Inside The Golden Age Of 'Sin City'

Between the 1940s and 1970s, Las Vegas transformed from a dusty desert town into a glamorous destination complete with luxury resorts, celebrity appearances, and world-famous nightlife.

ClassicStock / Alamy Stock PhotoThe Stardust Casino in Las Vegas in 1969.

Today, Las Vegas is known for its crowded casinos, over-the-top shows, and towering resorts. But what was old Vegas like before modern technology and megacorporations took over?

Originally a dusty desert town, Las Vegas quickly bloomed into an adult playground beginning in the 1940s. By the 1960s, the city was a hub for entertainment of all types, from sporting events to performances by the biggest stars in the music industry.

Icons like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley called Vegas their home away from home and greatly impacted the local culture. The hotels that had once been styled to look straight out of the Wild West vanished, and glitzy resorts appeared in their place.

Megacorporations soon took over the majority of the casinos, and many of the games became automated. The charm of old Vegas slowly faded away, and while it may be long gone today, these 66 photos serve as a reminder of what Sin City was really like during its Golden Age:

Like this gallery?
Share it:

Inside The Early Years Of Old Las Vegas

Las Vegas was founded in 1905, but for the first few years of its existence, the city was nothing more than a stopover town for people traveling from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles by train. Then, in 1931, gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada as a source of revenue during the Great Depression, setting the stage for what Vegas would become.

University of Nevada Las Vegas Special CollectionsA powerhouse and shops along the railroad in Las Vegas. Circa 1930.

In 1941, the first casino resort, El Rancho Vegas, opened its doors. It was so successful that similar businesses started springing up around it, and soon, the Vegas Strip was born. Five years later, mobster Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel, an upscale resort with a modern design that contrasted with the Old West theme of El Rancho Vegas. Within just a few years, luxury hotels were the norm, attracting a whole new clientele.

By the 1950s, Las Vegas was synonymous with entertainment. At the end of World War II, Liberace had performed at the Hotel Last Frontier, and a decade later, he was making $50,000 per week to play at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, as reported by Nevada Public Radio. Liberace started the concept of concert residencies in Vegas, which remain one of the primary tourist attractions of the city today.

Frank Sinatra first sang in Vegas in September 1951, and he quickly became a mainstay at resorts like the Sands and the Sahara. When he wasn't performing, he could often be found gambling at casinos. In fact, he was such an icon of old Vegas that Nevada's former lieutenant governor Lorraine Hunt-Bono once credited him with transforming the city.

"Frank wouldn't go out after dark without a sport jacket on, let alone perform out of a tuxedo," Hunt-Bono told Smithsonian Magazine in 2013. "He was the spark that changed Vegas from a dusty Western town into something glamorous."

Then, in 1956, Elvis Presley made his Vegas debut.

Elvis And The Age Of Rock 'N' Roll

Perhaps the only star that shaped Las Vegas more than Frank Sinatra was Elvis Presley.

He first performed as the closing act of a show at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino in April 1956. He didn't impress the crowds at first, but by 1964, Elvis was synonymous with Sin City. That year, he even starred in the film Viva Las Vegas. Between 1969 and 1976, "The King" played 636 sold-out shows at the International, performing twice a night, seven nights a week.

PA Images / Alamy Stock PhotoElvis Presley performing in Las Vegas in 1971.

Elvis's impact on Las Vegas was so great that it is still felt today, from impersonators to tribute artists. The iconic Little White Wedding Chapel even offers an Elvis wedding package. (Elvis got married in Vegas himself, tying the knot with Priscilla at the Aladdin Hotel in 1967.)

While performing at Caesars Palace in 2007, Celine Dion told the audience, "Elvis was Las Vegas. And if it wasn't for him, so many performers like myself would probably never have had the chance to do what we do in this town. He really was the King."

Although Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Elvis Presley, and other singers helped Las Vegas become the "Entertainment Capital of the World," other forms of entertainment also shaped the city.

Gambling, Sports, And Dazzling Shows In Old Las Vegas

In 1957, Minsky's Follies — Sin City's first topless burlesque show — opened at the Dunes. It was advertised as "eye-popping" and reportedly attracted 9,000 viewers each week.

A decade later, Siegfried and Roy, the stage duo famous for using lions and tigers in their acts, first appeared in Vegas. Though they began as a small act in 1967, they were the grand finale by 1978, and they later performed in their own show at the Mirage between 1990 and 2003.

Evel Knievel, who was just 29 and not yet well-known at the time, attempted his longest jump ever at Caesars Palace on New Year's Eve 1967. His goal was to jump his motorcycle 141 feet over the fountains in front of the resort, but he crashed and was left with a broken pelvis, hip, and wrist, two fractured ankles, and a concussion. Some reports claimed he spent 29 days in a coma following the incident, but his wife later denied the rumors.

John Kellerman / Alamy Stock PhotoThe streets of Sin City in 2019.

Vegas was also a burgeoning hub for sports like boxing. On Nov. 22, 1965, Muhammad Ali fought and defeated Floyd Patterson at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was a memorable match that New York Times reporter Robert Lipsyte likened to "a little boy pulling off the wings of a butterfly."

Today, Las Vegas is still known for sports, gambling, and over-the-top shows, but for many, the charm of old Vegas has been lost to time. However, while many things have changed in Sin City since its Golden Age, one thing remains the same: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

After reading about the Golden Age of Las Vegas, dive into 33 photos that show the golden age of '90s supermodels. Then, view 55 of the most iconic photos in American history and the stories behind them.

ncG1vNJzZmiZnKHBqa3TrKCnrJWnsrTAyKeeZ5ufonywuMNmrZ6fkag%3D