The Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod
The Strat (formerly the Stratosphere) is a hotel and casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, anchored by a 1,149-foot (350 m) observation tower — the tallest in the United States and the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere after the CN Tower in Toronto. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard just north of the official Strip limits, The Strat opened in April 1996 and is operated by Full House Resorts. Its SkyPod level houses a revolving restaurant, observation decks and several world-record-setting thrill rides at over 900 feet above the ground.
At a glance
- Type
- Hotel, casino and observation tower resort
- Period
- Tower construction began 1992; resort opened April 30, 1996
- Style
- Late 20th-century modernist tower architecture
- Location
- 2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104, USA
- Coordinates
- 36.1478° N, 115.1564° W
Overview
The Strat tower dominates the northern Las Vegas skyline and is visible from most points on the Strip and surrounding valley. The hotel and casino at its base offer several hundred rooms, a casino floor, showroom, dining venues and a shopping mall. Clark County does not officially classify The Strat as a Strip property — the Strip designation ends at Sahara Avenue — but the resort is commonly grouped with Strip casinos for tourist purposes. The tower’s SkyPod is the primary tourist draw.
History
Part of the property was previously occupied by Vegas World, a hotel and casino opened by entrepreneur Bob Stupak in 1979. In the late 1980s Stupak announced plans for a giant neon sign; the concept evolved into an observation tower. Construction began in 1992 but was interrupted by a fire in August 1993 and financing difficulties. Stupak partnered with Grand Casinos owner Lyle Berman to complete the project, and the resort opened in 1996. The tower’s original proposed height was 1,012 feet; it was extended during design to 1,149 feet. The property was rebranded from Stratosphere to The Strat in 2019.
What you see
The SkyPod atop the tower contains three observation decks offering 360-degree views across the Las Vegas Valley to the Spring Mountains. The Top of the World revolving restaurant sits at approximately 833 feet (254 m) and completes one revolution per 80 minutes. Thrill rides mounted on the exterior of the pod include Big Shot (a vertical launch ride at 1,081 feet / 330 m), Insanity (a spinning arm extending 64 feet over the edge), SkyJump (a controlled descent by cable), and X-Scream (a teeter-totter extending 27 feet over the edge). Below, the casino floor spans approximately 80,000 square feet.
Cultural significance
The Stratosphere Tower was an audacious attempt to create a Las Vegas landmark that competed on vertical spectacle rather than gaming volume alone — a response to the megaresort building boom of the early 1990s. As the tallest free-standing structure in Nevada, it has become an established reference point in photographs and films depicting the Las Vegas skyline. Its extreme-height thrill rides were among the first of their kind and influenced similar installations at other observation towers worldwide.
Practical information
- Address
- 2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104, USA
- Hours
- Tower observation open daily; hours vary by season — check official website
- Admission
- Casino floor free for adults 21+; tower access and rides ticketed separately
- Website
- thestrat.com
Getting there
The Las Vegas Monorail terminates at the Sahara station, approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south of The Strat; a short taxi or walk covers the remaining distance. The SDX bus runs along Las Vegas Boulevard and stops outside the resort. Taxis and ride-share services drop off at the main entrance. Free parking is available on the property. Harry Reid International Airport is approximately 6 miles (10 km) south.