Another piece of classic Las Vegas was shuttered forever when the New Frontier closed its doors at 12:01 a.m. on July 16.

Thousands of people turned out for the closing of the legendary property. Guests mingled with workers current and former, sharing memories and stories about the property as an alarm sounded signaling the end of the property’s 65-year run.

When it opened in 1942 as the 105-room Hotel Last Frontier, it was the second casino on what has become the Las Vegas Strip. The property has prospered under various owners, including Howard Hughes who purchased it for $14 million in 1967, and Phil Ruffin, who paid $167 million for it in 1997—amidst a six-year worker strike that he ended four months after the purchase.

Ruffin made good with employees on his way out, too, through generous severance packages. Ruffin said the packages will cost about $1 million. Workers with 20 or more years of service will receive $8,000, and a sliding scale will be used for other tenures. The deal is similar to the one Boyd Gaming made available to its employees at the Stardust.

“We’re happy to do it, and the people who have been here a long time will be very happy,” Ruffin said.

The New Frontier was once home to Siegfried and Roy, and was site of Elvis Presley’s first Las Vegas performance.

Ruffin sold the property for $1.2 billion to the Elad Group, which owns the landmark Plaza Hotel in New York City. Elad plans to replace the New Frontier with a replica of its famous New York property at a cost of $5 billion.

Jill Crees, a New Frontier cocktail waitress for 21 years said the closing is more than losing a longtime job.

“I have a lot of friends and a lot of customers who are more like a family,” Crees said. “A lot of customers like it here because it is like a family. It’s been like my home.”

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.

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