One track on Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” honors a long-celebrated, oft-miscast heroine of American feminism: actress Clara Bow. As historians of the 1920s, we’ve studied Bow’s fame and her cultural legacy. At her ranch in rural Nevada, we oversee a collection of her personal artifacts, including her clothing and a makeup case.

Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.

Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.

Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.

Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman performed there. Gladys Knight and Wayne Newton had residencies in its theatre. Magicians Siegfried & Roy made their Las Vegas debut there. And James Bond checked into room 831 after saying, “I hear that the Hotel Tropicana is quite comfortable” in the movie “Diamonds are Forever.”

A look back at Tropicana’s six decades of legacy on the Las Vegas Strip.

When it first opened on April 4, 1957, the Tropicana was the most expensive hotel-casino ever built on the Las Vegas Strip. It was dubbed the “Tiffany of the Desert” in a nod to the status jewelry store. That elevated level of style set a new bar for what guests could and should expect, on a visit to Vegas.

The story of the Las Vegas Strip started more than 80 years ago this week on a ranch. More specifically, a Western-themed resort called El Rancho Vegas.

One of Las Vegas’ longest-standing Strip casinos is shuttering its doors for good. Tropicana Las Vegas is set to close Tuesday, just two days shy of its 67th anniversary. Once a crown jewel on the Strip, the aging property has struggled to stand out in recent decades amid a sea of megaresorts.

One of Las Vegas’ longest-standing Strip casinos is shuttering its doors for good. Tropicana Las Vegas is set to close Tuesday, just two days shy of its 67th anniversary. Once a crown jewel on the Strip, the aging property has struggled to stand out in recent decades amid a sea of megaresorts.

A legendary resort and casino has confirmed it will close permanently later this week. Guests at the Tropicana Las Vegas have only hours left to enjoy the property.

Throughout its nearly 67 years in business, the Tropicana's ownership has changed several times, and some of its early history even involved the mob. "It opened April 4th, 1957, and it was called the Tiffany of the Strip," said Michael Green, a history professor and chair of UNLV's history department.