Haunted Vegas Hot Spots
LasVegasKids presents the haunted hotels of Las Vegas

With all the excitement, glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the rich and famous — and the not so rich and famous — are regular visitors. Some, however, keep coming back even after they’re dead. Considering its decidedly colorful — and often shady — history, it’s no surprise that Las Vegas is home to several haunted hot spots:

The Flamingo
Back in the heyday of the mafia, famous gangsters literally flocked to Las Vegas. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, in particular, saw the potential of this gambling mecca, and persuaded his mafia bosses to invest in the most luxurious hotel and casino the area had ever seen. The cost to build The Flamingo ended up being more than three times the original estimate, and despite a glamorous grand opening, the casino was a flop.

The Flamingo started to turn a nice profit just a few months later, but the Crime Syndicate never forgave Bugsy for embezzling its money to build it. While relaxing in his Beverly Hills home on the evening of June 20, 1947, Bugsy was shot once in the head and four times in the body.

Though much of the original Flamingo he helped to build is no longer in existence, Bugsy's ghost is said to remain, haunting the Presidential Suite, where he resided while in the city. Sightings have also been reported by the pool, in the wedding chapel, and around the Bugsy Monument in The Flamingo’s rose garden. Take a midnight stroll around The Flamingo if you dare, but remember, if you happen to encounter this ghostly gangster, be sure to address him as “Mr. Siegel.”

Hilton

No doubt you've heard the phrase, "Elvis has left the building." At the Las Vegas Hilton, The King never left. Apparently during the late 60s and early 70s, Presley performed often at The International, a hotel-casino that once stood at its current location on Paradise Road. The King is said to hang out around the backstage elevators of the Hilton, perhaps waiting to go onstage just one more time. If you're lucky, you?ll catch a glimpse of his flowing white cape, glitzy belt buckle and full side-burns.

Bally's

On the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard, where Bally?s now stands, the MGM once had a glamorous hotel and casino. On November 21, 1980, it burned to the ground. It was a horrific, tragic event, with some guest jumping to their death when rescue ladders could not reach their upper floor windows. A total of 84 people died that day, making it the second largest hotel fire in terms of lives lost United States history.