The Dunes Implosion (1993)
1993
- Date
- October 27, 1993, a little after 10 p.m.
- Location
- Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, now the site of Bellagio
- Dunes opened
- 1955
- Buyer
- Steve Wynn, who bought the Dunes and its 164 acres in 1992
- Tower
- 235-foot north tower, then the tallest structure ever razed in the valley
- Demolition contractor
- Controlled Demolition Inc., led by J. Mark Loizeaux
- Explosives
- 650 pounds of dynamite, plus black rifle powder and 600 gallons of aviation fuel for visual effect
- Crowd
- As many as 200,000 spectators; police reported 13 arrests
- Security
- More than 300 off-duty police officers
- Media
- About 400 journalists; broadcast live on Channels 3, 8 and 13
- Fireworks
- Six-minute Grucci display, plus cannon fire from Treasure Island's HMS Britannia
About
The Dunes opened on the Strip in 1955 and was once billed as the Miracle in the Desert, but by the early 1990s it had declined after years of poor management. Steve Wynn, whose company had already built The Mirage and was about to open Treasure Island, bought the Dunes and its 164 acres in 1992. Early plans for the site varied, but it became the home of Bellagio. First, the hotel had to come down, beginning with its 235-foot north tower, at the time the tallest structure ever razed in the Las Vegas Valley.
No Strip hotel had ever been imploded. Earlier demolitions, such as the low-rise Castaways that Wynn cleared in 1987, were too small for explosives. Clark County's fire marshal said that taking the tower down with a wrecking ball could take up to six months and tie up Strip traffic, and that implosion was the less risky option. Wynn hired Controlled Demolition Inc. of Maryland and turned the event into a show, using the footage in a TV special promoting Treasure Island that aired on NBC in January 1994.
On the night of October 27, 1993, as many as 200,000 people filled the Strip. Police closed Las Vegas Boulevard from Spring Mountain Road to Harmon Avenue and parts of Interstate 15, more than 300 off-duty officers worked security, and some 400 journalists covered the event, which local TV stations carried live. Shortly after 10 p.m. the Grucci family launched a six-minute fireworks display, the HMS Britannia in front of the brand-new Treasure Island fired its cannons, and 650 pounds of dynamite, with rifle powder and aviation fuel added for show, brought the tower down. Police reported only 13 arrests.
The Review-Journal called it one of the biggest publicity stunts in the city's history, and it set a template. Implosions became the way Las Vegas retired its old resorts: the Landmark on November 7, 1995, the Sands in 1996 to make way for The Venetian, and the Stardust on March 13, 2007. Controlled Demolition has been part of every Strip implosion since, and the Gruccis returned for the Hacienda, Stardust, New Frontier and Riviera. The Dunes' rooftop Sultan sign was destroyed in the blast.
What to expect
Nothing of the Dunes stands on its old site, which is now Bellagio, at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. A smaller sign in the familiar Dunes shape is part of the Neon Museum's collection downtown, which presents the stories of demolished Las Vegas hotels through its signs and tours.
More from the 1990s
Before and after
Good to know
- The Dunes was the first hotel in Las Vegas brought down with explosives.
- Treasure Island opened the day before the implosion, and its pirate ship fired cannons toward the Dunes as part of the show.
- The footage was used in an NBC TV special promoting Treasure Island; Wynn paid $1.7 million for the airtime.
- The large rooftop Dunes Sultan sign was destroyed in the implosion; a smaller Dunes sign survives at the Neon Museum.
- Controlled Demolition Inc., the company behind the Dunes, has worked on every Strip implosion since.
Questions about The Dunes Implosion (1993)
When was the Dunes imploded?
The Dunes was imploded a little after 10 p.m. on October 27, 1993. It was the first hotel in Las Vegas brought down by explosives. Steve Wynn had bought the Dunes and its 164 acres in 1992 and needed the site cleared for the resort that became Bellagio, at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
How many people watched the Dunes implosion?
As many as 200,000 spectators crowded the Strip, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Some 400 journalists covered it, and local TV Channels 3, 8 and 13 carried it live. Police closed sections of Las Vegas Boulevard, Flamingo Road and Interstate 15, more than 300 off-duty officers worked security, and only 13 arrests were reported.
Why was the Dunes imploded instead of torn down?
Its 235-foot north tower was the tallest structure ever razed in the valley at the time. Clark County's fire marshal said a wrecking ball could take up to six months and tie up Strip traffic throughout, and called implosion the less risky choice. Earlier Strip demolitions, like the Castaways in 1987, had involved buildings too small to implode.
What replaced the Dunes?
Bellagio stands on the former Dunes site at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road. Steve Wynn bought the Dunes and its 164 acres in 1992, and early plans for the property included a hotel modeled on the Fontainebleau in Miami, with a large lake. Nothing of the Dunes remains on the site today.
What was the HMS Britannia's role in the Dunes implosion?
The HMS Britannia was the 90-foot ship in front of Treasure Island, which had opened the day before. As part of the show, after a six-minute Grucci fireworks display, the ship fired its cannons toward the Dunes. Then explosions took out the hotel's sign, and 650 pounds of dynamite brought the north tower down.
Which other Strip hotels were imploded after the Dunes?
The Dunes started a run of televised implosions. The Neon Museum lists the Landmark on November 7, 1995, the Sands in 1996 to make way for The Venetian, and the Stardust on March 13, 2007. Fireworks by Grucci also returned for the Hacienda, Stardust, New Frontier and Riviera, according to the Review-Journal.
Can you still see anything from the Dunes?
Not on the Strip, but a smaller sign in the familiar Dunes shape is in the Neon Museum's collection downtown. The hotel's large rooftop Sultan sign, which greeted guests from the roof, was destroyed during the implosion. The museum's tours cover the history of demolished Las Vegas hotels.