Main Street Station

Main Street Station is a Victorian-themed hotel and casino owned by Boyd Gaming located on 200 North Main Street in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel originally opened in 1978 as the Holiday Inn-owned Holiday International. It then reopened as the Park in 1987 and finally as Main Street Station in 1990.

The hotel is known for it's multitude of historic objects, such as part of the Berlin Wall located inside one of the men's bathrooms.

## History

### **Before Main Street**

Main Street Station started off as the Holiday Inn-owned Holiday International Casino in 1978, operated by Major Riddle, co-owner of the Dunes Hotel and Casino. It was renovated into the Park in 1987, owned by Japanese investor Katsuki Manabe.

### **Ownership from Bob Snow (1990 - 1995)**

Main Street Station was originally a separate property project bought by Bob Snow and the City of Las Vegas that involved building a Downtown Las Vegas version of Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida.

In September of 1991, after an $84 million renovation by Florida developer Bob Snow of the earlier Park Hotel and Casino, Main Street Station officially opened.

During the Main Street Station's early years, the casino was known as Rosie O' Grady's Good Time Emporium, which closed in 1992 and during an interview with Bob Snow, said that "Rosie O Grady's was never a casino" and that "It was just a decorative sign on the building."

Although Main Street Station and Rosie O Grady's was successful in using its elegant usage of Victorian theming and antiques, customers were dissatisfied with the overall quality of the hotel. Many criticized its location as being "too far off" from Fremont Street. This was made worse as the hotel and casino's parking space was very limited. Hardwood floors, which were laid throughout the entire casino, gave off an incredibly loud ambience, annoying gamblers along with dim lighting. Many have also noticed that the guest rooms still had leftovers from when it was still the Park.

### **Ownership from Boyd Gaming (1995 - Today)**

In 1993 Boyd Gaming bought Main Street Station for $16.5 million. The company either replaced or outright removed various parts of Rosie O Grady's signage, except for a glass case near the main entrance with it's logo that can still be seen to this day. During the closing, the casino's hotel tower was used to house the overflowing guests of Boyd Gaming's nearby California Hotel and Casino.

Main Street Station later opened on November 15, 1996 after spending $60 million on a new renovation to the casino, revitalizing the buffet into the Garden Court Buffet and adding three new restaurants. Adding to the renovation included new 25 table games and about 900 slot and poker machines. An expected $48 million in revenue was predicted by security analysts, along with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization running about $12 million.

On May 31, 2012, Calvin Kawamura, a man from Honolulu, Hawaii, sued Main Street Station after being beaten and robbed of $300 by a homeless man in 2010. Kawamura claimed that the hotel and casino was negligent in not providing sufficient security in a hallway that lead to the restrooms. Boyd Gaming, the owner of Main Street Station, declined to comment on litigation.

## Thematic Influence

Main Street Station is possibly one of Downtown Las Vegas's biggest example of theming in the city. The interior and casino's exterior is meant to invoke the style of a Victorian train-station. The most notable example for this is the hotel's lobby. Wooden benches, vintage slot machines, rotary phones, pianos, and old cabinets featuring china behind the lobby make use for the Victorian-part of the theming. Various old paintings, vintage advertisements, and wooden architecture (including sculptures) is prominent throughout the casino.

## Gallery

To see Main Street Station's gallery, click here.

## Additional Information

### **Social Media**

* ***Facebook:*** https://www.facebook.com/mainstreetcasino
* ***Twitter:*** https://twitter.com/mstreetcasino
* ***YouTube:*** https://www.youtube.com/mainstreetcasino