On September 1, 2008, The Star Trek Experience at Las Vegas Hilton closed it’s doors and ended a 10 year patronage at the hotel. Almost immediately after the departure, rumors began to spring up about the Experience’s Bar and Restaurant reopening in Downtown Freemont Street, Las Vegas. Negotiations with city planners were made and rumors were confirmed. The bar would open at Neonopolis in time for the premier of the new Star Trek film.
A few weeks before the premier, it was announced that the Bar and Restaurant would not be open in time to launch with the film, but would still be opening in the near future. This weekend, we went to investigate and see just how much progress has been made. Considering that Neonopolis has been open for several years now, we expected some light traffic and a few familiar stores in addition to a large portion well into construction for the new Bar and Restaurant. What we saw blew us away.
Like a scene out of Resident Evil, the place was a ghost town. Almost no stores were open and there was absolutely no construction underway. The place was dead. It was apparent that the media hype was just that. I’ll be astounded if anything returns to this dilapidated structure, less a wrecking crew.
