Hotel Last Frontier, Las Vegas, Bella Ladies V-Neck Tee

Venue History

Hotel Last Frontier was one of the most influential early resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, helping establish the Western-themed identity that became deeply connected to mid-century Las Vegas entertainment. Opening on October 30, 1942, the property stood on what was then a largely undeveloped stretch of Highway 91, years before the Strip evolved into the world-famous resort corridor known today. Located on the site later occupied by the New Frontier Hotel and Casino, the Last Frontier played a major role in shaping the future of Las Vegas tourism and resort design. Developed by entrepreneur R. E. Griffith and later operated under the influence of several prominent gaming figures, the Last Frontier embraced a strong Old West theme from the beginning. The property combined a hotel, casino, restaurant, bars, and entertainment venues into a destination that celebrated frontier imagery and cowboy culture. Guests encountered wagon-wheel décor, Western costumes, rustic architecture, and themed attractions designed to create an immersive Nevada experience. One of the resort’s most famous features was Frontier Village, a recreated Old West streetscape added in the 1950s. The attraction included boardwalks, staged gunfights, horseback riders, western storefronts, and costumed performers, offering tourists a fantasy version of frontier America directly on the Strip. Frontier Village became one of the property’s defining attractions and helped reinforce Las Vegas’s connection to Western mythology during the postwar tourism boom. The Last Frontier also became historically significant for another reason: it was the site of one of the earliest successful labor strikes in Las Vegas casino history. In 1955, members of the Culinary Workers Union launched a strike that lasted more than three months, ultimately leading to important labor agreements that shaped the future of casino employment relations throughout the city. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the resort hosted entertainers, gamblers, tourists, and celebrities while contributing to the rapid growth of the Strip. In 1955, the property was renamed the New Frontier. Though the original Hotel Last Frontier eventually disappeared through decades of redevelopment and rebranding, its legacy remains enormous. It helped pioneer the themed resort concept, expanded the reach of Strip tourism, and established many of the entertainment and hospitality traditions that became central to classic Las Vegas culture. Today the property sits empty and is owned by Wynn Resorts with plans to build a new hotel and casino resort in 2027.