Las Vegas!
@717 Flyer Yes! That was the very first casino I ever went to. It was 1969, and I was 9 years old. I'm now 60, and it's still standing. It's become the butt of a lot of jokes now. Today it has such a bad reputation as you probably know. 😅
Cesar's is still the same as the OG tower is still there as are like 2 other tiwers
@@oldiesgeek454 why does it have a bad rep ? Lol
@@realitycheck1092 😉👍
My brother and I grew up in circus circus in the late 70s/early 80s. We lived there lol. I we would be sad if it no longer existed.
I always find myself in this section of CZcams with old footage and often I find myself wishing I could just crawl into the frame and live there. Postwar Los Angeles or New York, Anytown, USA in the 50s and 60s - the footage is great to watch but sometimes makes my heart ache reminiscing on a time I never even experienced. It’s even worse to read the comments from older individuals confirming that it was, in fact, a great time and us young folk totally missed out.
This one was pleasantly different for me. I’m in my mid 20s and my buddies and I have a yearly Vegas trip and it is always an absolute blast. For some reason the tackiness of modern Vegas is charming to me and looking at these side-by-sides, it’s just massive now. Walking the strip at night feels unreal with the equivalent of 50 suns in LED lights shining down on you. Every year it’s a full 72 hours of about the most fun any of my friends and I have all year.
When I look at these pictures, I find myself excited to go to the modern Vegas more than I wish I could visit old Vegas. I think that’s a lesson in itself. I know I’m not the only young person who sometimes wishes I grew up in a different generation. The reality is everyone remembers their youth fondly. The stories we hear, the movies we watch and the books we read about the past are likely written by someone reminiscing on their childhood, or their 20s, hell, their 40s or 50s! Your life is already great right now because you will look back on it fondly in time, so smile and recognize you just “crawled into the frame”
Looked so much better back in the day. To commercialized now
What a marvelous video! When it was recorded in 1988: anyone who saw might even be bored. Of course, you wouldn’t be bored if you had never been there, or wanted a vacation memory. But now, it’s a fascinating history of what used to be!
Ceasars Palace was one of the oldest hotel in Vegas, and until today it looks like still new.
It looks new because it was completely rebuild 😉
They built three towers, demolishing the originals. Please don't chime in. If you never seen the original. Just because the land is in the same location.
@@troysierra5228 yes they built more towers but the original layout is still there . They just added onto it.
@@troysierra5228 the main building is still there, it still have the original design, main casino Entrance.
Loved this video. I have been visiting Las Vegas yearly since 1983. The only thing you missed was imploding the dunes for the Bellagio. Great memories.
Born and raised in Vegas and its so crazy how much it’s changed since I can remember
My first stay was in 84 at the Desert Inn. The Toyota Convention had that hotel and the Frontier across the street. A bunch of us were up all night and then the big scam. Four of us had seen the Leader board for the PGA Pro-Am tournament starting that morning at the Desert Inn course. We walked into the pro shop and impersonated the first foursome on that board. Told them our equipment was lost and wouldn't arrive until late afternoon so they gave us all new clubs and bags on the house to use. On the first tee, the fairway was already roped off and a smallish crowd on both sides that gave us a warm applause when our bogus names were called out. Only two of us had played before but were 100 average golfers while the other two had never played. I and the other golfer got off the tee ok but the other two both missed their balls. The crowd applauded. we picked up and off down the fairway we went. The rest of the story was epic and movie quality but that's another story to tell.
it's a lot more impersonal and monumental now. Very alienating. Back in the day, it was still on a human scale to which you could relate.
I first went in 1972 for a vacation ( drove the Strip in 69 but) - were 2 young to gamble. I loved the layout of the Flamingo casino. It was like a big living room with couches and chairs along the long wall.
Thank you so much Ron for doing this video. I stopped on this because I turned 21 in 1988 and couldn't wait to go to Vegas stay at Tropicana. If I had a choice I would definitely go back to the old Vegas. Appreciate it thank you again 🤗🤗🤗
2:49 Circus Circus's $2.29 breakfast in 2021 would inflate to $5.30. They currently charge $19 + tax. Better than a lot of other places on the strip, but it shows just how much of a tourist trap Vegas has become.
This video is amazing it should have more views
Spectacular. That has to have been so much work. I recall those days ...in some ways much more fun.
This honestly is a beautiful time capsule for me. My first trip to Las Vegas, my family stayed at Vegas World. I dont remember a whole lot, I was 6 years old, what I do remember is that there was like a galaxy type atmosphere in the hotel. We went to see an Elvis impersonator, who actually sang to me and gave me his scarf. This video encaptures exactly what I grew up with to now. So much has changed to this little desert city.
Thank you. I was a delivery driver on the Strip for many years till 2001 I retired. I went back in 2019 and found it very claustrophobic. and had a panic attack.
At least I know it wasn't just me. I felt claustrophobic in 2019. It's like there's no space to breathe and the side walk shrunk. Maybe it's all those lights in your face now that used to be set back and you could enjoy them
@@sonnie6210 Thanks for sharing that I did not know if any felt the same. Not like the old days when the Hacienda was way out of town, My girlfriend worked there as a model seemed like a long drive hahaha
Thanks for making. I've lived here since 1987. I knew things had changed a lot, nothing's ever allowed to get old in Vegas except the roads, right? Seeing the changes like this still shocks me.
Thank you for all your videos Ron. The memories that have been enjoyed again after watching them is priceless. My father and I spent a lot of time in Vegas, most of the places we enjoyed together are gone. Your videos helped bring a piece of them back for me. Thank you!
This is an epic videologue for nostalgists. THANK YOU!!!! Vegas has lost so much of it's tiki, tacky wackiness that made it unlike any other destination.
Nice to see again the old Strip a lot of great memories back then..
@Celm Remember the Churchill Downs Race and Sportsbook? I used to go there in the 80s once I turned 21. It was like stepping back in time to the 1940s...I loved it! 😊
Ron, Thank you for making this video! Can't lie it brought a tear to my eye... I was stationed at Nellis 88-92 and this NC boy fell in love with Vegas at least the Vegas during that time. I have been back many times over the years and while Vegas does get much bigger, In my opinion Vegas in the late 80's and early 90's was alot better! I will always love Vegas but it just isn't the same.
Thanks Ken. We have Nellis in common. I was stationed at Nellis 74-75. Loved the area so much decided to live in Vegas when I got out. I love the surrounding desert areas more than the city, but it has its charms at times. With the recent convid crisis, the town is really taking a hit. But I think once it's over it will be like the roaring 1920's of the past. Stay safe.
I was stationed at Nellis (area 2) from 84-88. I remember south of Tropicana was empty lots for sale and seedy motels. The welcome to las Vegas sign was just north of Tropicana..
Hey Ken, yeah I remember there use not be much of anything thing after the Trop. I still love the Tropicana one the few old places still around. Area 2 you must have been red horse or Ammo 😀. I was with the 57 EMS Parachute Rigger. I sure do miss those old days. Good times.
I was The when the Mirage opened, then it was the biggest baddest place on the strip. I use to love to go up to Mt Charleston and hangout by the fire pit drinking Mt Charleston coffees, eating Steak and lobster at the Stardust, cruising around Lake Meade... Vegas was definetly a crazy young airmen from NC to be stationed at right out of high school.
@@kenlanier2131 And don't forget about the 99 cent Shrimp Cocktails!... 😉
I went to Vegas in the summer of 1988 , stayed at Dunes and had an absolutely magical time. I remember going to see Tom Jones , can't remember at which hotel though, it looks so different now and I'm so sad dunes is not there anymore .
Watched the dunes blow up. Was not smart. I inhaled all that ......
Excellent video! I’m sure this took a lot of work to put together. There should be awards for CZcams videos like this. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful memories with all of us sentimental old farts.
Thank you for your kind words Ginny.
Seriously different. When I compare early 2000 to now... It's already so different... But late 80's and now is like 2 different places... Thanks for sharing.
I worked and commutted to Las Vegas for about 15 years. Old Las Vegas, wow, thanks for the film
Thnx for posting. I sure miss those old places and is sometimes hard to remember where they actually were.. Seemed then the strip was a long way from the airport. not now..
Great video. I was surprised that in the 1988 video they did not have the hotel at the end of the strip the Holiday Inn. It was a crappy hotel and I was glad they removed it. It had a boardwalk theme and an old wooden roller coaster like cony island meets Atlantic City
I used to live in Las Vegas. Thank you for making this video and sharing it with us!
Great video, thank you. Love to see the comparison old to new...
I got to go to that Wet N Wild in July 1985. It was 120° that day.
I hit that wet and wild park too, the huge drop slide by the strip, and the whirlpool swirl slide were the best.
Yesss, I went sometime in the early 90's and remember looking up and seeing on the top of abank building maybe, the temperature 🌡 120
@@lisah5784 good ole days
U did a real good job. U even included performance samples.
it’s crazy how times change ;(
Makes you feel homesick
AWESOME VIDEO, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES OF GOOD TIMES FROM THE PAST!
I've been to Las Vegas a good many times since 2006 staying in Caesars, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, Venetian, Palazzo, Trump, New York New York, and Red Rock off strip. It was cool to see the resorts before my time there.
I happened to be in Vegas during the time they were adding the huge ellipse to the front of Fashion Show Mall...I didn’t know what the hell it was and it freaked me out a bit....such a huge piece of architecture just sort of floating there, over the road!!
Excellent video. Music , editing all very good
Thanks for the feedback.
I am both saddened and happy to see the city expand and improve. But with each passing casino it is like losing an old friend. There is almost nothing left of my town of the 70's. RIP Las Vegas Strip.
Imagine if they decide to demolish flamingo next
Cant believe not more people have not seen this. I was just wondering what hotels were brand new and all the history on them. Thanks. Will be alittle bit more knowledgeble on my next visit to Vegas.
Miss the old Vegas.
Same
Brought back many memories - Awesome job and perfect music that touches the highs and lows of the various emotions Las Vegas can create deep within.... Thanks for sharing!
I love the old style Las Vegas. I stayed in the old Sands and in the Marina Hotel which is now a part of the MGM Grand. In the 80s it had more style, flair.... I was there last in 2002 and seeing it today... oh, wow... what a difference. But not a positive... to me. And I remember the low prices for rooms and food. Bootle beer in a casino just 75 cents...
As a kid in the 90s we would stay at the westward ho usually and I loved going to wet n wild, circus circus and then stratosphere when it opened and that guniess book museum all walking distance. And the bronze crazy girls butts. Really miss wet n wild, they had great rides.
I liked Wetn Wild too!!
@@kenlanier2131 If I didn't know better, I would think Wet N Wild was the name of some bawdy Vegas Show.
I was so glad I went 1981. It was a great experience to have seen it that way . Wayne Newton in the alladin,lol. Tom Jones in Bally’s ,Omg.
Great video! Always have loved the history of Las Vegas especially the strip. How much it has changed. Thank you for sharing the video.
Las vegas was much more Heavy , Warm and Vibrant with all the buildings , casinos and motels that caused excitement in the 80s and 90s . They got rid off soo many monumental buildings that gave the town the Soul ,Structure and Stature that made people physically go there to have a blast and a great time . Don't get me wrong, still a massive area where times and memories can be made but its just a shadow of its past self with all the empty dead space , no stores and soulless modern hotels destroying the very nature that gave Vegas its noteworthy and unique reputation . From spectacular dreamy greatness to a shivering cold Disney theme park .Technology destroyed the physical human experiences intended for completeness .Incredibly ass .
It was so much warmer, friendlier, and more interesting and fun when I was there in 1980. I'm so glad I got to visit Circus Circus with my dad. I really want to go back and explore all of the older places before they go boom.
Oh yeah, I got to see Ipi Tombi! Not sure how to spell it but it was an amazing show, I was 11 years old so I was impressed with the string and flap costumes on the lady dancers, when they jumped up and down titties were flying everywhere, it was glorious!
Im sorry to tell you but you're too late. It's changed so much and the special touch had evaporated. I went from 94 till 2019 every 1 to 2 yrs and last visit was so disappointing like the magic has left
@@sonnie6210 How sad, time to start a movement or something, may the stars align soon!
@@sonnie6210 Yep, most of the Hotels have the customer service approach of supermarkets these days, you are just another faceless customer passing through. When they get 40 million plus visitors a year it just isn't possible to provide the individual attention that they used to for any but the biggest spenders. Downtown apparently you can still get a bit of the old Vegas vibe but I never stay there so can't say.
the old days miss the stardust had the best sportsbook
@Walter Finch Me too. I went there starting in the early 80s after I reached 21. I used to like to go to the Churchill Downs Race Book also. It was located in a tiny strip mall next to the original MGM Grand parking lot.
They sure did. We started going to the stardust every march for march madness. Stayed there and Westward Ho but always watched the games at stardust.
This is where Pete Rose hung out, signed autographs.
I would always go through that side entrance that led straight into the sportsbook in the late 90's. Not a lot of people would enter or exit that side door so it always felt like I wasn't supposed to enter that way.
@@confucius12012 me too esp when we stayed at westward ho.. It was like a secret tunnel.. Lol
Great work on this video. Have been going since 1980 and while I have fond memories of hotels past, I much prefer the hotels of today. Thanks for doing this.
Old Vegas so much fun!
Didn’t expect this video to make me so sad. Had my first 3 way at the RiV. Couple of real disreputable ladies. I miss Vegas
I have been living in las vegas for many years. And it’s surprising how much it changed
you ask most of the locals and they all say they hate what it has become. When I first went in 1964 It was the most exciting place in the world you had space between the clubs now its horrible everything is on top of everything. No space at all
Ain't gonna lie vegas look better back in the day casinos had those nice lights
Reminds of that 1978-81 ABC crime drama series called "Vega$", which started Robert Urich as private eye Dan Tanna. The old casinos were there when the Aaron Spelling-produced series was filmed there.
Vegas will always be in my heart. ❤️❤️❤️
I wish you would have showed the dunes where bellagio is now and also the Hacienda where Mandalay bay is now or the old Board walk where Monte Carlo was at....I liked the rest of it and it's always nice to see old footage
This is amazing! What a piece of history.
thank you
Yeah, I hate to be "that guy" but it used to have so much more charm; kinda sucks now.
Lived here my whole life, this city has gone through more phases than you can count.
Well at least there was one constant between then and now, the same roads are still under construction.
Absolutely... good point.
God ! This shows a different world! Vegas used to really be an escape before cell phones CZcams google!
Beautifully done 👍👍
thanks
Very cool to see side by side!
Amazing video!!! 👍👍👍
Love this video, thanks for doing it. Cool to see how things changed (for better or worse). I think they should of kept those hotels and just added to the strip with more. I feel having hotels that's been there from the start shows character in the city. I still love staying at circus circus and Excalibur I don't care what nobody says, they are cheap and good enough for me lol
Idk why every time you show the implosion clip I laugh, it's the sound or something, not sure what it is but gets me everytime 😭 even though I wish all those buildings were still there 😢
Finally note: they need to bring back the pirate show. That still iritates me that's its gone. Not sure who's bright idea it was to take it out especially when everyone loved it and it was doing so well.
Circus is also well known for their Steak House (and rightly so). Glad you enjoyed the video.
give me back old vegas
There used to be a McDonald’s right across Bob Stupak from the Aztec. Now, it’s the Strat.
Very nostalgic
Dam this hit me in the feels. Wasn't expecting that.
Wish I could go back in time, we had such good time in Vegas. we use to a a drop of a hat.
Great video
Before the 90's, south of the Trop, Las Vegas was just a desert, stretching into the discance.
Great job on the video, thanks for sharing. Cirque Sole shows all over are as passé today as topless reviews were in the late 80s.
I’ll take the 88 version over the current one
Ditto, that's why I watched this video. 1988 was my first trip to Vegas. Seems sooo different now. Miss the older Vegas 😪
Great video! I found it best to watch at .25 speed.
Very cool video thanks for sharing !
I miss the real Las Vegas in the 70’s and 80’s. Just the coolest town at that time.
The real Las Vegas was in the 50s and 60s, not the 70s and 80s, my friend. It's all relative. 😅
8:27 Wow that looks like the sphere. I know it's not the sphere that recently opened, but what an eerie premonition.
Shoot, I looked at again a few more times, might just be a perfectly manicured tree. LOL
Awesome video...thanks!
Super great video!!!!!!! Thank You
another brilliant video thanks
I liked Vegas when it wasn’t trying so hard.
First time going to Vegas was in the early 80's. It was fun and still had that old school feeling like you were in Sin City. Prices were reasonable and it was fun. Fast forward thirty years later, Vegas is in no way the valued vacation it once was. Table games on the strip today are a min. of $20-25. Not affordable.
After watching this and hearing my great grandparents and grandparents stories of their times in vegas, its really sad to see so many of these places they loved demolished for mega resorts. What happened to the old vegas charm? the only memories I have of their visits are matchbooks. Something you don’t get these days! I would have loved to visit the Stardust, Aladdin ect these days. Luckily the neon museum has a few relics kept from the past for us to remember.
My grandpa collected matchbooks too, which I now have and love and cherish. It’s cool to see someone else like them too. 🤗
My parents and Aunt were compulsive gamblers and I grew up about 2,3 hours away from Vegas. We were there 1,2 a month. And that’s a lot back then. This 1988 video is exactly what I think of when I think of the Strip. We use to go to Wet n Wild every summer and the Sahara hotel (which was right next door at the time) use to have a clock and temperature on top of their building facing the water park. I would lay on a floatee and float around the lazy river all day, just staring at that thing. Lol
Back then, Vegas, was NOT made for kids, AT ALL. Yeah, they all had an arcade in the casinos, but you’ve been to one arcade you’ve been to them all, and they could get boring very quick.
What’s so funny, is our parents were extremely overprotective and controlling, yet, once we hit Whiskey Pete’s (stateline/ Primm Valley) they didn’t care if we got jobs at a brothel. 🤦🏻♀️
To this day, I loathe gambling. But I do wish at times, I could go back to this. ❤️
The mob left and never the same after that....
@@therealwilfreddierkes9980 Great post, especially the part about the job at a Brothel... I wonder if the Chicken Ranch is hiring? 🐔🤔
Great footage, thanks for sharing...A bit emotional to be honest although I have never been to Vegas and watched from afar...
Even this 2019 footage looks old in comparison to what the strip looks like today
Nice Ron.thank you.
thanks for adding the show's clips for non-usa viewers.
Great video!
Nice job Ron. Thanks alot.
thank you. I enjoyed making it.
Well done. At least put the fabulous neon signs back up, as decorations. That would help the now-austere parts of the strip and bring back some magic.
It would be great if more people would upload videos of old Vegas and Laughlin. Those were the best days of both places.
I miss the Desert Inn my mother saw Eddie and Valerie when she was expecting wolfie!