The Last Frontier to the New Frontier
The Last Frontier opened on October 30, 1942, as the second resort on the Las Vegas Strip (after El Rancho Vegas). It had a Wild West theme with a working ranch, and was considered more upscale than its predecessor. The hotel featured rustic wooden architecture, wagon-wheel chandeliers, and authentic frontier artifacts that gave visitors a taste of the Old West — a stark contrast to the glitz that would later define the Strip.
In 1955, it was renamed the New Frontier and modernized, shedding its cowboy image for a sleeker, mid-century look. The hotel went through multiple iterations and ownership changes, including a period as simply "The Frontier" when it became a union battleground. Culinary workers picketed the Frontier for 6 years, 4 months (1991–1998) — the longest strike in US hotel history. The picket line became a fixture on the Strip, a constant reminder of the labor tensions simmering beneath the neon glamour.
Elvis's Disastrous Debut
In April 1956, a young Elvis Presley was booked at the New Frontier's Venus Room. He was fresh off his first hit records and wildly popular with teenagers. But Las Vegas in 1956 was a Rat Pack town — the middle-aged, martini-drinking audience didn't know what to make of the hip-swiveling 21-year-old. His two-week engagement was a flop, and one reviewer famously compared him to "a jug of corn liquor at a champagne party."
Elvis didn't return to Vegas for 13 years. When he did come back in 1969 at the International Hotel (later the Las Vegas Hilton), he launched the most successful residency in Las Vegas history. He performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows, reinventing himself as a jumpsuit-wearing showman and proving that the city that had once rejected him now couldn't get enough. The Venus Room flop became the origin story of the greatest comeback in entertainment history.
Key Facts
Second Strip Resort
Opened in 1942 as The Last Frontier, the second resort on the Las Vegas Strip after El Rancho Vegas. Its Wild West theme set the tone for early Vegas tourism.
Elvis's Debut
In April 1956, a 21-year-old Elvis Presley performed at the Venus Room and bombed. The sophisticated Vegas crowd wasn't ready for rock and roll.
Longest Strike
Culinary workers picketed the Frontier for 6 years and 4 months (1991–1998), the longest hotel strike in United States history.
Implosion
The New Frontier was imploded on November 13, 2007. The site sat vacant during the recession before Resorts World Las Vegas opened on the location in 2021.
What's There Now
Visiting the New Frontier Site
Address: 3120 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV (now Resorts World Las Vegas)
Status: Demolished November 13, 2007.
What to See: The site sat vacant for years before becoming part of the Resorts World Las Vegas complex, which opened in June 2021 as the first ground-up resort built on the Strip in over a decade. Nothing remains of the original New Frontier.
Nearby: The Stardust site (also now Resorts World) and the former Sands Hotel site (now The Venetian) are both within walking distance along the Strip.
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