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LAS VEGAS Area Attractions
Las Vegas, Nevada
---- THE LATEST BUZZ ----
(1/15/2026) New Area 15 Venues To Open Throughout 2026
(12/21/2025) Las Vegas Museum of Art Planned to Break Ground in 2027
(12/14/2025) A Fun NYE Celebration Offer from Play Playground
(11/20/2025) New Updates About That Proposed Top Gun Attraction
(10/30/2025) Zoox and Las Vegas Sphere Announce New Partnership
(10/26/2025) Las Vegas "RetroEscapes" Is The Latest VaporWare
 Las Vegas News - (12/14/2025) Looking for something fun and different to do on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas? Play Playground inside the Luxor is offering special 3-hour NYE Celebration event tickets on December 31st (various 3-hr blocks starting at noon) for as low as $77 per person that offer unlimited access to the over 20 interactive games as well as to a 3-hour Specialty Open Bar. Sounds like a great way to have fun in Vegas with friends if gambling in the casinos all-night isn’t quite your thing.
(10/30/2025) The Las Vegas Sphere and Zoox have announced a new partnership that will make the Zoox robo-taxi become the “Official Autonomous Ride-Hail Partner of Sphere”. This means Zoox riders will now have a dedicated vehicle pick-up and drop-off zone at the Sphere. Zoox will also receive “brand exposure” across the Sphere’s platforms, which will include Zoox branded content to be shown on the Exosphere screen that covers the famous venue.
Look for the Sphere to be added to the current service area for Zoox rides in Las Vegas in early 2026.
(10/26/2025) For those who have attempted to pass on to me the story in the media about a new theme park coming to Las Vegas… I got the message, and I’ve been ignoring it. The concept is called “RetroEscapes” and really… I’ve just been waiting for it to go away, because there is no way it is going to happen. The concept is odd, the pitch is from a self-proclaimed instagram influencer type with zero theme park or attraction experience who just created a website and some AI generated concept art and has been posting it all to social media. But it just isn’t going to happen… and honestly wasn’t worth the time to post about it in my opinion.
The only reason I’m mentioning it now is that Vital Vegas, who always has his chips on the true pulse of what is really happening in Sin City, has also now called out the concept as being “Delusional” and got way more attention than anyone expected (it was in People even) due to “Churnalism” by mainstream media who just reposted others reports over and over without doing any fact checking.
(10/22/2025) A new F1 Arcade attraction is now open in Las Vegas, inside the Caesar’s Palace Forum Shops. The F1 Arcade features 87 full-motion driving simulators in a location that features a full bar as well as a restaurant. Racing fans can also hang out and watch the latest races on the many screens inside as well while you relax with friends. This is said to be the biggest F1 Arcade built to date, with other locations already established in Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Denver. (New locations are coming to Atlanta and Madrid, Spain)
(9/10/2025) Good news for anyone in Las Vegas right now. The awesome looking ZOOX robotaxi fleet has now opened for public testing! You can see more about these crazy self-driving cars that have been testing around the Las Vegas strip for several years now. Look for the link to download the official Zoox app and the really good news is that rides are currently FREE!
Eventually they say that they will begin charging rates that are probably similar to competitive to taxi and ride-share services, but for now you can take a style for free around much of the southern strip area. According to the map posted on the official app the service starts at the south end of the strip at Mandalay Bay (and actuall goes over the freeway to the Raiders stadium) and runs north up the strip all the way to the Sahara on the east side of the freeway and on the west side rides to Area 15 are also included. (See the official Area Map Image Posted Below)
(6/26/2025) Resorts World Las Vegas has just upped their game this summer by announcing that not only have they removed all fees to park at the giant casino resort, but now they’ve dropped the dreaded “Resort Fees” for guests staying there for stays now through Sept. 11th. If you’ve already booked a stay there, you might want to give them a call ahead of time to make sure the resort fees are removed from your previous reservation as well.
(6/15/2025) When the F1 race deal was first created for Las Vegas, apparently while the deal from the county allowed for the race to take place over a 10-year period from 2023, though the initial deal from F1 was to confirm at least three races initially to take place in November 2023, 2024 and 2025. It has been no secret that the race itself has caused a number of issues with the locals and business owners along the strip, as well as for tourists planning visits to the city who were not attending the race at all. So it is safe to say that the initial race was off to a bit of a rocky-start, though things improved in year 2.
So for anyone who may have been hoping that 2025 would be the last year of dealing with the F1 circus… we’ve got some bad news, because F1 has officially extended the running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix by another two years… with events now planned to take place in 2026 and 2027.
According to officials the 2024 race generated $934 million in revenue overall, and generated $45 million in tax revenue for the city. F1 would like to see the races continue indefinitely, and is just planning on evolving what happens from year to year, refining it and extended it in similar fashion as they go.
(4/27/2025) Has the tourism downturn already started in Las Vegas, or are they just preparing for the worst? It’s no secret that operations in Las Vegas will frequently be one of the first places to experience a sharp drop whenever the economy takes a hit, as taking a vacation to Sin City to gamble is often one of the first things to be crossed off the list as budget conscious citizens are attempting to make their ends meet.
The funny thing is that in the “old days”, and I’m dating myself here, so let’s call this the ‘90s, taking a trip to Las Vegas for a day or two used to be considered one of the cheaper vacation options one could do when money was very tight. There were no “resort fees”, parking everywhere was still “free”, drinks were very cheap, virtually every casino had some kind of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner buffet between $2.99 and $9.99 a person, and you could get decent sized hotel-room at incredibly low prices all over the town. I remember for several years the Circus Circus casinos had an on-going special for rooms as low as $13 a night at Circus Circus, $23 a night at Excalibur, and $33 a night at the (then) new Luxor.
About the only way you were going to find yourself spending a large sum of cash was gambling. Otherwise, if you had the self-control to avoid that one particular “trap”, then it was very easy to have a great vacation in Las Vegas at a very low price.
These days, Las Vegas is a very different animal, as the town looks to pick guests' pockets at every opportunity, and deals are much harder to come by. As such, the town is much harder hit by even the slightest warning of a recession, with the casinos being very quick to take preventive action ahead of time.
According to various reports various layoffs have begun taking place at key casinos, downsizing staff in various departments where they think they can afford to cut back on the more “boujee” levels of services being offered, especially at lower tier casino resorts. This would include the laying off of staff in positions such as concierge, valet, bellhops and doorman positions. While the ‘buffet’ scene has never fully recovered in the aftermath of COVID, I’m also hearing that several of the surviving buffets are either being closed down again, or preparing to do so.
Now the town has been hosting a good number of very large events over the past several months. This would include both regularly scheduled events such as the annual CES and NAB tradeshows, the F1 race, as well as just having finished a nearly week long series of WWE Wrestlemania events. In addition there are all the big things that Vegas is known for, Cirque shows, concert residency performances, The Sphere, big combat sports events from the likes of UFC, and so much more.
However the big casinos do have some insight as to how things are looking “long term” such as how their reservation rates are looking for the rest of the year. Things may be ok at the moment, but if they are sensing that things could be about to turn south later this year, or even if they are just worried that things MIGHT get worse later, then all these cuts taking place now may be preemptive moves, knowing that they can always try to reverse course later if need be.
We probably won’t know just how bad they are worried, until it gets to the point where the resorts start to offer some big discounts and deals.
(1/21/2025) You know… it was only in December 2019, just before the start of the pandemic, that Billionaire Phil Ruffin bought Circus Circus from MGM Resorts for about $825 million. At the time we heard a lot of talk being thrown around about ways he was planning on improving the aging casino resort, along with the attached theme park inside the giant pink Adventuredome out back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they’ve spent a lot of money fixing up a lot of things that were in dire need of fixing up or being replaced in the property, but those bigger dreams of seeing Circus Circus undergo some kind of golden age transformation never did seem to materialize.
Now this week’s news headlines in Vegas say that Phil Ruffin is apparently ready to sell Circus Circus and he thinks that the prime real estate that Circus Circus sits upon on the quickly developing north end of the Las Vegas Strip could make the 102-acre property worth upwards of $5 billion to a new owner. While I think that’s a bit much… Ruffin has had a knack for this kind of thing, as he previously purchased the former Frontier Casino for $167 million with dreams to redevelop the property. Instead he ended up selling the Frontier in 2007 to another developer in a deal worth $1.2 billion. It’s fair to say that Ruffin is hoping to have the same kind of success in selling off Circus Circus to a new owner.
The question is… would a new owner keep Circus Circus and just expand on the property, or would a fate more like the Frontier casino follow instead. After Ruffin sold the property the casino was demolished and the site sat in limbo for years, exchanging hands from one developer to another. In the last deal, the property was purchased by the Wynn Resorts who apparently have until 2026 to made a decision on what to do with the former Frontier property.
For those keeping track, Circus Circus isn’t the only casino that Phil Ruffin owns, as he also purchased the Treasure Island casino just down the strip. Ruffin also is said to own half of the nearby Trump International Tower hotel.
2026 - BLVD Las Vegas - (10/3/2024) According to the post below, the world’s largest In-N-Out Burger location is supposed to be coming to the BLVD Las Vegas retail development on the Strip. According to the video, the massive burger location is said to be 8,000 sqft and will be on the roof level, offering views of the strip while you eat. BLVD Las Vegas is being built across the strip from Park MGM, next to the retail area that is already home to Target, Ross and Walgreens and the FlyOver attraction and down to the empty plot in front of the Polo Towers.
Keep in mind that there already is a popular In-N-Out location on the strip a few blocks to the north, deep in the LINQ shopping strip. It’s a good walk from one to the other, so I wouldn’t expect to see the LINQ location close just because the new one opens, unless their lease is up. Oh, and for those a little to the south, keep in mind that there is a large stand-alone In-O-Out location just on the other side of the freeway from where Excalibur and New York-New York sit, so you’ve got options.
2026 - “From The Edge” at The Sphere - (4/12/2025) The Sphere in Las Vegas is moving forward with the creation of two new immersive experiences that will play within the attraction during the days when there isn’t a concert scheduled. I assume the existing Postcard from Earth show will also be remaining and be shown in rotation with these new shows.
The first new experience will be the unique “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere”, which will transform the classic 1939 film into a new “fully immersive experience” as only the Sphere can do, by using cutting edge new technology to enhance the original film experience while still being able to “maintain the integrity of the classic while pushing the boundaries of Sphere’s experiential medium.”
The second experience will be something called “From The Edge” that will be about extreme sports and will “push that vision forward in different ways.” It will feature extreme athletes from the fields of free diving, skying, rock climbing, surfing and BASE jumping.
Look for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere to open in August, and we will see From the Edge added sometime in 2026, but filming of the action is already taking place at various world-wide locations through the rest of the year.
2026 - New at Area 15 - (1/15/2026) It has been reported that Area 15 in Las Vegas has signed deals to add even more venues and tenants to the complex, many of which will arrive throughout 2026. Constant expansion, adding the element of surprise to Area 15, where returning guests never know quite what to expect because new things are being added all the time, as been very much a part of Area 15’s success story.
New arrivals expected this year include:
Museum of Ice Cream (world’s largest, with ice-cream hotel suites and an ice-cream buffet)
The Bowl - featuring robot chefs who will cook while you watch
Miniso - lifestyle retailer featuring popular IP products
House Rules - competitive socialising venue with a bar, extensive food offerings and games
iFLY Indoor Skydiving
(2/1/2025) Something very yummy is coming to Area 15 in Las Vegas in 2026. Blooloop reports that Area 15 will be opening a flagship location for the “Museum of Ice Cream”. Decked out in enough pink to make your eyes want to squint, the upcoming Las Vegas site is reported to be nearly 30,000 sqft in size, which will make it about three times the size of the giant locations in Boston and Miami.
I’ve never seen a Museum of Ice Cream myself but apparently they have six locations in Austin, Chicago, New York, Singapore, Miami and Boston, so this will be their first location in the western USA. The locations feature some staples, such as a slide down into a pool filled with Sprinkles, a pink party bus, interactive games and fun food, and the highlight of the Vegas location is sure to make your Vegas desert parched insides perk up… an ice cream buffet.
(4/13/2025) I know there was a bit of disappointment last year when it was announced that the popular Lost Spirits Distillery show/attraction located at the Area 15 complex shut down at the end of April 2024. At the time, Lost Spirits said they simply had not been able to recover from mounting debts accumulated during the COVID-19 shut-down and the slow re-start that followed. But what if I told you that Lost Spirits could possible make a come-back in some form?
One of our readers dropped by Area 15 this past week and noticed that a lot of the outside Lost Spirits props and decor is still sitting outside of the former attraction, looking to have been pretty well maintained and ready to go. According to the scuttlebut from some former Lost Spirits cast, Area 15 is working on a plan to recreate and reopen the attraction in a slightly scaled back and more budget-friendly format for the current times which would be great. I had always heard such great things about Lost Spirits, but never had the chance to see it, and it was already closed the last time I visited Vegas in June 2024.
While we’re on the subject of new upcoming Area 15 attractions, I know we’ve discussed how the owners were bringing in that big section of a former 747 into the expansion complex, and our reader was also able to capture pictures of this as well. You can see how they have brought in and installed the section of the jet, and are now building up the rest of the complex in that area around it.
2026 - The Vanderpump Hotel - (3/13/2025) Caesars Entertainment has announced a major change that is coming to their Cromwell hotel in Las Vegas, a small casino on a high-traffic corner of the Strip sitting right between the Horseshoe and Flamingo casinos. Back in the day, when the property first opened, in 1979 it was known as the Barbary Coast. It was later purchased by Boyd Gaming in 2004 and then traded to Caesar’s in a property swap in 2007 where it was then transformed into Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. Nothing seems to last forever in Vegas and the property was transformed and reopened as The Cromwell in 2014.
True to form, after 11 years it was announced that The Cromwell will be receiving an brand new makeover once again, this time in association with Lisa Vanderpump, to become “The Vanderpump Hotel” in early 2026. Vanderpump has had a successful relationship with Caesar’s over the past several years and has opened several restaurant and lounges in their properties, including the “Vanderpump Cocktail Garden” in Caesars, “Vanderpump à Paris” in the Paris casino and “Pinky’s by Vanderpump” at the Flamingo.
Now the Vanderpump Alain design company will tackle their biggest project yet with their first entry into the hotel industry to transform the Cromwell into something brand new. “I am thrilled to once again be partnering with Caesars Entertainment, this time to venture into the hotel business,” said Lisa Vanderpump. “What an extraordinary opportunity to develop this iconic location into something unique, playful and upscale. Hospitality has always been our passion, and our mission is to create something sumptuous with a unique atmosphere. Our successful history has always been based on the individuality of the location. Through my design company, Vanderpump Alain, with my partner Nick Alain, we can’t wait to breathe new life into this property and make it something truly magical.”
At this time, Caesar’s has confirmed that The Cromwell will continue to operate throughout the renovation as it transforms into The Vanderpump Hotel. Look for work to begin sometime this summer.
2027 - New NEON MUSEUM - (9/24/2024) The famous “Neon Museum” in Las Vegas will be preparing to move to a new location in “the Arts District” that will put it closer to the future site of the Las Vegas Museum of Art. If you haven’t heard of the Neon Museum, the eclectic attraction became famous for saving and salvaging the former famous neon signs from many former Las Vegas casinos and attractions starting in 1996 and opened to the public as an attraction in 2012.
According to this article, the Neon Museum is expected to have its new site ready to open sometime in 2027 and will feature two display areas. The rooftop of a parking garage and some nearby open space will house most of the Neon Museum’s typical outdoor display of salvaged display signs, while the ninth floor of the parking garage will be converted into an enclosed exhibit space.
The interesting thing is that currently the existing Neon Museum still only has room to display only 35% of the Neon signs they have in their collection.
2027 - HARD ROCK LAS VEGAS HOTEL & CASINO - (9/21/2025) Our local friend sent in some great new pictures of the massive guitar shaped tower rising in front of the former Mirage casino taken this weekend. The interesting thing is that they’re already installing the glass on the lower sections of the guitar instead of waiting until it is more fully built.
(6/12/2025) Having just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, I was able to grab a great photo showing off the current state of things at the former Mirage resort. As previously mentioned, the Mirage is now closed for good to be transformed into a new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The huge frame-work rising in the foreground of the photo will be the base for the resort’s massive new guitar shaped hotel tower structure that is replacing the Mirage’s former Volcano area that used to sit right along the Strip.
According to the signs, they are planning to have the new casino hotel ready for guests by mid to late 2027.
(3/30/2025) Vertical construction has finally started in Las Vegas at the former Mirage Casino, where the front volcano grotto is being transformed into what will eventually be a massive guitar shaped hotel tower as the casino becomes the new Hard Rock Casino. Some pictures were sent in this weekend by a friend of ours, so enjoy!
(7/20/2024) In a rare early morning performance, the mighty Mirage volcano show erupted for one last time on July 17th. With the resort now closed, demolition is expected to begin at the volcano site soon to make way for the future Hard Rock resort’s new guitar shaped hotel tower that will sit right in front of the new casino resort site.
(5/25/2024) While previously the plans announced to transform The Mirage into a new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino did not seem to involving shutting down the iconic casino, those plans have now changed. According to management, The Mirage will now completely close down on July 17th, with the last night guests can say being July 14th, to kick off a three-year-long construction project that will see it reopen under the Hard Rock banner, complete with a new 700-foot tall guitar-shaped hotel tower out front where the Volcano is sometime in 2027. According to The Mirage, if you previously had reservations for dates beyond July 14th, those reservations have been canceled.
Unfortunately this also means that the entire staff of the Mirage just found out that they are being laid off within a very short period of time. For those wondering, the current Cirque du Soleil show, “The Beatles: Love” is also coming to an end on on July 7, 2024.
(2/15/2023) The dolphins at The Mirage now have a new home. According to the local news three dolphins who have made a home at the former Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat (Karli, Sofi and Osborne) have now been moved to SeaWorld San Diego. According to the article, the dolphins were originally actually from SeaWorld and have been at The Mirage under a long-term loan agreement, so now they are returning home again.
(12/10/2022) Hard Rock International shared their latest plans to renovate The Mirage casino during a presentation of the Nevada Gaming Control Board this past week. The updated plans to transform the Mirage into the new “Hard Rock Las Vegas” branded resort still include a massive guitar-shaped hotel tower.
The shape of the tower has changed slightly from the previous Gibson shape into one more balanced left to right. It has been described as more of a “Gretsch” shaped guitar and while it probably offers the ability to include a few more rooms, it will also make the Vegas location stand out as being visually different from Hard Rock’s first guitar shaped hotel tower (a Gibson) that has already opened in Florida. It was also noted that the new guitar tower will be used as part of an all new nighttime light show viewable from all along the strip as sort of a replacement for the Mirage’s old Volcano eruption show.
Hard Rock also proposed building another guitar shaped hotel tower resort in Japan back in 2019 as part of a bid to build an integrated casino resort. There has been a lot of change in the Japanese political landscape since then due to the rise of the pandemic, but last I heard Hard Rock was still keen to bring their vision to Japan when the time is right.
Hard Rock says that while internally things will begin to change later this month as they take over operations from MGM Resorts, the resort was planning on keeping the existing Mirage name in place until the renovations are complete in 2025. Meanwhile the plan is that anything you may remember from the old Mirage will be gutted and removed, and then completely rebuilt and renovated into something entirely new for the Hard Rock brand. This includes the entire casino space, all restaurants and every one of the existing guest rooms.
As previously announced the Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat area will also be closed for good and demolished to make way for a new massive resort pool area. New homes are being found for all of the existing dolphins, lions and tigers in the exhibit. The process of relocating all the animals is expected to take between 6 to 12 months and should be complete by this time next year.
The end result for the Hard Rock Las Vegas will be a nearly 600 room increase, more casino games, more restaurants, an expansion to the convention center space, and plans to build a new “Hard Rock Live” performance space. The contract for the existing Beatles themed Cirque du Soleil show “LOVE”, has been extended to run at least into 2024. If ticket sales remain solid, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hard Rock opted to keep this one leftover from the old Mirage days as it does fit well into their brand.
During a Q&A session at the Gaming Board meeting, they were asked about the possibility of closing the Mirage to complete these massive renovation plans. Nothing has been set yet and they say that if a closure is needed, it won't be for at least another 18 months (mid to late 2024?) if it is determined to be a necessity.
(11/25/22) The local news has confirmed that the Mirage’s “Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat” will be closing down for good. According to a statement issued by MGM Resorts, the new owners at Hard Rock have been considering their options and in open discussions with MGM about the future of the facility.
“As Hard Rock has thought about its vision for The Mirage post-close, the team has determined that the best course of action is to wind down and, eventually, permanently close the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat prior to the commencement of construction of the Guitar Hotel and other planned transformational redevelopments of The Mirage.”
“Given this decision, we’ve agreed to work proactively together in the months ahead to develop a plan to permanently relocate the animals to new homes where they will continue to be loved and cared for by welltrained, highly respected animal care professionals and veterinary experts. Rest assured that the health, safety, and well-being of the animals is our top priority. For three decades, nothing has been more important, and that will not change moving forward. Both MGM and Hard Rock are committed to finding new homes for the animals that meet our required high standards of care and give each animal an opportunity to thrive.”
They also noted that the Dolphin Habitat has been closed since September so that a team of outside experts and the animal care team could conduct a review of the animals and the facility itself. This was done following the death of three of the facilities dolphins that took place earlier this year, with the first in April and then two more suddenly passed in September. “We are nearing the completion of that review but have not yet determined when the facility will reopen or in what capacity.”
(7/23/22) We know The Mirage was sold to Hard Rock International to become the all new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The famous Mirage volcano in front of the casino is destinated to be demolished to way way for a new guitar-shaped hotel tower. While the deal has yet to be 100% finalized at this time, TheStreet is reporting that it is very likely that at some point between now and the planned 2025 launching of the new Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas that The Mirage may shut down completely rather than try to stay open during the renovations.
As part of the deal Hard Rock has the rights to keep using The Mirage name for up to three years royalty free if they wish, but anonymous sources from “one of the main theater productions” told the reporter than they were only offered one-year contract extensions at this time, which backs up the feeling that the Mirage will likely close for a time.
(1/23/22) Las Vegas has long been home to big cats, especially the tigers that were famously used in the days of the Siegfried and Roy magic show that performed from 1990 to 2003 at The Mirage. With the death of both Siegfried (Jan. 13, 2021) and Roy (May 8, 2020), the majority of the tigers and lions from the show have remained at The Mirage as part of the “Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat” attraction. But with the announced sale of The Mirage to Hard Rock and the intent to rebrand the casino resort as a new Hard Rock Casino, what will happen to the animals?
According to the local report the management of Hard Rock International has not yet made the call about what will happen to the Secret Garden attraction and the animals within. The terms of the sale of the resort from MGM to Hard Rock are unknown, and it is entirely possible that Hard Rock may require MGM to remove the animals before the sale is complete if Hard Rock is uncomfortable with taking ownership of them, or has other unannounced plans for the attractions space. Note that this isn’t an uncommon requirement when attractions change hands, especially if the new owner has no experience dealing with them, or in some cases, may have an existing corporate policy to not keep animals in captivity at their attractions.
On a related note about Tigers in Las Vegas, a proposal was made awhile back Jay Owenhouse to include tigers and other animals in a magic show held in a temporary structure along the Strip near the Mandalay Bay. In light of criticism from animal rights activists and safety concerns about keeping Tigers inside what would appear to be a modern-day circus tent style structure in such a public space the magician has now altered his proposal to exclude animals from the show.
The location of the show has also changed to a new location close to the Sahara on the northern end of the Strip after the land at the previous site (intended for 2020) fell into foreclosure. The new application for the animal-free show near the Sahara is expected to go before the Zoning Comission on Feb. 2, with plans to have it up and running sometime in Spring 2022.
(12/20/21) A piece of sad news from Las Vegas this week, as the CEO of Hard Rock International has confirmed that as part of the transformation of The Mirage into a new Hard Rock branded casino, the world famous ‘volcano’ structure outside the front of the Mirage that used to put on nightly shows will be torn down as part of the remodel of the casino.
Their plans for the Mirage property will involve building a massive new guitar-shaped hotel tower in front of the existing towers (why the volcano is leaving), adding a new live music venue and more. Currently however they have not announced if they plan to keep the Beatles themed show from Cirque du Soleil, though with a brand like Hard Rock, it would be hard to see them passing on opportunity to keep the show, unless it just was not selling out the venue on a regular basis prior to COVID.
A long-distance rendering of the property, as seen looking down the Strip, was also released by Hard Rock that shows off the new guitar-shaped hotel tower that will sit prominently in front of the entire resort.
(12/16/21) The Hard Rock brand is coming back to the Las Vegas Strip, but not where you would have expected. According to CNN Hard Rock International has signed a deal with MGM Resorts to hand the operations of The Mirage over to Hard Rock. The deal worth $1.075 billion will close sometime in the second half of 2022 and comes with the rights to continue to use The Mirage name and brand for three more years, allowing Hard Rock the time to determine just how they intend to re-brand The Mirage after that.
2028 - Top Gun - (11/20/2025) Blooloop has posted a quick update on that Top Gun attraction that was announced for Las Vegas earlier this year. They confirm that Simtec Systems was appointed as the engineering partner for the thrill ride attraction from Advent Allen Entertainment, that is still planned to launch in 2028.
The center itself is described as a multi-level destination that will include the “Hard Deck” restaurant as well as several interactive zones, including “A high-performance flight-themed thrill ride [that] will combine cinematic storytelling, precise motion technology, and immersive media in an experience that matches the intensity and excitement of the blockbuster films themselves.”
Previously they mentioned they were looking into other possible future locations as well, and in this article they also mention Orlando as being a possible flagship location down the line.
Simtec is known for their motion simulation hardware work in both the amusement sector as well as providing professional flight simulation system installations, including a specalized full-flight simulator for the Dornier 228 aircraft in Germany. Simtec is also involve with professional driving simulator systems as well, so their involvement with a Top Gun themed attraction seems like a good choice.
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(5/25/2025) I feel the need… the need for SPEED!
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Global is looking to partner with Advent Allen Entertainment to create a “fully immersive experience” themed to the hit Top Gun film franchise, to be located on an undeveloped plot somewhere very close to the Stratosphere Tower.
While they don’t have many details to offer, they say the experience may include experiences involving ride and storytelling and some jet simulators. They say that the plan is to open the new Las Vegas attraction sometime in 2028, and are currently exploring the idea to open further locations elsewhere around the world.
To be honest, the “Top Gun” IP is sorely missed in the world of themed entertainment, and was a huge hit with guests when it premiered at four different Paramount branded theme parks back in the 90s when used as the theme for various different roller coaster designs. When Paramount sold their theme parks to Cedar Fair, the IPs did not go with the parks, so while most kept the navy jet fighter themeing, the “Top Gun” name was dropped and replaced by the more generic sounding “Flight Deck “ on most, while the Carowinds B&M Inverted coaster was given the more impressive sounding “Afterburn” name instead.
2029/2030?? - Brightline West / High Speed Rail - (6/21/2025) Prep work is still ongoing for the Brightline West highspeed train that will run from Southern California to Las Vegas. According to a local news report, soil samples along the future train path are still being taken in a few locations on the California side to determine what grading and foundations are needed along the way in each location for the 200mph electric train.
No date has been set, but Brightline West says that the start of actual construction is “getting close”. While they had originally hoped to have it up and running in time for the 2028 Olympics in LA, that timeline has now been pushed back.
(1/24/2024) Good news for those who can’t wait for the Brightline West line to get built between California and Las Vegas, as the US Department of Transportation just approved $2.5 billion in bonds to be used for funding for the high speed rail line. The initial plan will seen service built mostly along the I-15 corridor between Las Vegas to the “Inland Empire” area just east of Los Angeles, featuring 218 miles of track with all electric trains able to achieve speeds of 186mph, covering the distance in in half the time it would take to drive it yourself by car.
Combined with a previous round of funding, Brightline West now has $3.5 billion in funding for the railway, which is expected to break ground sometime in early 2024, with the goal of being open by the Summer of 2028.
(8/5/2023) According to the local news the plans for the Brightline West high speed train just cleared another major hurdle, clearing the path to hopefully start breaking ground before the end of the year. In the latest development the Federal Railroad Administration rules that the 49-mile stretch of the proposed line between the southern end-station in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Victor Valley would have no significant impact on the environment and may proceed without a new environmental impact study. Previously a study for the Las Vegas to Apple Valley portion of the route was approved in 2011 and reviewed and reconfirmed in 2020. With the needed permits and right-of-way rights now secured, Brightline West should be able to proceed ahead and begin construction.
(4/23/2023) Brightline West shared some concept art of the stations planned for the planned high speed rail line from SoCal to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas station end station would be build on a large empty plot nestled between I-15 and the south end of Las Vegas Blvd (aka: The Strip) between Blue Diamond Rd and Warm Springs Rd. Only a small portion of this large empty site will be used by the rail line with other developments looking to take advantage of the rest of the space in the future for other uses like future resorts and possible new sports arenas.
Another piece of artwork sent out appears to show the California station, attached to a large multi-story parking structure, it would also serve as a link between Brightline West and the Metrolink Los Angeles area rail system.
If all moves forward as planned, work could start sometime over the next year with the system opening as early as 2027.
???? - Bally’s Las Vegas & “A’s” Baseball Stadium - (10/5/2025) An image showing off the proposed Bally’s Las Vegas casino project that would take over the former Tropicanna site on the southern end of the strip can be seen below. The proposal for the 35-acre site would include a new casino hotel with two 1,500 room towers, a dining and entertainment complex, a performance venue and, of course, a fully enclosed baseball stadium to serve as the new home for the Athletics Major League Baseball team.
???? - North Strip Margaritaville & Other Developments - (9/5/2024) A new large development has been approved by the city planners for the Strip area just south of Fontainebleau where the Riviera was once located, across the street from Circus Circus.
The proposal is for a bit of a mixed use project that would include two 600-foot tall towers that would contain a 750-room non-casino hotel, 425 condos, a domed structure that would house a 3,310-seat performance venue, a proposed 439-foot tall “amusement ride” and an assortment of street-front retail / restaurant spaces.
They aren’t saying what the amusement ride will be yet, but based on the concept art released, the proposal looks to include a new strip-side Margaritaville location, and what appears to be a Margaritaville themed Star-Flyer style ride, complete with a large drink and straw poking out of the top at the very peak of the tower.
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???? - Neonopolis / Attraction Expansion - Proposal - (5/19/2024) You may come across reports this week claiming that a plan is being made to create a new “theme park” in downtown Las Vegas. Well… Yes and No… I wouldn’t call this a theme park, but instead this is a proposal by the creator of Neonopolis to lease-out space to groups willing to build new rides and attractions.
Neonopolis is the building complex located on Fremont Street, but just outside of the covered roof, but as the last block of the street where only foot traffic is allowed, where they built the launch tower for the giant Slotzilla attraction in the street between Neonopolis and a parking structure. Currently the block is made up on a number of small retail shops, bars and a few restaurants (Heart Attack Grill, Dick’s Last Resort, Dirt Dog, Denny’s, etc…).
In response to the growing trend that ordinary retail malls are dying unless they can add a significant entertainment presence to keep the relevant, the owner envisions adding a $300 million package of new attractions to the landscape including roller coasters, skydiving simulators, and a plan name the complex “Mini Disni” as a way to get attention while trying to attempting to skirt a potential lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company.
It is true that the Fremont Street area is perhaps more popular than ever these days, with a lot of new life breathed into the area, especially with the opening of the impressive Circa Resort at the opposite end. So with that in mind, the concept behind this expansion of Neonopolis to create Mini Disni might really actually happen. It is also worth noting that it has been a long time dream of Neonopolis to become home to a major amusement attraction. Long time readers may recall that for a period of time, the owner of Neonopolis attempted to negotiate a deal to move and rebuild the wildly popular Star Trek: The Experience attraction when it shut down, but was unfortunately unable to close that particular deal.
The interesting thing about this latest plan however is that Neonopolis won’t own these news attractions, instead they are looking to twist the idea of a retail mall concept of leasing out space to other companies who will themselves compete for the success of their ventures against each other. While this concept is mostly foreign to the American marketplace, I believe it is far more common in Europe where various “Showmen” will arrive with their various rides and attractions to set-up and compete for success at Europe’s biggest fun-fairs and Octoberfest events each year. Another fine example is the Prater in Vienna, Austria, where the entire amusement complex features attractions built in spaces leased out to different owners that are constantly in a state of being upgraded and improved. So this is a concept worth keeping an eye on…
 ???? - Las Vegas Museum of Art - (12/21/2025) The terms, “Art Museum” and “Las Vegas” are seldom used in the same sentence. Sure, there are amazing works of art on display spread throughout Las Vegas’ casino-sphere of resorts, but “museum” style experiences within Sin City typically fall more into the more themed experience category, such as a Museum of Ice Cream or the famous Neon Museum showcasing former casino displays, or into the realm of the truly bizarre, such are Area 15’s Omega Mart from MeowWolf.
This is now set to change however, with the planned construction of the Las Vegas Museum of Art that is planned to break ground in 2027. The museum has released concept art to showcase the building design chosen for the city’s first freestanding museum that will feature a structure with the exterior covered by locally sourced stonework. Look for it to rise in the Symphony Park area, which isn’t far from downtown’s Fremont Street Experience.
???? - The Vegas Loop - (4/12/2025) The latest expansion of the Vegas Loop underground transportation network opened this past week with a new station at The Encore casino, next to the Wynn. This is the second station to open along the Las Vegas Strip, in addition to the three stations that service the Las Vegas Convention Center. This new station features just one tunnel so far, but it connects The Encore to the Convention Center, the timing of which worked out well, as the national NAB convention was in town that week. The Boreing Machine is already in the ground working on the second tunnel which is expected to open later this year, which will complete that connection, which departs from a station near the Central Hall of the convention center. Meanwhile two other extensions have previously opened from the Convention Center’s Riveria station that transport guests to the Resorts World and Westgate Resort stations.
They say work is also under way for a new extension called the University Center Loop that will move riders from the Silver Lot at the Convention Center to a new station near UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center arena, with a mid-point stop expected at the Virgin Hotel Las Vegas and at another point planned for a future residential development.
(9/21/2024) Interesting news for Las Vegas for those looking for better transportation options. According to the latest news The Boring Company who has previously dug the underground tunnel system connecting the Las Vegas Convention Center complexes and was previously approved to design a huge expansion of this network, known as the “Vegas Loop”.
According to their website Clark Country and the City of Las Vegas have approved of the planned network and you can see the map posted on The Boring Company’s website showing a tunnel system that would stretch 68 miles long under the city, with anywhere from 69 up to 104 different stations being served. This includes easy access access to virtually every major resort and casino on the Strip, the Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, UNLV and the Thomas & Mack Center, up to the Downtown and Fremont Street areas, and even under the I-15 to service locations like the Palace Station and The Palms. From the looks of the map, there will even be a tunnel that will head to the far south end of the strip that would likely meet up with the Brightline West high-speed rail station when it is built.
No timeline has been posted of course, but currently the Convention Center run is complete and active and they’ve opened an expansion from there that connects to stations at the Riviera and Resorts World.
(8/8/2023) The Vegas Loop underground tunnel network, created by The Boring Company, has now been granted approval to expand to become a whopping 68 mile long tunnel network. The first proof of concept was the three-station loop at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is now being expanded with a connector tunnel to the Resorts World casino/resort.
While the long distance plan for the “Vegas Loop” project is to build a network of tunnels below all of the main tourist corridor attractions. Heading both towards the main Vegas tourist corridor and now towards the Downtown region, the overall Vegas Loop is expected to eventually include around 69 different stations. The southern expansion stops will be more obviously but towards the north end they plan on stopping at locations like Main Street, the Fremont Street Experience, Area 15, UNLV Medical District, The Strat, Circa, City Hall and more.
Meanwhile The Boring Company’s expansion of the network has already begun with new tunnel entrances at the Westgate Resort and a connector to the Encore resort happening over the past few weeks.
New 2025 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas area -
Area 15 Expansion - John Wick Experience, Universal Horror Unleashed, Interstellar Arc, Fork n’ Film
The Wizard of Oz at Sphere -
The FRIENDS Experience - Inside the MGM Grand
F1 X / F1 Hub -
In The Game - Arcade style attraction near Fremont Street
Zoox Robotaxis - Now available for public service in specific areas on the strip, just download the app.
F1 Arcade - F1 driving motion simulators inside Caesar’s Forum Shops
New 2024 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
Atomic Golf at The Strat - Interactive Golf / Driving Range Attraction (similar to Top Golf)
Dopeameme Institute for Pleasure Research at Area 15 - D.I.P.R. for short. The new Dopeameme attrtaction is actually a new experiential project from Superplastic, a creator of unique vinyl art toys and digital experiences using an assortment of their original characters.
Dreambox360º @ The LINQ - Immersive 5D projection experience
Illuminarium: Lite-Bright - Family friendly 360 projection experience with interactive elements / great nostalgia
The Lab at Area 15 - Technology-driven games and interactive experience
Play Playground at Luxor - 14,000 sqft of “tactile games for everyone, physical, memory, puzzle and word games”.
PopStroke - Adult Mini Golf attraction but set outdoors.
Swingers at Mandalay Bay - 40,000 sqft Adults ONLY mini-golf attraction w/ 5 themed courses, food + DJs
New 2023 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
MGS Sphere - U2 Residency Concerts through Early 2024 w/ “Postcard From Earth” daytime attraction
PARADOX MUSEUM -
MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS -
New 2022 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
WYNN’S “Awakening” - New Show
ESCAPE IT - Themed Escape Room Experience
MAD APPLE - New from Cirque du Soleil at New York, New York Hotel & Casino
ARCADIA EARTH - Immersive Art Exhibit
FLYOVER LAS VEGAS: Legendary Iceland - New Flight Film Added
FLYOVER LAS VEGAS: Winborne: The Call of the Canadian Rockies - New Flight Film Added
LIFTOFF LOUNGE @ Area 15 - Part Ride, Part Bar, All Fun
New 2021 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
NEW COASTER TRAINS on Big Apple Coaster @ NYNY
FLYOVER LAS VEGAS - Flying Theater Attraction Open On Las Vegas Strip
MEOW WORLD: OMEGA MART - Unique Experiential Attraction Experience
ESCAPE BLAIR WITCH - Themed Escape Room Experience
NEW RESORTS - Resorts World Las Vegas and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (Opened 2021)
New 2020 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
AREA 15 - New attraction opened in late 2020
Circa Resort & Casino - New Fremont Street Casino Opened Late 2020
New 2019 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
Eataly - at Park MGM, essentially a 40,000 square-foot “amusement park for foodies”.
The Hunger Games: The Exhibition - at MGM Grand, the exhibit will feature costumes, props and recreated scenes including President’s Snow’s Office, District 13, The Hall of Justice, an interactive archery training experience and more.
“R.U.N” at Luxor - (CLOSED A Few Months After Opening) “The First LIVE Action Thriller by Cirque Du Soleil” that starts in the desert at dawn… at a quiet chapel where a “gangland wedding” is interrupted and a guy begins running for his life. From there the action is said to be non-stop for the next 75 minutes as we learn just what he has done as the two gangs and a bride lead the chase through a fictional dark underground Las Vegas world.
New 2018 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
Fly Linq - Ten side-by-side ziplines (so you can fly with your friends) starting 114 feet in the air that make the 1,121 foot run across the promenade to the landing tower located near the base of the High Roller observation wheel.
The Official SAW Escape - New escape room experience themed to the famous horror movie series.
Esports Arena Las Vegas - The first dedicated Esports Arena in Las Vegas opened at the Luxor. The space features a competition stage area, LED video wall, seating as well as daily gaming stations and production studios.
The Void (Closed In Mid 2020) - The VOID VR experience opened inside the Grand Canal Shoppes inside The Venetian. Experiences offered the first year include Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, Ghostbusters: Dimensions, Nicodemus: Demon of Envanishment and Ralph Breaks VR.
New 2017 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
Fear The Walking Dead Survival – (CLOSED Mid-2019) A “dead”icated new and mostly walk-through adventure attraction themed around AMC’s popular Fear The Walking Dead show opened in the Fremont Street Experience over the Summer as part of a deal between AMC and TRIOTECH.
The Twilight Zone – Monster Mini Golf – A new themed indoor blacklight mini-golf attraction has opened inside the Bally’s casino themed around the famous Twilight Zone TV series. The site also features mini bowling, an arcade, gift shop and even a SciFi themed Wedding Chapel.
New 2016 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
Kiss – Monster Mini Golf – A new blacklight mini golf attraction themed around the famous rock band, KISS, is now open at The Rio casino. A previous version opened in a local mini-mall back in 2012, but they closed up shop and moved into The Rio instead as an all new attraction in 2016. The site also includes space for Birthday Parties as well as a Rock ‘n Roll wedding chapel.
New 2014/2013 Attractions Now Open in the Las Vegas Area -
High Roller Giant Wheel (2014)
Slotzilla Zip Lines (2014)
VooDoo Zip Ride (2014)
Cowabunga Bay (2014)
Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas (2013)
Are The Las Vegas Casino Resorts in Decline? -
Various other report over the last few years seem to think so, including my own rant from 2016.
(8/10/18) Much like I've been saying for some time now, I think the world is proving that they are sick of Las Vegas casino resorts “nickel and dimeing” their guests with excessive fees, and laughing with glee all the while. Daily resort fees, parking fees and now even some new fees being placed on already high Salon and Spa service fees by MGM Resorts. Yes, it has gotten to the point where you would almost think MGM stands for "Money Grabbing Management" these days.
The times are changing and guests are now finally voting with their wallets, opting to skip trips to Las Vegas for other options. One after the next, the big Vegas casino companies have been reporting declining numbers for their properties this year, including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, where the RevPAR numbers (aka: Revenue Per Room) has already dropped by an average of 4% for the first half of the year, room occupancy rates are down 1% and Convention attendance is down 3%. The declining numbers, while not huge, have resulted in casino stock prices dropping double-digits as investors flee.
Oh... and gambling is also down, particularly because the payout rates for winning have been altered in many cases to now pay out less than they have traditionally paid for decades. It seems many of the big fish have opted to gamble closer to home, both domestic players as well as international, especially those prized Chinese gamblers who can now play Baccarat to their hearts content at the casinos in Macau. The news that the first casinos have finally been approved to come to Japan is certainly not good news for Las Vegas either.
I've said it here on Screamscape for a few years now... the perceived "value" of taking a vacation to Las Vegas has been lost due to corporate greed. We've already seen the Wynn resorts try to fight back against parking fees by offering to validate parking for guests who spend at least $50 on site. It also looks like Caesars and MGM may be ready to take a step in the right direction by lowering their room rates for the later half of the year. Most importantly, I think they need to take a long look at the parking fee issue as well, which was put into effect due to the opening of the T-Mobile arena.
(5/4/18) An interesting article was posted to the LA Times regarding the possible beginning of visitor decline to Las Vegas over the past 10 months, and goes into more detail with a local Vegas publication who claims guest irritation with outlandish daily “resort fees” combined now with the crazy parking fees that may be to blame.
Me? I have to agree… considering that resort fees alone, something that used to never exist, are now as high as $45 per night (with Venetian and Palazzo being the highest in the city right now, followed by $39 per night fees at the Caesars and Wynn properties). Add in daily parking fees and you are looking at a combined cost that is about even with what the average room rate alone used to be in Vegas… but then you get to add in the new higher room rates… and tax… don’t forget that… and it’s no wonder people are starting to realize Vegas isn’t the bargin vacation destination it used to be.
No wonder gambling profits to the casinos has also been reported to be in decline for years now… because they’ve been taking the money out of your pocket long before you even had a chance to get to the casino floor. Sometimes I think all it would take is one bright casino chain to see the light here, reverse the trends that have transformed the industry for the worse over the past 10-15 years, to see if a return to the old ways would brighten not only the guest experience, but also their own coffers as well. Win over your guest’s hearts and you’ll win their loyalty. Just a thought...
(2/22/18) Is the bottom getting ready to fall out in Las Vegas? Are tourism and convention business both ready to turn elsewhere due to rising costs and the overall impression that Vegas is no longer a value destination? A great bit of commentary was posted to the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week that nails the potential problem on the head with the first hard-data that could show that 2017 was the tipping point.
Screamscape Rants - The Recession Is Not Vegas’ Biggest Problem
(1/12/16) CNN wrote an interesting article about how the overall business at the Las Vegas casinos was down and has been down for the past six years. They report that Vegas casino lost $662 million in 2015 alone, and lost a dumbfounding $6.8 billion back in 2009 when the economy got really bad. They go on to point out that there are plenty of tourists in Las Vegas, and they are all spending lots of money on hotels, restaurants, merchandise and entertainment… it’s the gambling side of things that is way down by comparison and as they point out, “if people aren't gambling as much, that means they're not losing as much.”
CNN blames the recession on this, but this is where I have to disagree and point out what they are blind to as someone who used to visit Vegas on a regular basis in the 90’s when it was a growing boomtown of opportunity. The Vegas of today and the Vegas of the past are two entirely different animals, and it seems that today’s Vegas has forgotten the lessons of the past and how the business model worked.
Today’s Vegas has forgotten that the best lure to increase gambling revenue was to make everything else as cheap as possible. Frequent free drinks, insanely low cost food and buffets everywhere, and to give the hotel rooms away as cheap as possible. For a good period of time, back when Circus Circus has just opened the Luxor they would run ads in in the San Diego paper every week advertising rooms as cheap as $13 a night at Circus Circus, $23 a night at Excalibur and $33 a night at the Luxor. Want something better? You could get a suite at the Mirage for $50-60 a night on the right night. Mix that in with $2-5 buffet meals, drink specials and tons of free or low-cost entertainment and you could go on one hell of a fun vacation without breaking the bank… which still left over a good bit of income in your wallet to spend some time to gamble and try to make your dreams come true. At the very least you could gamble with a rewards program and maybe earn yourself a couple of tickets to one of the big shows for fifty bucks.
Compare this to the price of a Vegas vacation today and you’re dropping top dollar just for the room itself quite often, paying anywhere from $10 to $25 a person (sometimes more!) for a buffet meal, and not to mention paying $100 to $150 on average for a ticket to see one of the big shows in Vegas these days that has almost become a mandatory part of the Vegas experience. Now do you wonder why the good old gambling revenue numbers are down?
Of course they are down… because people are spending everything they have on the rest of the Vegas vacation, much like you would on regular vacation, and have less cash to spend than before on gambling. I could spend four nights in Vegas in the 90’s for what I’d spend for just one night at today’s prices. I know that after I’ve dropped about $250 for the wife and I to see the latest Cirque show, in addition to another $50 to $100 on a nice dinner out before the show, the last thing on my mind is putting another $100 at risk at the Blackjack table.
Somehow the Vegas of today has forgotten that tourists wowed by the spectacle of the casinos, stuffed by cheap food and drink prices, who find themselves walking through the casinos feeling good (and maybe a little buzzed) with a fat wallet in their pocket are the one who are most willing to try their luck at the gambling tables before heading home. And don’t get me started on how many machines no longer drop coins as your payout… the sound of coins endlessly dropping throughout the casinos of old was like siren’s song to many a potential gambler, luring them in to try their luck.
So is the recession really the problem? I like to think that the problem goes much deeper than that.
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