Las Vegas has long been linked to mysteries. So, it comes as no surprise some captivating local stories have become urban legends. Although some of these are a bit farfetched, others just might be believable!
Here are some of the top urban legends of Sin City that are in circulation:
La Palazza Mansion Hauntings
Perhaps one of the most haunted buildings in the United States, the La Palazza Mansion, has appeared frequently on paranormal TV shows. A former owner said he was haunted, and when he tried to confront the evil spirit, it attempted to choke him, and he only just escaped.
A hidden room covered with dried blood was discovered when the house was examined. There’s speculation the house was once owned by the mob and was used for liquidating gangsters’ victims.
Ghosts of MGM Grand Inferno
In 1980, a fire ripped through the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, killing 85 people. The event went down in history as one of Las Vegas’s most horrific tragedies. At that time, local hotels were not obliged to have sprinkler systems.
So, when the fire erupted from faulty wiring, there was no way of containing it. Today, Bally’s Las Vegas stands on that site, and it’s rumoured that guests who stay in the new hotel see the wandering ghosts of the people who perished in the fire.
The Megabucks Curse
In 2000, Cynthia Jay-Brennan won the Megabucks jackpot, scoring a lifechanging US$34,9 million. Unfortunately for Jay-Brennan, a few days later, she was involved in a car accident that permanently paralysed her. Subsequently, a rumour arose that the prize was cursed. In 2003, the Megabucks jackpot was won again, with another ginormous sum of US$39,7 million. However, once again, a tragic fate befell the winner, who died shortly after that following a drug overdose.
Although there have been no other recorded deaths following a Megabucks jackpot win, many people still believe in the curse. It’s been alleged that several previous winners had fatal heart attacks, were murdered in gang fights, or perished in plane crashes.
Dell H Robinson School Apparition
Schools have long been linked to urban legends. After all, where better to spread gossip and rumours than in a place where children gather? Yet, the Dell H Robison Middle School’s ghost has so many eyewitnesses it’s hard to dismiss it as a fragment of someone’s overactive imagination. Students have reported seeing a man in janitor clothes walking around the building with blood dripping from his hands.
Some students even said the mysterious man followed them home before disappearing. In a few cases, some have said the man appears in their dreams and threatens their lives – very Nightmare on Elm Street! The strangest twist to this urban legend is that every witness stopped seeing the apparition once they went to church.
The Real Roy
Siegfried and Roy are perhaps the most famous duo to ever perform in Vegas, well-known for their shows at the Mirage Resort & Casino, which involved tigers. In 2003, Roy’s rendezvous with one of his tigers ended his life. But claims have been made that the person who was attacked was never Roy in the first place and that the performer was already dead, and another actor was hired to impersonate him.
Since then, journalists have been quizzing the Clark County medical examiner’s office to confirm that Roy was dead. However, the claim was always denied, and with the rumour never dying, we are left to wonder what the truth is.
Hoover Dam Bodies
This urban legend is so prevalent that some people swear by it. When the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s, 96 workers died on the construction site. However, more disturbing is the fact that seven bodies were purportedly never removed from the dam wall because they fell through gaps and were buried in the concrete.
