Las Vegas NowNew Frontier Hotel & Casino Auction Preview

New Frontier Hotel & Casino Auction Preview

Everything inside the New Frontier Hotel and Casino will be auctioned off Thursday, but on Wednesday, the doors opened for the public to check out what's for sale. Unfortunately, not much is left of this historic building.

From what the Frontier used to be to what it is now -- the life inside the 65-year-old casino has been extinguished. All that's left is a shell. Everything inside is ready to go to the highest bidder.

Barbara Rum looked through the Frontier to take something home with her. "This one here and the Stardust, they were like homes away from home," she said. She didn't have much luck, because almost everything worth collecting was given to employees or management on the last day the casino was open.

About the only thing left with the Frontier name on it are the gaming tables. Most everything else historic has already been taken out.

"We went to the seventh floor," said Rum. "They gutted quite a few things. We even looked for the numbers of the rooms... nothing. Nothing is left."

Even the mechanical bull inside Gilley's bar is gone. The drawers inside the cage have also been emptied -- not even a pen left. Still, Steve Johnson and his wife would not give up searching every inch of the Frontier to find something.

"They don't make them like they did. There is no other way to describe it," said Steve.

Elvis performed his first concert in Las Vegas at the Frontier -- and bombed. Ronald Reagan headlined for two weeks with the same result. Even Siegfried and Roy had a show here.

"It breaks my heart to see these places go down," said Rum.

But it will to make way for progress. The property was bought by the Elad Group, owned by an Israeli real estate tycoon. He is bringing the famous Plaza Hotel brand from Manhattan to the site.

Construction will begin this year. The new hotel-casino will open in 2011.

Email your comments to Reporter Edward Lawrence.