Tropicana Implosion Plans Set, but Will You Be Able to See It?

Workers getting ready for the implosion of the Tropicana, on the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. (Image: Barry King / Alamy)

Bally’s Corp. has received all regulatory approvals and is ready to to implode the Tropicana on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 2:30 am local time. The demolition should be a traditional Las Vegas spectacle. 

Watching the implosion might be easier done online than in person. Vegas Strip hotel room rates, especially those with a clear view of what’s left of the Tropicana. Other nearby hotels are more expensive than usual, but won’t guarantee your room can see the action (or feel the vibrations). 

Citing “safety restrictions,” Bally’s isn’t offering a viewing area.

Appetite for Destruction

Bally’s Corp. is going all out to celebrate the end of an era with the Tropicana implosion. Before the downfall of the remaining structures begins Fireworks by Grucci will start the celebration.

There will be 555 drones and a fireworks show leading into the implosion.

As previously reported, Controlled Demolition Inc. (CDI) will set up and pull the trigger to implode the remaining two 23-story Tropicana hotel towers. 

GGG Demolition (Going Going Gone) was listed last month on the Tropicana marquee, but when contacted by Casinos.com they would not comment on their role in the Tropicana’s erasure from the Strip. 

The demolition will start with the Paradise Tower and move to the Club Tower. Both buildings should crumble to the ground in about 22 seconds after the fuse is fired..

The Paradise Tower is a steel-framed building that will feature 220 cut-point locations loaded with 490 pounds of explosives. The Club Tower has a reinforced concrete frame. This building will have 1,130 boreholes filled with 1,700 pounds of explosives.

Altogether there will be 22,000 feet of detonating cord used for the implosion in both towers.

Watching the Implosion

For as much of an exciting event this is being billed as, Bally’s isn’t able to offer a public viewing area due to safety restrictions of bringing down two large hotel towers, the first of which was built in 1957. Like Las Vegas casino implosions in the past, visitors won’t be able to stand too close to the hotel towers, for obvious reasons. 

The late hour, however, will make it a little easier for law enforcement to block off Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard as needed with minimal traffic disruption.

Clark County has not yet shared plans on what sort of street access will or will not be available in the area surrounding the demolition zone. 

The implosion will be streamed online at Ballylive.com and @Vegas on X. Local TV stations also plan to cover the event. 

The one publicized watch party for the event, at the Foundation Room atop Mandalay Bay, is sold out.