The "Riv" was the first skyscraper in the Las Vegas Valley, and the area's tallest building until 1956. In its heyday, Liberace was paid $50,000 a week to perform there, while several other entertainers made their Vegas debut at the Riviera, including Orson Welles in 1956, Barbra Streisand in 1963, and Engelbert Humperdinck in 1969.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) purchased the 26-acre Riviera site in February 2015, at a cost of $191 million, with plans to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Riviera was imploded in 2016, with the new convention space built on the Riviera’s eastern portion.

33 incredible Las Vegas hotels gone forever