When was Wynn Las Vegas built? If you’re looking for a quick date, the doors officially swung open at the stroke of midnight on April 28, 2005. But honestly, that’s only the tiny tip of a very expensive, very dramatic iceberg.
To understand when and how this bronze giant rose out of the desert, you have to look back at a time when the "Old Vegas" was literally being blown up to make room for the new. It wasn't just a construction project; it was a $2.7 billion gamble that changed the Strip forever.
The Birthday Present That Started It All
Before there was a Wynn, there was the Desert Inn. It was a legendary spot, the kind of place where Howard Hughes used to hide out. But by the year 2000, it was showing its age. Steve Wynn, who had just sold his previous company (Mirage Resorts) to MGM Grand for a cool $6.4 billion, was looking for his next big act.
He bought the Desert Inn on April 28, 2000. Fun fact: he reportedly bought it as a birthday gift for his wife, Elaine. Not a bad present, right?
But he didn't want the hotel. He wanted the dirt.
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The transition from the old D.I. to the new Wynn wasn't exactly overnight. It took years of planning and a whole lot of dynamite. Most people don't realize that the "built" phase actually started with a massive demolition. The Desert Inn’s Augusta Tower was imploded in October 2001. Imagine standing there watching fifty years of history turn into a cloud of dust just so you can start digging a hole for something bigger.
Breaking Ground on a $2.7 Billion Vision
Once the dust settled from the implosion, the real work began. Groundbreaking for the Wynn Las Vegas officially happened on October 31, 2002.
It was a Halloween start for a project that would eventually become the most expensive resort ever built at the time. To get it done, the crew worked like absolute maniacs. We’re talking about 24-hour schedules. By June 2003, they had rebar teams working the day shift and concrete pours happening all through the night.
Why It Took Two and a Half Years to Build
- The Tower: The main 45-story hotel tower was topped off in February 2004. At the time, it was the tallest building in Nevada.
- The Mountain: One of the weirdest parts of the build was the "mountain" out front. Steve Wynn didn't want people just staring at the street, so he built a massive, man-made mountain covered in pine trees to hide the Strip.
- The Lake: Behind that mountain is the Lake of Dreams, which required its own massive engineering feat to ensure the water shows worked perfectly.
- The Golf Course: They kept and renovated the old Desert Inn golf course, which is basically unheard of on the Strip where land is worth billions.
By January 2005, the pressure was on. The crews were pushed to 20-hour days to hit the April deadline. It was a race against the clock, fueled by thousands of workers and a budget that eventually hit that staggering $2.7 billion mark.
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April 28, 2005: The Night the Lights Stayed On
When Wynn Las Vegas was built and finally opened, it didn't just add more rooms to the Strip. It changed the "vibe." Before the Wynn, Vegas was all about themes—pyramids, treasure islands, Eiffel Towers.
Wynn went the other way. He built a "non-themed" resort that focused on curved glass, chocolate-brown towers, and insanely high-end art.
On opening night, more than 10,000 people flooded the place. It was the first new resort to open on the Strip in five years (since the Aladdin in 2000), and it effectively kicked off a massive construction boom that led to CityCenter and the Cosmopolitan.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Timeline
Sometimes you'll hear people say the Wynn was built in 2008. That’s actually a common mix-up with its "younger sister," Encore.
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Construction on Encore didn't even start until the first anniversary of the Wynn, in April 2006. It opened in December 2008. If you look at the two towers today, they look almost identical, but there’s a three-year age gap between them.
The entire "Wynn Complex," as we know it now, wasn't truly finished until May 2010 when the final additions to Encore were completed. So, while the original Wynn was built between 2002 and 2005, the site was basically a construction zone for nearly a decade.
The Legacy of the Build
Today, the Wynn still feels "new," which is a testament to how well it was designed. They’ve poured hundreds of millions into renovations in 2011, 2021, and 2022 to keep it from looking like a relic of the mid-2000s.
If you're planning to visit or just curious about the history, here is the "cheat sheet" of the major milestones:
- April 2000: Steve Wynn buys the Desert Inn.
- October 2001: The implosion of the old hotel begins.
- October 31, 2002: Official groundbreaking for Wynn Las Vegas.
- February 2004: The hotel tower is topped off at 614 feet.
- April 28, 2005: Grand opening to the public.
If you really want to appreciate the engineering, take a walk toward the Lake of Dreams next time you're there. Think about the fact that under those trees and waterfalls is a massive mechanical system that was being hammered into place back in 2004. It's a pretty wild feat of construction when you consider it was built on the site of a 1950s motor inn.
If you're interested in seeing the results of this massive project for yourself, the best way is to book a stay in one of the original Tower Suites, which still represent the height of the luxury Steve Wynn envisioned back in 2002. You can also take a guided tour of the floral installations in the atrium, which are updated seasonally and highlight the "nature-inspired" design that set this resort apart from its competitors.