Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Haunted Las Vegas

Despite my many travels and the fact I have never entered in a casino and I’m not even curious, always desperately wanted to see Las Vegas… not necessarily for the bright lights and glitter, for the magnificent shows or famous blackjack games, but for that hidden side that very few people know, its weird sites – haunted Las Vegas.
The Sin City has many hot spots where unsettled spirits hide their shadows: schools, boulevards, hotels and casinos. I could find information about a few such kind of strange and mysterious places so here it is – maybe just rumors or plain scary truth… who knows :D


Little Choo Choo DaycareDeep dark… a presence, a little boy playing… digging with his shovel in the ground as usual. Nobody knows who he is, but sometimes he appears out of nowhere.  People suspect him to be the soul of a little boy who was killed getting dragged underneath the tracks of the toy train in the daycare. And he is not alone… a black woman can be seen once in a while trespassing and disappearing out of thin air. Rather creepy I could say…

Photo © Jeffrey Baldwin 
Redd Foxx’ homeBut why would it be creepy when it can be funny? Who said that some ghosts don’t have a sense of humor? Rumors tell that Redd Foxx ghost is playing pranks on the current tenants. It’s a pity they can’t prank him back … ;) For the ones who have never heard of Redd Foxx, he was a well known comedian and actor, especially for his starring role on the television sitcom “Sanford and Son”.
Him:

His house:



Vo-Tech High School - a janitor or a spirit - Late at night, around 11:00 pm, a shadow in the figure of a man stands by the gym doors. Some say he is an old man dressed like a janitor who can pass through the door without opening it.. Come on, people… Maybe he just wants to exercise a little? :P


Sandhill and Charleston Bvds. Tunnels -  “If you turn off of Charleston Blv. onto Sandhill Rd. heading toward Sahara you will shortly pass a set of flood control tunnels that pass under the freeway and let out onto a small neighborhood street named Olive”. They are considered to be an “uncomfortable, but fast shortcut to the other side of the freeway”. No necessarily wanted, but needed passage where the voices of two people whispering late in the evening are heard – could they be the voices of the two young people who died just before those tunnels were built? A young couple who were flying down Olive on motorcycles hit the pile of construction debris that was there at the time. Pretty sad but maybe it’s a sign they have never had the heart to leave each other. ;)


Bally’s Hotel & Casinoone of the worst fires in the United Stated history.  A few decades ago, on this site there was the world’s largest hotel of its time: the MGM Grand. Built in 1973 on the place of the old Bonanza hotel stood up until 1980 when a big fire broke out in the casino. When it was rebuilt, the resort was sold to Bally’s, but changing the owner can’t change the facts…. Many people died in that fire, most on 21st floor  because of smoke inhalation, and it is said that their spirits pass silently on stairwells and hallways. Visitors have often reported to have seen strange shadows on halls on the higher floors in the north tower, as well as in the stairwells and elevators. Could all these be true? I don’t really think so… but it’s worth seeing :P
1980:




Today:



Whiskey Pete’s Casinotime has no meaning for ghosts… and love for what they treasured most makes them never leave. So it is said that the restless Whiskey Pete stands there, in a corner, smoking from his pipe while he watches players play in the casino – so long just smoke in the air and memories of old times: 1920 – Pete MacIntyre and a non-productive gas-station at the stateline, “Whiskey Pete” and the right place for a little bootlegging… ;)



The Excalibur Hotel – Whispers, shivers, words without meaning… Walking down the hallway on the 10th floor you feel as though someone is directly behind you, hovering over your back, and then you hear a whisper, directly in your ear as if their lips were only an inch away. Don’t worry… nobody is there. Just the AC  or maybe King Arthur is looking for his magical sword. :)



Bellagioor before Bellagio was built - When I hear the word Bellagio I think about marvelous fountains and extreme luxury. Ghosts? No way! But it is said that on this site there was the formerly imploded Dunes Hotel and Casino, a strange place where people could feel cold spots through out the casino and, sometimes, in the lounge on the top floor of the hotel, late in the evening, a blue glow could be seen and weird voices could be heard although no one was there. Since Bellagio no more haunting, but glamour.
1983:

Photo © 1983 Larry D. Moore
Today:
Bellagio Fountains

Tropicana Hotel & Casino – smile, you’re on candid camera or the tiki mask that does not like photographs nor touching… Since ever the visitors to this hotel have been greeted at the entrance of Tropicana, the most popular corners of the Las Vegas Strip, by a large tiki mask face, a strange object believed to have paranormal powers. Every time someone tries to take a photo of the mask they report seeing a strange purple hazy cloud of smoke covering it in the picture after they would have it developed. And if they dare to touch the mask, they get a terrible purple rash. Would you dare to touch it? :D



Luxor Hotel & Casino – the Pyramid of death – Not an exception of the Sin City, Luxor is said to be haunted by the ghost of a construction worker who died while building the wonderful Pyramid. The masterpiece is considered to have atrange powers over Las Vegas and people say that Sin City  will remain under its curse until an artificial eye will be placed at the capstone of the pyramid. A wonderful bad fortune…



Flamingo Hotel & Casino – the infamous mobster Bugsy Segal and his wonderful hotel. 1843 – a thought, an idea of greatness, glamor and luxury. A decadent casino. MONEY. LOTS OF MONEY INVESTED AND LOTS OF MONEY LOST… more than expected. The Flamingo was fading away, many angry people and a defeated mastermind. Siegel’s investors turned on him, killing him in cold blood in the casino. Today, Bugsy’s spirit can often be seen wandering through out the hotel he loved, and sometimes appears in his favorite Presidential Suite and at the hotel pool Dare to play a Black Jack in the casino or take a swim in the Flamingo’s pool, but only if you dare to stay even for a night in the Flamingo!


Photo © 2007 Zeke Quezada

I would like to get there and visit these places because sometimes creepy is not creepy at all… just something that people cannot or don’t even bother to understand… just make presumptions and call it creepy. :) I have always thought life and death are connected. I have no idea if ghosts can be classified as bad or good, if they are shadows or just smoke, but I believe we all have a soul. Nothing creepy about it. Time to leave for some haunted casinos!!!

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