Vegas KatsWalk: From the Little Church to Route 91 site
The Little Church of the West is also the oldest church on the Las Vegas Strip. See that cedar, pioneer-styled church, along with Mandalay Bay and the Las Vegas Village on the latest Vegas KatsWalk.
Rest assured, we practice all social-distancing directives on this ongoing tour of the Strip, and other Las Vegas locations, during the rare time that they are largely devoid of pedestrians.
Built in 1942, the Little Church of the West that now stands at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Russell Road was originally positioned on the north end of the New Frontier parcel. It moved, over the decades, from its original spot to the south end of the hotel property in 1954. In 1978, it relocated to the Hacienda site near Tropicana Avenue and the Strip.
Finally, in 1996, the church moved once more to the corner of Russel and the Strip as Mandalay Bay was being built.
Acting legend Michael Caine once told me it was one of his favorite Vegas landmarks — he and his wife, actress Shakira Caine, were married there in 1973. Such stars as Betty Grable and Harry Jamses, Judy Garland and Mark Herron, Zsa Zsa Gabor and George Sanders, Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford, Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, and Bob Geldof and Paula Yates were also married at the legendary building.
We walk north past Mandalay Bay, recalling the days of the resort’s opening (when Sugar Ray and Goo Goo Dolls performed at Mandalay Bay Events Center), and also stop at the Las Vegas Village, site of Route 91 Harvest festival and many other popular music events.
The Village has been silent since the Oct. 1 shootings. MGM Resorts International has said it plans to use the parcel for parking for Las Vegas Raiders and UNLV football games at Allegiant Stadium, and also as a community and athletic center.
The next installment of the KatsWalk series will focus on the stretch between the Village and Tropicana Avenue.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
