The Stratosphere Opens (1996)

1996

Date: April 30, 1996
Location: 2000 South Las Vegas Boulevard, between the Strip and downtown, on the old Vegas World site
Key people: Bob Stupak (creator), Lyle Berman (financing partner), later owners Carl Icahn and Golden Entertainment
Height: 1,149 feet: the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States
Cost: $550 million complex; the tower itself about $70 million
Construction: Began February 1992; a fire on Aug. 29, 1993 hit the half-built tower
Original proposal: A 1,400-foot tower, reduced under FAA restrictions
Bankruptcy: Chapter 11 filing in January 1997; Carl Icahn took control later in 1997
Current owner: Golden Entertainment, which bought it in June 2017 (as part of an $850 million deal) and renamed it The STRAT in 2019
Where to see it today: The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower: observation decks, SkyJump, Big Shot, X-Scream, Top of the World

About

The Stratosphere grew out of Vegas World, Bob Stupak's space-themed casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. Stupak was a promoter and poker player known as the Polish Maverick. He opened his first casino on the site on March 31, 1974, rebuilt after it burned, and opened Vegas World on a Friday the 13th in July 1979. After a trip to see Sydney Tower in Australia, he decided to build a tower of his own to win attention back from the newly opened Mirage.

Stupak asked the Las Vegas City Council for a 1,400-foot tower, but Federal Aviation Administration limits cut it to just over 1,100 feet. Construction began in February 1992. On August 29, 1993, with the tower about half built, a fire broke out and Vegas World guests below were evacuated, the Review-Journal reported. As costs rose, Stupak brought in casino operator Lyle Berman to finance the rest. When it opened, Berman controlled 33 percent and Stupak 17 percent.

The Stratosphere opened on April 30, 1996, with a 1,149-foot tower at the center of a $550 million complex. Its location in a rough neighborhood between the Strip and downtown hurt it, along with heavy competition and a design that let visitors reach the tower without walking through the casino. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 1997, and later that year Carl Icahn bought enough shares to take control.

Icahn formed American Casino & Entertainment Properties in 2004 to run the resort and sold it to a Goldman Sachs affiliate in April 2007. Golden Entertainment bought the company for $850 million in June 2017 and announced a $140 million renovation. In February 2019 it renamed the property The STRAT. Stupak died on September 25, 2009, at 67. A park and a community center near the tower carry his name.

What to expect

The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower operates today. Its official site calls the 1,149-foot tower the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. The tower holds indoor and outdoor observation decks on levels 108 and 109, and the Top of the World restaurant, which revolves 360 degrees every 80 minutes.

Thrill rides run near the top. Big Shot launches riders 160 feet up at 45 mph. X-Scream tips riders over the edge from 866 feet. SkyJump is a controlled descent from 829 feet that holds a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial decelerator descent facility.

Before and after

Good to know

Stupak first planned the tower as a neon-lit sign after a windstorm destroyed a Vegas World sign; it later evolved into an observation tower, the Review-Journal reported.
Stupak also wanted a King Kong ride that would carry passengers up the outside of the tower inside a giant ape. It was never built.
The tower originally had a roller coaster called the High Roller. It was removed at the end of 2005 rather than undergo $500,000 in needed work, 8 News Now reported.
The Fontainebleau, at 735 feet, is called the tallest building in Nevada. The STRAT's tower is taller, but it is not counted as a building because it is not fully habitable.
The STRAT's site says you can add a ride to a Tower Experience ticket for $5.

Questions about The Stratosphere Opens (1996)

When did the Stratosphere open?

The Stratosphere opened on April 30, 1996, 8 News Now and the Review-Journal report, though parts of the resort were not yet finished. Construction had started in February 1992. The tower was the centerpiece of a $550 million complex on the site of Bob Stupak's Vegas World casino, which had opened in 1979.

How tall is the STRAT tower?

The tower is 1,149 feet tall. The STRAT's official site calls it the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. Bob Stupak originally proposed a 1,400-foot tower, but Federal Aviation Administration restrictions cut the height to just over 1,100 feet.

Who built the Stratosphere?

Casino owner Bob Stupak, known as the Polish Maverick, came up with the tower and started building it in 1992. After a 1993 fire on the half-built tower and rising costs, casino operator Lyle Berman helped finance its completion. By opening day Berman controlled 33 percent of the company's shares and Stupak 17 percent.

Why did the Stratosphere go bankrupt?

The Review-Journal points to the rough neighborhood, heavy competition from other resorts, and design flaws that let visitors enter the tower without passing through the casino. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 1997, less than a year after opening. Stupak blamed poor management, and Carl Icahn took control later that year.

When did the Stratosphere become The STRAT?

Golden Entertainment bought the Stratosphere's parent company, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, for $850 million in June 2017 and announced a $140 million renovation. In February 2019 Golden announced the property's new name, The STRAT. It is now the centerpiece of Golden's portfolio.

What rides are at the top of the STRAT?

The STRAT lists three thrill experiences at the top. Big Shot launches riders 160 feet up at 45 mph. X-Scream teeters riders over the edge from 866 feet. SkyJump is a controlled descent from 829 feet that holds a Guinness World Record. The original High Roller coaster was removed at the end of 2005.