Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 7 . WHAT TO SEE & DO IN LAS VEGAS
Casino Legends Hall of Fame Museum Finds A substantial and fascinating
collection of gaming memorabilia (chips, cards, dice, even swizzle sticks,
from long-gone and current hotels), photographs (the original Flamingo surrounded
by nothing but desert, for example), videos, displays, and minitributes
to the people and professions that made and make Las Vegas what it is. Over
150,000 items make this the largest collection of its kind in the world. Provided
that this kind of history interests you, this shouldn’t be missed. It’s well worth
the time and small admission charge, though you can sometimes avoid even that,
courtesy of the hotel’s free slot-pull area, and local magazines, both of which often
offer free passes. A large gift shop is attached where you can buy all sorts of collectibles—even
slot machines. Note: With the hotel’s future in jeopardy, so is
this collection’s. Let’s hope that if it has to close here, it gets picked up elsewhere.
In the Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/739-5444. Admission $6.95, seniors $5.95. You must be
18 to enter. Daily 9am–9pm.
Eiffel Tower Tour Overrated Whether this is worth the dough depends on how
much you like views. An elevator operator (we refuse to call them guides) delivers
a few facts about this Eiffel Tower (this is a half-size exact replica down to the
paint color of the original) during the minute or so ride to the uppermost platform,
where you are welcome to stand around and look out for as long as you
want, which probably isn’t 2 hours, the length of the average movie, which also
costs $9. Nice view, though.
In Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/946-7000. Admission Mon–Thurs $9 adults, $7 seniors
over 65 and children 6–12, free for children under 6; Fri–Sun $12 adults, $9 seniors over 65 and children
6–12. Daily 10am–midnight, weather permitting.
Elvis-A-Rama Three million dollars worth of Elvis memorabilia—we
thought surely this place would give our beloved Liberace museum a run for its
top spot in our camp-lovin’ hearts. But alas, while this is a must for the Elvis
faithful (and admittedly, they are legion) looking to view holy relics, it’s not the
place for a novice to start.
The amount of cool stuff is amazing: Elvis ephemera ranging from his Social
Security card (a $14,000 auction purchase) to his “little black book” (entries not
divulged, darn it!), his Army uniform, a love letter to his hometown girlfriend, fanclub
souvenirs (Elvis lipstick!), and on and on it goes. But alas, these precious (and
discarded) possessions are exhibited in cases that, as of this writing, are lacking
much-needed labels and identification, so all too often you have no idea what
you’re looking at, much less its significance. The displays also don’t precisely give
you a good view of the King’s life; it assumes you already know the highlights
(Momma’s boy, the Colonel, ’Scilla), and it’s hardly complete. Despite our morbid
hopes for prescription-pill bottles, there was nary a mention of Dr. Nick nor
even The Death. There is, however, a whole case displaying what amounts to the
contents of Vernon Presley’s wallet. It’s also all a little too straight-faced and reverent,
though the gift shop makes up for it a bit. And they do have various Elvis
impersonator shows, ranging in price from around $15 to $20. All in all, best
for fans thinking, “You know, I really should brush up on my Elvis-iania.”
Fun Fact When Downtown Ruled
Fremont Street was the hub of Las Vegas for almost 4 decades before the
first casino hotel, El Rancho, opened on the Strip in 1941.