Riddle opted to close the Thunderbird and rename the hotel the Silverbird.  On August 8th, 1978 (just shy of its 30th anniversary), the giant neon Thunderbird was removed from the Las Vegas Strip forever. The front facade was changed but the buildings in the back remained.  They renamed the Lounge, The Silver Star.  The Showroom was rechristened the Continential Theater and featured Redd Foxx and the Playgirls on Ice '77.

By 1980, the Silverbird had over 400 rooms and suites.  Restaurants included the Terrace Room Coffee Shop, La Paloma adn the gourmet room, Top Brass.  The casino now boasted 80,000 square feet and offered baccarat, a Race and Sports Book, a Poker Room, Keno lounge and a Bingo Parlor.

Following in the footsteps of others, Major Riddle offered the "Silverspree" which for $59.95 a visitor could enjoy 3 days and 2 nights at the Silverbird.  This spree also included a Late Show in the Continental Theater including two cocktails, a free drink for enjoying the show in the Casino Lounge, a free drink for enjoying the show in the New Silver Star Lounge, one buffet dinner, one free Keno ticket and baggage handling upon arrival and departure (which was free to begin with). 

In late 1981, Ed Torres, a veteran operator, bought the Silverbird and added spanish-style mission architecture to the front.  He renamed the hotel the El Rancho thus creating confusion for years to come  for people talking about the El Rancho Vegas.   The El Rancho opened in 1982 and the buildings had been renamed to reflect a western past: Dodge City, Virginia City nad Carson City.  Shortly, a tower was built and a 52 lane bowling center.  The casino was expanded to 90,000 square feet and a new Race and Sports Book was added.  Joe's Oyster Bar (though Joe Wells was long gone by now) was rechristened Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant.

In 1982, Rodney Dangerfield opened his own comedy club inside the El Rancho, Rodney's Place. 

In 1987, Torres made history by appointing the first female casino manager, Danou Sears.  Sears arrived from France in 1963 and had been a dancer with the Casino de Paris show at the Dunes.  She was with the troupe for eight years before leaving to join Barry Ashton and his new show at the Union Plaza.

She left dancing in 1972 and became a blackjack dealer at the Horseshoe Club.   Torres had hired to work at the Rivieria and then the Aladdin.  While at the Aladdin she had become a shift boss.  There were few women in the pit, much less upper echelons of the casino in those days.

The El Rancho tried to hold on but the Las Vegas Strip was undergoing the beginnings of a massive transformation which would alter the face of the boulevard forever and change the way people visit Las Vegas.  On June 30th, 1992, the El Rancho closed the Sports Book, a cocktail lounge and the bingo parlor.  The slot machines were unplugged.  On July 5th, 1992, the bowling alley and coffee shop closed.  On July 6th, 1992, it was closed.

In November 1993, Las Vegas Entertainment Network, a Los Angeles based television production company, purchased the property for $36.5 million (yeah, you read that right).  The new owners promised to transform the ailing property into Countryland USA, a country and western themed hotel.  They revealed plans for two hotel towers shaped like cowboy boots (which should have been a clue), a rodeo arena and country themed amusement park.  Hoping to cash in on the idea of Las Vegas as family destination, they had big dreams.

That's all they were though, just dreams.  The company defaulted on the $12 million note in November, 1994.  Though given an extension until the following August, the company agreed to pay 18% interest on the loan.  Why anybody thought that was a good idea is up for grabs.  LVEN publicly stated that it needed $300,000 a month (yeah, you read that right) to meet cash expenditures.  It was at risk for losing its one asset, the El Rancho.

Despite intervention by John Bryan and Whatley Investments, the company again defaulted on the payment in August, 1995.  They were given until December 1st to make the payment or lose the property.  In February, 1996, Orion Casino Corporation, a newly formed Nevada subsidiary of International Thoroughbred Breeders, purchased the 21 acre El Rancho property from LVEN for $43.5 million.

It may be hard to believe but the Orion Corporation had even bigger stars in their eyes than LVEN.  They quickly announced plans to add a $1 billion (yeah, you read that right) multi-casino project called the Starship Orion.  Company officials bragged of 5.4 million square feet of hotel, casino, retail and entertainment space all done in a space age theme.  They declared it would open in August, 1998.

By now, you may be wondering if there was something in the water all these folks were drinking  for it certainly seems like they were looking at this piece of property on the Las Vegas Strip and losing all their common sense.  Alas, they can not blame it on their water.  I guess they will have to blame it on the stars.

As plans went ahead, there was talk of seven (!) separately owned and operated casinos (which should have been a clue), an alien circus, theaters and various interactive and motion based entertainment rides.  The centerpiece was to be a constellation-class space ship that would be 750 feet in circumference.  Interior passageways would connect 1,000 first class passenger cabins to the dining areas and Sports Book. (Because in space, you still want to gamble).

The Star Trek type dream soon fell apart.  New Jersey Horseracing Association bought the property but before they could get too many stars in their eyes and reveal plans for an unworkable hotel, the County deemed the property an eyesore.  Destruction began in June, 1999 but was soon halted over a controversary about demolition permits. 

In May, 2000 a Florida based company, Turnberry Associates, stepped in and bought the property for $45 million.  Turnberry was building two condominum towers on Paradise Road and were advertising to the elite of Las Vegas to move in.  Promising spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip, Downtown and the mountains, the view did not include the crumbling facade of the El Rancho.  The garden room motel suites, the last remaining vestiages of the Thunderbird, were the first to go. 

On October 3, 2000 the Thunderbird/Silverbird/El Rancho was imploded.  It only took 700 pounds of explosives to bring her down.

The site is still owned by Turnberry and work has commenced a new condos towers instead of a new hotel and casino.  The new owners seem to have fewer stars in their eyes.

For the record, the Aruba Hotel calls its lounge, The Thunderbird Lounge and at one-time like to tell patrons that it was built on the site of the original Thunderbird Hotel.  This is a myth.  The Aruba Hotel sits on the location of the former Lotus Motel.

Special Thanks to Allen Sandquist (RoadsidePictures), Eric Lynxwiler and Alan Hess. 

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