The expansion of family-friendly attractions led to a quick boom in visitation. “Now we’re seeing the signs of Las Vegas going from a gambling place with a number of tourist attractions to a tourism place with a lot of attractions that include gambling,” said Michael Green, a historian at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Megaresort predecessors The Mirage and Excalibur opened several years earlier and proved to casino moguls that an attraction-based concept would bring a new crowd to Las Vegas. 18.Įach of the developments were part of a pivotal time for the Strip. opened its eponymous, record-breaking hotel-casino on Dec. And by the end of the year, Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM Grand Inc. Not two weeks later, Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resorts opened Treasure Island to a big boom.
Then-Circus Circus Enterprises opened the Luxor on Oct. Three new megaresorts opened their doors on the Strip in the last three months of 1993. Three decades ago, the Strip had a few new additions to its skyline: a pyramid, a pirate ship and a theme park on the land of Oz. This image is of the Grand Canyon Rapids raft ride. Employee play day at the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park ahead of its Dec.
