Early years The property began as the Holiday International, with construction starting in 1976. The hotel opened in February 1978, The 16-story hotel was part of the
Holiday Inn franchise, joining two other area locations, both on the
Las Vegas Strip. The property's casino was opened on June 30, 1978, and was operated by
Major Riddle, who leased it from Holiday International owner Louis Walter. The casino closed in September 1980, after going into bankruptcy. Kenilworth Systems Corporation, based in New York, planned to reopen the casino in 1982 as a testing ground for its cashless, computerized gambling system. However, Kenilworth soon encountered financial difficulties, and canceled its plans at the end of the year. The hotel closed in 1984, following an extended worker strike which affected numerous Las Vegas resorts. The property reopened on September 3, 1987, as the Park Hotel and Casino. It was developed by Japanese investor Katsuki Manabe, Walter remained as owner, leasing the hotel-casino to Manabe. and 600 employees.
Main Street Station In 1986, Florida developer Bob Snow announced a gambling, entertainment and retail complex in Las Vegas, to be known as Winchester Station. It would be based on his
Church Street Station complex in Orlando. In 1989, he sought to purchase the Park Hotel and use the site for Winchester Station, later renamed Church Street Station, and then Main Street Station in reference to its address. Snow's plans were partially funded by the
Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. The city also used
eminent domain to acquire nearby land, which was to be used for a second parking garage that was later canceled. Other downtown casinos filed a lawsuit to block Snow's project, and he filed a suit against them, accusing his future competitors of violating
antitrust laws. Snow's purchase of the Park Hotel was completed in February 1990. He closed it seven months later, allowing for new construction on the interior and exterior. A collector of antiques, Snow renovated the property to feature a
Victorian theme additional items were to be displayed in a future expansion. Snow lacked experience in the gaming industry, The hotel-casino owed $40 million in debt. As a result, operations were scaled back on June 9, 1992, and the property fully closed six days later. Various items from Snow's collection were auctioned to help reduce the debt. Snow hoped to find a buyer or investor before the property went into
receivership. Entertainer
Debbie Reynolds considered partnering with Snow, but this did not pan out.
Bank of America foreclosed on the hotel-casino in September 1992. Snow, nevertheless, continued to seek out investors to reopen Main Street Station and then expand it with the planned retail and entertainment component, which ultimately went unbuilt. Several prospective buyers emerged in 1993, and
Boyd Gaming bought the property at the end of the year for $16.5 million. The company sometimes used the hotel to house overflow guests from its nearby
California and
Fremont properties. During Main Street Station's semi-closure, the south parking lot was used for a car explosion scene in the 1995 film
Casino. Main Street Station was also used as the production headquarters and as a filming location for the 1995 television series
The Watcher. At the end of 1995, Boyd announced that it would fully reopen Main Street Station the following year. The company launched a $45 million renovation of the property, while maintaining the Victorian theme. Boyd made numerous improvements, such as increasing the number of parking spaces, and enhancing the
back-of-house facilities. Chandeliers were kept on the casino floor, but additional lighting was added to brighten it. The property also had the benefit of a new downtown attraction, the nearby
Fremont Street Experience. Main Street Station reopened on November 22, 1996. It was marketed as a
locals casino and became popular among area residents. Like the California and Fremont, it is also popular among Hawai‘i tourists. The California and Main Street Station are connected by an enclosed
walkway over Main Street. It reopened on September 8, 2021. ==Features==