Goodbye to the Klondike

It’s the end of an era on Las Vegas Blvd South, as the storied Klondike is closing. From the LVRJ:

Gaming operations at the Klondike were scheduled to cease this morning at 6. The restaurant and 153-room hotel will remain open through Friday, when the entire property permanently closes its doors.

The Klondike’s history stretches back to 1962, when it opened as a Motel 6.

Its location at the edge of town on then-U.S. Highway 91 made it a popular stopping point for tourists driving in from California.

John Woodrum and partner Katsumi Kazama bought the motel from Imperial Palace developer Ralph Engelstad for about $1.2 million in 1974. Two years later, Woodrum took control of the property. In 1978, he added a casino, restaurant, bar and lounge totaling 12,000 square feet. Woodrum held the Klondike until September, when he sold it to Royal Palm.

Woodrum said he’s selling the Klondike partly because its property taxes have doubled in recent years as new developments such as Mandalay Bay opened in the area.

But more important to his decision to sell, Woodrum said, was an understanding that the Klondike couldn’t keep up with its newer, flashier cousins.

“Progress is something that can be stifled and held up a little bit, but it can’t be stopped,” Woodrum said. “Progress is going to move on no matter what. I think we were standing in the way of progress.”

Progress in the Klondike’s case is a combination megaresort-condominium project.

CASINO CLOSURE: Well-worn Klondike bid a warm farewell

It’s looking to be a big year for closings, with the Stardust and the Frontier likely to join the Klondike by the end of the year, or soon after. So if you’re a chip collector, I suggest you get to Vegas ASAP to scoop up as many collectibles as you can.

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