It stood there. Right across from the Las Vegas Hilton. A giant concrete lollipop that looked like it belonged on the moon rather than a dusty lot in Nevada. If you ever saw the Landmark Hotel and Casino before it turned into a cloud of dust in 1995, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It wasn't just another building. It was a weird, beautiful, and deeply troubled symbol of an era when Vegas thought it could conquer the future.
Most people today only know it from the movie Mars Attacks!. You remember the scene where the Martian saucer knocks over the tower? That was real footage of the actual demolition. Kinda poetic, honestly. A building designed to look like the space age getting destroyed by fake aliens. But the Landmark was more than a movie prop. It was a project that took way too long to build, lost a ton of money, and somehow became a favorite for locals who hated the crowded Strip.
The Landmark Hotel and Casino: A Construction Nightmare
Imagine starting a project in 1961 and not finishing it until 1969. That’s eight years. In Vegas time, that’s an eternity. Most casinos are built, renovated, and sold twice in that span. Frank Carrol was the guy with the dream. He wanted a tower. Not just a tall building, but a 31-story spire with a bubble on top. It was supposed to be the tallest thing in the state.
But money is a funny thing in Vegas. It disappears.
The Landmark sat as an empty shell for years. It was basically a giant concrete skeleton mocking everyone who drove by. People called it a "white elephant." Carrol ran out of cash, the contractors walked off, and the property just simmered in the desert heat. It wasn't until Howard Hughes stepped in—the legendary and increasingly eccentric billionaire—that the lights finally flickered on. Hughes bought it because he was staying across the street at the Desert Inn and didn't want anyone else to have a better view than he did. Seriously. That was his logic.
Why the Design Was So Weird
The 1960s were obsessed with "Googie" architecture. Think The Jetsons. You've got the Space Needle in Seattle and the Theme Building at LAX. The Landmark Hotel and Casino was the Vegas version of that craze. The "bubble" at the top housed the casino and restaurants, while the narrow stem held the elevators.
It was a terrible design for a casino.
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Think about it. In a normal casino, you want people to wander. You want them to lose track of time in a massive room. At the Landmark, you were stuck in a circle. If you wanted to leave, you had to wait for one of the few elevators. It felt cramped compared to the sprawling floors of the Caesars Palace or the Sands. It was cool to look at from the outside, but actually being in it? Sorta claustrophobic.
The Howard Hughes Era and the 1970s Funk
When the Landmark finally opened on July 1, 1969, it was a star-studded mess. Danny Thomas performed. Everyone who was anyone showed up. But the timing was awful. The International Hotel (now the Westgate) opened literally across the street on the exact same night. And the International had Barbra Streisand.
You can’t compete with Babs.
Hughes’ management style didn't help. He was basically a ghost by then. The Landmark became the "little brother" of his casino empire, which included the Sands, the Frontier, and the Silver Slipper. It never really found its footing. It changed hands a few times after Hughes’ Summa Corporation gave up on it. It went through owners who tried to make it a country-western spot, a "quality" resort, and a budget-friendly destination. Nothing stuck.
- The 1960s: Stagnation and bankruptcy.
- The 1970s: Corporate ownership and identity crises.
- The 1980s: Gradual decay and the struggle to stay relevant against mega-resorts.
By the mid-80s, the place was falling apart. The pipes were old. The decor was dated. If you walked in there in 1988, you weren't seeing the "future" anymore; you were seeing a dusty relic of what the 60s thought the future would be. It’s a classic Vegas story: if you don’t reinvent yourself every five years, the desert swallows you whole.
The End of the Tower
The Landmark Hotel and Casino officially closed its doors in 1990. It sat vacant for five years. In Vegas, a vacant building is just a target. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) eventually bought the land. They didn't want the building; they wanted the parking lot.
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On November 7, 1995, they blew it up.
It was one of the most famous implosions in history. Because the building was so unique—top-heavy with that massive concrete collar—demolition experts had to be incredibly precise. They used 175 pounds of explosives. The whole thing collapsed in seconds. Like I mentioned earlier, Tim Burton filmed it for Mars Attacks!. If you watch the movie, the "Galaxy Hotel" being blown up by a ray gun is actually the Landmark dying in real-time.
What’s Left Today?
Nothing. Just asphalt.
If you go to the site now, you're standing in a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s heart-breaking for architecture nerds. There isn't even a big plaque or anything. It’s just... gone. The only way to experience it is through old postcards, grainy YouTube videos of the implosion, or by visiting the Neon Museum, where some of the old signage and spirit lives on.
Realities of the Landmark's Failure
Why did it fail when others succeeded? It’s easy to blame Howard Hughes or bad luck, but the reality is more boring: logistics.
- Elevator Capacity: You can’t run a successful 300-room hotel if people have to wait 15 minutes for an elevator to get to the casino.
- Location: It was just slightly "off" the main Strip. Back then, being a block away was like being in a different city.
- The "Bubble" Layout: Limited floor space meant limited slot machines. In the casino business, square footage is destiny.
It’s a lesson in form over function. The Landmark was a beautiful sculpture, but it was a mediocre machine for making money.
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How to Explore Landmark History Right Now
If you’re a fan of "Old Vegas" and want to see what the Landmark was actually like, you have to be a bit of a detective. You can't visit the building, but you can find the pieces.
Check out the Neon Museum. They have some of the most iconic pieces of Vegas history. While the main Landmark sign isn't as prominent as the Stardust or the Sahara, the museum curators often have artifacts and photos that give you a sense of the scale.
Watch "Mars Attacks!" and "Diamonds Are Forever." The Landmark pops up in the background of several 70s and 80s films. In Diamonds Are Forever, you get some great shots of the exterior during the peak of its Hughes-era glory. It looks like a high-tech fortress.
Visit the Westgate (formerly the International/Hilton). Stand in the parking lot and look toward the Convention Center. That empty space is where the tower stood. It gives you a real sense of how crowded that North Strip corridor used to be.
Actionable Steps for Vintage Vegas Enthusiasts
If you’re planning a trip to Vegas and want to soak up the vibe of the Landmark era, don't just stay at the new mega-resorts. Do this instead:
- Book a room at the Sahara or the Flamingo. These are some of the only spots left that were actually operating when the Landmark was in its prime. They’ve been renovated, sure, but the bones are there.
- Visit the Clark County Museum. They have an incredible outdoor "heritage street" with actual houses and structures from different Vegas eras. It puts the rise and fall of places like the Landmark into a much clearer perspective.
- Eat at "The Steakhouse" at Circus Circus. It’s one of the few places left that feels exactly like 1970s Las Vegas. Dark wood, leather booths, and no windows.
- Research the LVCVA Archives. If you're really into the history, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has digitized thousands of photos. Searching for "Landmark Hotel construction" will show you just how insane that 8-year build really was.
The Landmark Hotel and Casino was a mistake in many ways. It was a financial pit and a design nightmare. But Vegas would be a lot more boring without the people who dared to build giant concrete lollipops in the middle of the desert. It represents a time when the city was still figuring out what it wanted to be. Sometimes, the failures are more interesting than the successes.