More about changing times

Time passes pretty quickly in Las Vegas. Well, I guess in the objective sense it passes just as quickly as everywhere else (though relativity theory might say otherwise). But in this city, things get old fast. Here’s a small case in point:

Doing some research for an article I’m writing about the evolution of Las Vegas nightlife, I’m checking out old city guides to see what people did after dark in the past. While looking at Fodor’s 91 Las Vegas guide (you get one guess when it was published), I happened across this item:

Highlights for First-time Visitors
Caesars Palace and the statues
Circus Circus
Liberace Museum
Downtown Las Vegas at night
Sam’s Town
At least one Vegas show

Funny that the Mirage didn’t make the list. But it gives you an idea of how far Las Vegas has come since 1991. Under “Nightlife,” the “Dancing” section suggests four clubs: Chaz (1650 E. Tropicana), Cleopatra’s Barge (in Caesars Palace), the Shark Club (75 E. Harmon Ave), and Tramps (4405 W. Flamingo Rd.). Today, there are well over a dozen clubs, metaclubs, lounges, and ultralounges to choose from.

If anyone has any info on Las Vegas nightclubs/danceclubs in the 1980s and 1990s, contact me–I’m having fun doing the research on this article, and it’s always good to get a different perspective.

UPDATE: A few hours later, and I found this gem in Fodors 91:

Las Vegas for Free
Circus Acts at Circus Circus
Clark County Library. One of the best libraries in town, Clark County is on the south side of Flamingo Road, a little more than two miles east of the Strip. It’s a modern general library with current reference materials.
James R. Dickinson Library. The special-collections department of this library of the University of Nevada Las Vegas has the best gathering of materials about Las Vegas and gambling that you’ll find anywhere.
Popcorn at the Slots A Fun Casino
Shrimp cocktails at the Lady Luck Casino and Hotel

Again, not a word about the Mirage volcano or white tiger exhibit. The pirate battle at TI and fountains at Bellagio were still in the future, just like the light show at Sam’s Town.

For those who don’t know, the James R. Dickinson library was the predecessor to Lied Library, and the Center for Gaming Research, where I work, is part of Special Collections at Lied. So for me, not only to I get to see one of the top free attractions in Vegas every day, I actually get paid to do so.

I’m not going to boast too much about it, considering the next item on the list–free popcorn. Popcorn is one of the cheapest things around, so saving the dollar or so by getting it free really wouldn’t make me want to go to a casino. BTW, they still have free popcorn–the saltiest I’ve ever tasted–in Cripple Creek casinos, at least last time I was there. I think they still have it at Slots, too, but I’m not sure. Yet another sign of how much things have changed.

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