Once-thriving ‘mini-Vegas’ is now a ghost town of abandoned rides and shops
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There’s no escaping the fact that the bright lights and opulent sights of Las Vegas have been popular with tourists for years – but it’s a different story just 40 miles down the road(Picture: Getty Images/RooM RF)
Once regarded as a thriving, cheaper alternative to Sin City, the town of Primm, Nevada, has suffered badly in recent years, with many of its resorts a shadow of what they once were, and others closing their doors altogether. Read on to find out more… (Picture: DailyMail.com)
Located just 40 miles from the Californian border, Primm gave many tourists and visitors their first taste of casinos, cheap hotel rooms and all you can eat buffets on the way to Vegas (Picture: DailyMail.com)
However, the town has since undergone a chilling transformation, with many of its main hotels, casinos and other attractions left empty and abandoned. They include Buffalo Bill’s, once one of the most popular spots for reasonably priced rooms, meals and drinks. However the hotel has now switched to an events-only operation (Picture: DailyMail.com)
The resort was also home to Desperado — once the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster — but the famous ride closed for good in 2024 (Picture: DailyMail.com)
Another hotel, Whiskey Pete’s, offered no less than 777 rooms, as well as a 24-hour IHOP and a huge range of slot machines, but visitors can no longer make a bid for fortune there since the hotel shut its doors in 2024, having failed to recover from the impact of the pandemic (Picture: DailyMail.com)
Also feeling the squeeze is Primm Valley, home of the famous Bonnie and Clyde ‘death car’ —the actual bullet-riddled 1934 Ford V8 the notorious pair died in. The resort is the last casino in Primm to continue operating around the clock, although it’s scaled back its operations considerably, with just one bartender and one waitress reportedly still working there (Picture: Getty Images)
Further out of town, in neighbouring Jean, Terrible’s Hotel & Casino has also closed its doors. Once known as the Gold Strike, the 12-storey hotel has been sitting empty for some time, with demolition of the building beginning in 2024 (Picture: DailyMail.com)
Meanwhile, a once popular outlet mall which drew people to Primm has also become a casualty of the downturn in visitors. Prizm Outlets mall was once packed with luxury brands, including Michael Kors and Kate Spade, spread across 380,000 square feet (Picture: DailyMail.com)
However the number of shops has gradually dwindled. While the Las Vegas Guide called it ‘one of the top places to visit in Sin City if shopping is on your agenda’ back in 2013, by 2018 all but 58 of its 111 shops were still open. Now just a single store – a Sanithrift – remains, and that is also due to close for good (Picture: DailyMail.com)
But all may not be lost for Primm just yet. Casino owners Affinity Gaming have recently unveiled new renovations for Primm Valley, announcing in August that these include upgraded rooms, improved dining, live weekend music and events as well as a new LED marquee standing nearly 100ft high and 60ft wide, to welcome visitors to the town (Picture: DailyMail.com)
The company has also hinted at other upgrades to hotels, dining, retail and amenities in the town, in a bid to restore Primm to its former glory. Robert Scott Morningstar from Affinity Interactive told Medium: ‘If I were to win that eight billion dollars from the lottery, I would close the casinos and remodel them completely. I just want to see some work done so they can stay open’ (Picture: DailyMail.com)
Meanwhile, Las Vegas, in spite of its popularity, has also seen a downturn in visitors in recent months. The City of Las Vegas has said it welcomes around 41.7m visitors annually – however according to data from Harry Reid International Airport, reported in Mail Online, the city has lost roughly 300,000 tourists per month this year, in the wake of falling hotel occupancy and rising prices. It might still be attracting folk in the millions – but could the fate that has befallen Primm one day befall Vegas itself? Only time will tell… (Picture: Getty Images)
