Hailed as a "jewel out of fairyland" when it opened in the fall of 1952, the now-aged Sahara resort on the north end of the Las Vegas strip closed its doors on May 16. The iconic hotel was once a favorite haunt of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and was abuzz with Beatlemania when the Fab Four stayed there in 1964 while playing at the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center. However, the Sahara fell victim to both the explosive growth in recent years on the other end of the strip and a down economy. According to various reports, there are no definite plans to repurpose the Sahara brand elsewhere.
Thanks to James Marvin Phelps for taking and furnishing the photo of the Sahara marquee sign shortly before its shutdown.