Join us as we separate myth from fact, share stories of the men and women who helped build the town and celebrate one of the most fabulous cities ever built!
The Alpine Village sign in the YESCO boneyard circa 2003.
The Alpine Village Restaurant board (Thanks to Lonnie Hammergren)
Anderson Diary
Andy Anderson as part of the Neon Museum
Aqueduct Building, the Sands Hotel
Bonanza Village ad
Caesars Palace parking lot following a flash-flood.
Caesars Palace brochure cover
Original Caesars entrance
Atomic Liquors has anchored East Fremont since the above-ground testing days of Las Vegas history.
Fremont Street in the late 1950s:
The Yucca Motel:
Fremont Street the mid-1950s:
The Holiday Motel:
The Gateway Motel (next door to Dona Maria's):
The Somerset Motel:
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
We've had a couple of emails from people asking about the Union Plaza and wanting to see more pictures about the Train Depot, Union Park and what was there before the Union Plaza was built.
Thanks to our good friend, Dennis McBride, at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas we can do just that.
This is an aerial shot of Union Park with the Train Depot sitting in the background with the train tracks behind the Depot. In the foreground, you get a glimpse of the Las Vegas Club neon sign and roof line and a small glimpse of the Golden Gate neon sign on the left.
This is the Train Depot looking east. Union Park is front with the Las Vegas Club across the street. To the left of the Depot is part of the Cashman Dealership.
This is looking just south of Union Park and the Train Depot. In the foreground is the Golden Gate. Across Main Street is the Greyhound Bus Terminal and Von Tobel Lumber.
Rendering of the Union Plaza Hotel. Though the rendering credits Stanley J. How and Associates in Omaha, Nebraska, the local firm of Walter Zick and Harris Sharp were involved as well.
Construction begins on the Union Plaza. The Las Vegas Club and the Golden Gate are in the foreground. The Train Depot has yet to be torn down.
More coming!!!!!
