Entries in Roadside Architecture (86)
Details on our upcoming Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas weekend.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!!!!!!!!
Thank you for being so patient! We've got the preliminary details (with more to follow) but we figured it was best to get rolling on this so that our readers could start making plans!
The Friends of Classic Las Vegas and the Architectural and Decorative Arts Society present:
Mid-Mod Marvels: A Celebration of Mid-Century Modern Architecture and Design
The Events:
Living the Mid-Mod Lifestyle Party:
The fun begins on Friday evening, Oct. 22nd with a reception at the famed Morelli House. The Junior League of Las Vegas has graciously agreed to open their doors for a cocktail party to kick off our weekend of Mid-Century Modern madness.
Alan Hess will be there to say a few words about not only the era of Mid-Century Modern but also provide a bit of history about the Morelli House.
The reception starts at 5:30 pm and goes until 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25.
Mid-Century Modern History and Las Vegas
We kick-off Saturday afternoon, Oct. 23rd at the National Golf Course's (originally the Stardust Golf Course) Clubhouse with two panels on the era and Las Vegas.
The first one: Mid-Century Modern Architecture, Design and Las Vegas begins at 1:00 pm:
Panelists include Alan Hess, architect William Krisel, Chris Nichols and Dr. Robert Tracy talking about the influence of architects such as Welton Beckett, Wayne McAllister and Paul Revere Williams on local architects such as Walter Zick, Harris Sharp, Hugh Taylor and the influence of Mid-Century design on Las Vegas.
The second one: A Look Back at the Las Vegas News Bureau begins at 3:00 pm:
The Las Vegas News Bureau helped put Las Vegas on the map in the Mid-Century Modern era. The photographers captured not only the stars of the era but also the buildings and hotels of the era, most of which are gone or altered way beyond their original design. Panelists will include: former News Bureau manager, Don Payne.
In the evening of Oct. 23rd, we will present the Las Vegas premiere of the documentary, "William Krisel, Architect" at 6:30 pm.
The documentary, produced by Design OnScreen and directed by Jake Gorst, looks at the life and the influence of William Krisel. Known mainly for his Mid-Century Modern architecture in California, Mr. Krisel's influence on the residential architecture of Las Vegas can be seen in the Paradise Palms neighborhood. Working with developer Irwin Molasky, Mr. Krisel designed the homes in that subdivison.
Following the screening, the will be a Q&A session with Alan Hess and William Krisel.
Tickets for Saturday's events are $20.00
Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas Bus Tour:
On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 24th, we will offer a double-decker bus tour highlighting the Mid-Century Modern neighborhoods of Las Vegas. This will be a different tour route than the one we did last year with new open houses at two Mid-Century modern homes. Neighborhoods we will glide through include Marycrest, Paradise Palms and the Scotch Eighties.
The tour leaves from the Reed Whipple Cultural Center at noon, include a stop at the Morelli House and will last three hours. The bus will return to Reed Whipple at the end of the tour.
Please be aware, like last year, seating for the tour is limited.
Tickets are $20.
Now, if you want to save a few dollars, you can buy a three-day pass for $50. Passes and individual tickets will be available on the ADAS website. As soon as they have the page up, we will post a link here.
So, start planning your wardrobe and your itinerary, because this is going to be one great weekend you won't want to miss!
Support for this great weekend provided by:
City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission
Sponsors for this great weekend are:
The Junior League of Las Vegas
Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
Terry Wilsey


It's Coming!!! Our second annual Mid Century Modern Las Vegas Weekend!
Our emails hint that many of you very much wanted us to have another Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas weekend filled with panels, architecture, tours and more.
Well, we heard you. Check back this weekend to find out all the details for our "Mid-Mod Marvels: A Celebration of Mid-Centuiry Modern Architecture and Design".
A reception at the Morelli House on Friday evening Oct 22nd.
On Saturday, October 23rd, a panel on Mid-Century Modern Architecture and Art, a panel on the history of the Las Vegas News Bureau and the Las Vegas premiere of the documentary on William Krisel, the architect behind Paradise Palms. William Krisel will be with us in person and will attend the screening.
And best of all, Alan Hess, the authority on all that is MCM, will be back with us guiding us through all that is Mid-Century Modern and the architects who changed forever the landscape of Las Vegas as well as handle the Q&A at the Krisel film premiere.
And yes, there will be a double-decker bus tour on Sunday afternoon with a new route, new open houses and lots of history.
Sound like fun?
It's all coming the weekend of October 22nd and you don't want to miss this as tickets are limited!
So check back here this weekend for the deets!


Riviera announces bankruptcy plan
She was once one of the grand dames of the Las Vegas Strip. When she was built, she was the first high-rise on the Strip. For many years, Liberace, Dean Martin and other classic Las Vegas entertainers graced the stage of the showroom.
But in recent times, the Riviera lost a lot of her glamour and in trying to stay alive resorted to just barely hanging on.
We hope the grand dames luck is changing. Steve Green at the Las Vegas Sun reports about that the bankruptcy plan includes improvements and possibly new gaming equipment.
The Riviera Las Vegas hotel-casino would be spruced up and receive new gaming equipment under its parent company's bankruptcy reorganization plan.
Unable to service its approximately $291 million in debt and liabilities, Riviera Holdings Corp. filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in Las Vegas on July 12.
Investors led by longtime hotel and gaming industry executive Barry Sternlicht of Starwood Capital Group have acquired some of the debt and intend to lead the company out of bankruptcy.
Besides its 2,075-room Las Vegas property, the company owns the Riviera Black Hawk casino in Colorado.
For more follow this link


Last of the Las Vegas Memories
This series has been very popular so I thought we would end the series on an up note:
The pineapple fountain that once graced the front of the Tropicana
Snow day, December 2008
The El Rancho Vegas with its famous pool
Downtown 1955
A slogan that brought thousands for a visit
The original House of Lords rendering, Sahara Hotel
The El Morocco (formerly the Bank of Las Vegas) and Jack Dennison's Copper Cart


The dog days of Summer
After 45 days of triple digit heat, try cooling off with these:
The pool at the Riviera
Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn
The Dunes Hotel
Tropicana Hotel

