24 Things You Must Understand About Las Vegas and the Nearby Strip

Exactly what takes place in Vegas ... well, you know the rest. But here are 24 realities about Sin City you likely haven't heard.

1. The majority of Vegas' renowned hotels aren't technically located in the city of Las Vegas. An excellent portion of the Las Vegas Strip-- and the renowned "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" indication-- are actually situated in an unincorporated municipality called Paradise, Nevada.

2. One tourist attraction that is within Las Vegas city limitations: Vegas Vic, the large neon cowboy that administers over downtown's famed Fremont Street. It's the largest mechanical neon sign in the world.

3. More than 41 million visitors cycle through Sin City each year ...

4. ... So it's a good idea the town boasts 14 of the world's 20 greatest hotels.

5. There's so much real estate for travelers to benefit from, it would take a person 288 years to spend a night in every hotel space in the city.

6. There's a secret city below the city. Miles of tunnels-- originally developed to secure the desert town from flash floods-- house hundreds of homeless citizens.

7. The strip's Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino got its name from founder-- and famous mobster-- Bugsy Siegel's sweetheart. Actress Virginia Hill went by the nickname "The Flamingo" since of her red hair and long, thin legs.

8. In the mid-20th century, Las Vegas had its own set of discriminatory Jim Crow laws, which-- with the exception of low-wage service jobs-- kept African Americans from the growing city's hotels and casinos. Even famous performers like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole were required to get in and exit the locations where they were carrying out through back doors and side entrances. In 1952, acting legend Sammy Davis Jr. swam in the whites-only pool at the New Frontier Hotel & Casino. Afterwards, the manager had it drained pipes.

9. In May 1955, the Moulin Rouge made history when it became the city's very first interracial gambling establishment. Famous boxer Joe Louis, a part owner, declared, "This isn't really the opening of a Las Vegas hotel. It's history."

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Las Vegas was known for putting on a different type of program. Las Vegas' Chamber of Commerce saw a moneymaking chance, and chose to disperse calendars marketing detonation times and option viewing places.

11. Legendary recluse Howard Hughes inspected into the strip's Desert Inn on Thanksgiving Day 1966, renting the entire top 2 floorings. When he overstayed his 10-day reservation, he was asked to leave. Instead, he started negotiations to buy the 715-room spot. His purchase was total 3 months later on.

12. FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith saved the shipment business with a journey to Vegas. In 1974-- three years after he produced the business-- the Yale graduate took the endeavor's last $5,000 and turned it into $32,000 with a weekend of blackjack. His, er, gamble provided the company enough money to survive.

13. Do not disturb: Vegas has more unlisted telephone number than any other city in the United States.

Nevada law states that video slot makers need to pay back a minimum of 75 percent of the loan transferred on average. (Though it's worth keeping in mind that in New Jersey, house to betting mecca Atlantic City, it's 83 percent.).

15. It takes roughly 10 minutes to nab a marriage license at the bureau in downtown Las Vegas, which is open every day from 8 a.m. till midnight. Not surprising that some 10,000 couples wed in the city every month.

More than 60,000 pounds of the shellfish are consumed in the city each day. That's greater than the rest of the country-- combined.

17. The half-scale model of the Eiffel Tower, situated outside Paris Las Vegas, was initially planned to be full-size, but due to the close distance of the airport-- simply 3 miles-- it needed to be shrunk down. On the other hand, the Luxor Las Vegas' Sphinx is in fact bigger than the original Great Sphinx of Giza.

18. At 50 heaps, the bronze lion outside the MGM Grand Hotel is thought to be the largest bronze sculpture in the western hemisphere.

19. The distinctive gold color of the windows at the Mirage Hotel originates from actual gold dust.

20. There are 3933 guest rooms at Bellagio Las Vegas-- more than the variety of citizens in the city of Bellagio, Italy.

21. Not into gambling establishments? The city also includes a heavy devices play area where building enthusiasts can drive around bulldozers for enjoyable.

22. Prior to his death in 2009, Michael Jackson was looking into doing a Vegas residency. He planned to market it with a 50-foot robot-likeness of himself that would roam the Nevada desert.

23. At Vegas restaurant Cardiac arrest Grill, waitresses dress in nurses clothes and check over here customers can purchase an 8000-calorie quadruple bypass burger with a side of flatliner french fries. (Fried in pure lard!) Sadly, in 2013, one of the spot's routine customers passed away ... from an evident cardiovascular disease.

24. From external space, the Las Vegas Strip appears as the brightest area on Earth. Who cares if it's not really in Las Vegas?


Many of Vegas' renowned hotels aren't technically located in the city of Las Vegas. A great portion of the Las Vegas Strip-- and the famed "Invite to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign-- are actually situated in an unincorporated town called Paradise, Nevada.

One attraction that is within Las Vegas city limitations: Vegas Vic, the oversized neon cowboy that administers over downtown's famous Fremont Street. The strip's Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino got its name from creator-- and legendary mobster-- Bugsy Siegel's girlfriend. In the mid-20th century, Las Vegas had its own set of prejudiced Jim Crow laws, which-- with the exception of low-wage service tasks-- kept African Americans out of the growing city's casinos and hotels.

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