Las Vegas said goodbye to another piece of its history in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the Tropicana Hotel was reduced to rubble.
Dramatic footage shows the moment the resort, which had stood pride of place on the Las Vegas strip for 67 years, fell to the ground in just seconds.
The hotel closed its doors for the final time this April and was demolished this week using an implosion.
Prior to the leveling of the building, asbestos had been removed from the structure to make it safe to demolish.
See the Tropicana Hotel implode below:The Tropicana opened in April 1957 and was the most expensive resort to be built in Vegas at the time, costing $15 million dollars.
The grand opening attracted over 12,500 people who flocked to see the state-of-the-art hotel, which was known for its mahogany paneling, mosaic tiles, and tulip-shaped fountain in its lobby.
The Tropicana cemented itself in pop culture, with stars including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Siegfried and Roy all performing there, as well as being immortalized in several movies.
The hotel got a mention in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, as 007 stated: "I hear that the Hotel Tropicana is quite comfortable," and also appeared in Elvis Presley's 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas.
It also served as Michael Corleone's casino business in the first Godfather movie, however, its name was changed to the Tropigala in the sequel due to copyright issues.
Though the Tropicana was a hit when it first opened, it faced difficulties throughout the 1970s as other large resorts began to open, including Caesar's Palace.
The property was given a $70 million refurbishment in order to help it compete with other hotels opening nearby, and changed hands over the years, being bought by Bally's Corporation in 2022.
The decision was then made to level the building this year in order for the space to be rebuilt as a new 33,000-seater baseball stadium with the Oakland A's expected to move in ahead of the 2028 season.
Bally's chairman Soo Kim explained: "Our team felt that this was the right time, post the peak season, to prepare to close the Trop. It's been in the works for some time."
Fred Doumani, who owned the hotel between 1974 and 1979, added: "There are no more original hotels to be knocked down, really."
Before the implosion was sparked, the Nevada skyline was lit up with fireworks and a drone show featuring over 500 drones projecting the Tropicana logo as well as the 'Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas' sign.
It also projected a nod to the new baseball stadium which will be worth $1.5 billion.
Over 2,000lb of explosives were used to carry out the implosion, with the Paradise Tower coming down first, followed by the 23-story Club Tower.
This is the first time a hotel has been imploded on the Las Vegas strip in almost a decade, with the Riviera Hotel coming down in 2016.
The only remaining resort on the Las Vegas strip from the 1950s is now the Sahara.
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