Plaza Hotel & Casino

Please position yourself in front of the Plaza Hotel & Casino signage, across from the Yucca Motel signage.

The Plaza Hotel & Casino, originally opened in 1971, was built on the site of the first train depot in Las Vegas and has recently embraced the growth of street art in the city. In 2017 alone, three individual 21-story tall murals were unveiled at the property, which are estimated to be the largest murals ever installed on a single building. These artistic installations, which express a postmodern approach to design through their nontraditional style and visual diversity, immediately became landmarks for both visitors and locals, serving as informal wayfinding due to their heightened visibility. Located on three separate walls of the Plaza’s North Tower, these murals include “Cultivate Harmony” by Shepard Fairey, “Behind Closed Doors” by D*Face, and “Tribute to Cassius Marcellus” by Faile, which pays tribute to the Dogs Playing Poker paintings by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.

Cities gain cultural, social, and economic value through public art embedded in urban environments. In addition to being freely accessible, public art celebrates a community’s identity and humanizes built environments. In recent years, Las Vegas has become a destination for street art—a type of public art involving graffiti and murals—with the streets of downtown serving as a blank canvas for both local talent and internationally recognized street artists alike.