Las Vegas is a city defined by "implosion culture," where historic landmarks are frequently demolished to make way for larger, more modern mega-resorts. Some of the most famous hotels that have been torn down include The Sands (imploded in 1996 to build The Venetian), The Dunes (demolished in 1993 for the Bellagio), and The Stardust (imploded in 2007). Other vanished icons include The Riviera, which closed in 2015 and was demolished for the convention center expansion, and The New Frontier, where Elvis Presley made his Vegas debut. More recently, the Tropicana Las Vegas made headlines when it was demolished in late 2024 to clear land for a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s. Even smaller, quirky spots like the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino and the Clarion have disappeared. These demolitions are often spectacular public events, as the city chooses to "wipe the slate clean" rather than renovate, ensuring the Las Vegas Strip remains a constantly evolving landscape of high-tech entertainment and luxury architecture.