Viva Las Vegas!

10. Monte Carlo Resort and Casino

Las Vegas, NV

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The first casino opened in what would become Monte Carlo in 1862 but the French Riviera coast was too remote at that time to make it a successful go. Eventually railroads were built and tramways and fortunes improved. The Monaco Grand Prix road race started up in 1929 and by the time James Bond and Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief discovered the seaside resort Monte Carlo was shorthand for reckless extravagance and conspicuous displays of wealth. No wonder Las Vegas executives were eager to replicate the Monte Carlo experience on The Strip. To clear room for the Monte Carlo in 1993 the 38-year old Dunes casino was demolished with "cannon blasts" from the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino as 200,000 people looked on and fireworks filled the air. The new 360-foot high casino tower opened three years later and today boasts nearly 3,000 rooms. To bring a splash of the French Riviera to Nevada architects selected chandelier domes, marble floors and promenades lit by 19th-century style gas lights.