The Flamingo Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada and is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment. The property offers a 77,000 sq ft (7,200 m2) casino along with 3,626 hotel rooms. The 15 acres (6.1 ha) site's architectural theme is reminiscent of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style of Miami and South Beach, with the central outdoor area housing an exhibit of flamingos as part of a wildlife habitat. It was the home of penguins, but they have since been moved to the Dallas Zoo. It was the third resort to open on the strip. It is the oldest resort on the strip still in operation today.

The Flamingo has a Las Vegas Monorail station at the rear of the property.

Flamingo Las Vegas

at a glance

Address: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Opening date: December 26, 1946

Theme: Miami/Art Deco

No. of rooms: 3,626

Total gaming space: 77,000 sq ft (7,200 m2)

Permanent shows: Donny and Marie
George Wallace

Signature attractions: Wildlife Habitat

Casino type: Land-Based

Owner: Harrah's Entertainment

Previous names : The Flamingo (1950-1952)
The Fabulous Flamingo (1952-1974)
Flamingo Hilton (1974-1999)

Years renovated: 2004

Website: Flamingo Las Vegas

History

A Hollywood Beginning

The Flamingo site occupies 40 acres originally owned by one of Las Vegas' first settlers, Charles "Pops" Squires. Mr. Squires paid $8.75 an acre for the land. In 1944, Margaret Folsom bought the tract for $7,500 from Squires, and she then later sold it to Billy Wilkerson. Billy Wilkerson was the owner of the Hollywood Reporter as well as some very popular nightclubs in the Sunset Strip: Cafe Trocadero, Ciro's and La Rue's.

In 1945, Wilkerson purchased 33 acres on the west side of U.S. Route 91, about one mile (1.6 km) south of the Last Frontier in preparation for his vision. Wilkerson then hired George Vernon Russell to design a hotel that was more in the European style and something other than the "sawdust joints" on Fremont Street. He planned a hotel with luxurious rooms, a spa, health club, showroom, golf course, nightclub and an upscale restaurant. Due to high wartime materials costs, Wilkerson ran into financial problems almost at once, finding himself $400,000 short and hunting for new financing.