Where the Rat Pack Played in Las Vegas, and What's There Now
Updated November 2026. Sinatra Vegas is run by the producers of Sinatra Live!. Links to other shows go to Vegas.com, which may pay us a commission.
Almost every Las Vegas room the Rat Pack made famous is gone. The Sands, the Desert Inn and the Riviera were imploded, and Caesars' Circus Maximus closed in 2000. What is left is a set of streets named after them and two shows that keep the music going. Here is where they played and what stands there now.
At a glance
| Where they played | Who | What happened to it | There now |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sands and its Copa Room | Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Bishop, Lawford (the 1960 Summit) | Closed June 30, 1996; imploded November 26, 1996 | The Venetian, opened May 1999 |
| The Desert Inn | Sinatra's first Las Vegas shows, 1951 | Closed August 2000; imploded in 2001 and 2004 | Wynn Las Vegas (2005) and Encore (2008) |
| Caesars Palace, Circus Maximus | Sinatra from 1968; Sammy Davis Jr. | Showroom closed September 2000 | Caesars Palace is open; The Colosseum (2003) is its showroom today |
| The Riviera | Dean Martin, a part-owner from 1969 | Closed May 2015; imploded in 2016 | Las Vegas Convention Center expansion |
| MGM Grand | Sinatra's last Las Vegas shows, 1994 | Still open | The theater is now home to Cirque du Soleil's KÀ |
The Sands: now The Venetian
The Sands was the Rat Pack's home. Sinatra played its Copa Room from 1953 and owned part of the hotel until 1963, and in 1960 the five men shared its stage as "The Summit at the Sands" while filming Ocean's 11. Sammy Davis Jr. headlined there from 1956. The Sands closed on June 30, 1996, and was imploded on November 26 that year. The Venetian opened on the site in May 1999.
The Desert Inn: now Wynn Las Vegas
Sinatra's first Las Vegas engagement, in September 1951, was in the Desert Inn's Painted Desert Room. Steve Wynn bought the hotel and closed it in August 2000. One tower was imploded in October 2001 and the rest came down in November 2004. Wynn Las Vegas opened on the site in April 2005, with Encore next door in December 2008.
Caesars Palace: the Circus Maximus
After leaving the Sands in 1967, Sinatra headlined Caesars Palace's Circus Maximus showroom from 1968, and Sammy Davis Jr. followed him there. The Circus Maximus, which opened with the resort in 1966, closed in September 2000. Caesars Palace is still open, and its showroom today is The Colosseum, which opened beside the old room in March 2003.
The Riviera: now the Convention Center
The Riviera hired Dean Martin in 1969 and gave him a 10% interest in the hotel. The Riviera closed on May 4, 2015, its two towers were imploded in June and August 2016, and the land became part of the Las Vegas Convention Center's expansion.
The other side of the story
In the 1950s, Black headliners on the Strip, Sammy Davis Jr. among them, were not allowed to stay or eat at the hotels where they performed and had to lodge on the Westside. Davis pushed the Sands to let his family stay and see his shows. The Moulin Rouge Agreement of March 1960 ended formal segregation in Strip and downtown casinos. UNLV historians say the popular claim that Sinatra alone integrated Las Vegas is not accurate.
The Rat Pack streets
West of Interstate 15, behind the Strip resorts, four roads carry their names. Frank Sinatra Drive was built by Clark County and finished in 2004. Industrial Road became Dean Martin Drive in 2005, and part of it became Sammy Davis Jr. Drive in September 2015, meeting the other two at a three-way junction. Joey Bishop Drive, a renamed stretch under the Tropicana Avenue bridge, opened in January 2025.
See it on a tour
The Kings of Vegas Tour from Lost Vegas Tours is a small-group drive through classic Las Vegas, past the homes of the stars, casino bosses and mobsters of the 1960s and 1970s and the places where Sinatra and Elvis ruled the town. It starts and ends at Alexis Park, and the 5:00 PM departure ends with a seat at Sinatra Live!.
Where to hear the music now
Sinatra Live! plays The Modern Showrooms at Alexis Park, and The Rat Pack is Back! plays the Copa Room at Tuscany Suites & Casino, a room that borrows its name from the Sands original. The two theaters are less than a mile apart, just east of the Strip.
| Show | From | Next show |
|---|---|---|
| Sinatra Live!Book direct | $44.95 | |
| The Rat Pack is Back!Vegas.com | $103.08 | See dates |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sands Hotel still in Las Vegas?
No. The Sands closed in June 1996 and was imploded on November 26, 1996. The Venetian opened on the site in 1999.
Where did the Rat Pack perform in Las Vegas?
Mainly at the Sands, in its Copa Room, where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford performed together as "The Summit" in early 1960. Sinatra later moved to Caesars Palace, and Dean Martin to the Riviera.
Is there a Frank Sinatra Drive in Las Vegas?
Yes. Frank Sinatra Drive runs west of Interstate 15 behind the Strip resorts. Dean Martin Drive, Sammy Davis Jr. Drive and Joey Bishop Drive are nearby.
Can you still see a Rat Pack show in Las Vegas?
Yes. The Rat Pack is Back! plays the Copa Room at Tuscany Suites & Casino, and Sinatra Live! plays The Modern Showrooms at Alexis Park.