Sadly the Riviera Hotel & Casino will close it’s doors next week.  The hotel first opened in 1955 and was a landmark on the Vegas strip for many years. 

Las Vegas will lose one of it’s last remaining original hotels all in the name of progress.  I went there to shoot some architectural exterior images of the hotel and sign before it closes and is torn down.

Riviera Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV.

A Landmark That Helped Define Las Vegas

The Riviera wasn’t simply another casino. It represented an important period in the city’s development, when classic resort architecture helped establish Las Vegas as an international entertainment destination.

Over the years, countless visitors walked through its doors, while the hotel’s distinctive façade became familiar to millions through television, postcards, travel guides, and feature films. One of its best-known appearances came in Martin Scorsese’s Casino, introducing the Riviera to audiences around the world.

Although newer resorts eventually transformed the Strip, the Riviera remained one of the last surviving links to the city’s classic era.

Why Historic Buildings Matter

One of the most rewarding aspects of architectural photography is documenting buildings that may not be standing forever. Every city changes over time, but Las Vegas evolves faster than most. Hotels are expanded, remodeled, or completely replaced, making photography an important visual record of the city’s history.

Historic photographs allow people to revisit places they remember while giving future generations an opportunity to see how Las Vegas once looked. They also provide valuable reference material for architects, historians, preservation groups, and publications documenting the city’s continued growth.

Preserving a Piece of Las Vegas History

Photographing the Riviera before demolition wasn’t simply another commercial assignment. It was an opportunity to document a building that played a significant role in the history of Las Vegas.

Today, these photographs represent more than the architecture itself. They preserve a moment that can never be recreated, capturing one of the city’s most recognizable hotels shortly before it disappeared from the Las Vegas skyline.