The planned implosion of what remains of the Tropicana casino hotel is an event not to be missed by Las Vegas residents and tourists alike.

The controlled demolition of the two former Tropicana Las Vegas hotel towers is scheduled for 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and will last about 22 seconds. It is preceded by a fireworks and drone show.

But with hotel rooms in the area nearly sold out or too expensive for the average visitor, catching a glimpse of the spectacle can be trickier than expected.

Officially, there are no designated public viewing areas for the implosion of the Rat Pack-era casino at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

For safety reasons, an area around the site is not accessible to the public. Pedestrian access on the streets surrounding the Trop site will be limited and road closures have been announced.

Considering that the implosion takes place in the wee hours of the morning, the usual places you can go for unobstructed views of the Las Vegas Strip are – like the top of the Strat casino hotel or the Legacy Club at Circa casino – city center hotel – will not be available to the general public.

So where can people watch this historic event?

The most obvious places to look are on top of area parking garages. The roof of the New York New York casino-hotel parking garage has a completely unobstructed view and the MGM Grand casino-hotel parking garage also offers an unobstructed view. As of Friday, MGM Resorts International — which operates both casino properties — has not said whether it will restrict access to those locations.

Another MGM-operated casino has an excellent vantage point that may be the best spot in town. The Foundation Room on the 63rd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino hotel is hosting a sold-out viewing party. The event is organized by LiveNation.

An off-Strip casino hotel is also getting in on the action when it comes to hosting an implosion viewing party. Ellis Island, located on Koval Lane two blocks east of Las Vegas Boulevard, will host its own shindig from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning. Ellis Island’s Front Yard will feature Las Vegas trivia and karaoke before the Big Bang.

Las Vegas locals may be able to see the implosion from their favorite vantage points in the valley, although distance and darkness could spoil those plans. On the west and northwest sides, several parks in Summerlin and Centennial Hills offer great views of the Strip, while the east and southeast sides of the valley offer dozens of sightseeing spots.

For those who don’t want to go outside but still want to watch the spectacle unfold, the Las Vegas Review-Journal will stream the event live. Local television news channels also broadcast the Trop implosion.

The Trop, which opened in 1957, is being demolished to make way for a baseball stadium and a new resort on the 35-acre site. Bally’s Corp., which holds the gaming license for the now-closed property, and the Athletics have announced their intention to build a $1.5 billion stadium on nine acres of the site, with a possible new hotel-resort later. So far, the Major League Baseball team owner has not publicly announced a source of financing for the stadium, and Bally’s has not announced its plans for a new resort.

According to officials, the Trop’s planned demo will cost about $1.2 million and require up to 2,100 pounds of explosives. The implosion will take down the Club Tower and the Paradise Tower.

You can contact David Danzis at [email protected] or (702) 383-0378. Follow AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.