Stratosphere Tower Rises Above the Las Vegas Strip

The Stratosphere Tower stands 1,149 feet tall, making it the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and a fixture of the Las Vegas skyline since it opened in 1996. Encore, which opened in 2008 as a companion to the adjacent Wynn Las Vegas, adds roughly 2,034 rooms to the resort corridor along Las Vegas Boulevard. Harrah's Las Vegas dates to 1973, when it opened as Holiday Casino before being rebranded under the Harrah's name in 1980. Imperial Palace, visible at street level, operated under that name from 1979 until it was rebranded The Linq in 2014.

Taken April 2008