With the official closing of all three casinos in Primm, Nevada, driving to Vegas will never quite be the same. If you've made the trek up the I-15, you know the landmark. For decades those lights in the desert meant one thing: you're almost there.
Spotting the cluster of casinos on the California/Nevada state line is its own little ceremony. For some it's a pitstop: a chance to stretch your legs, grab a coffee, snag some nuggs from McD's, or drop a few quarters in the slots before you even hit the Strip. But mostly, Primm is a signal. It's where the excitement shifts from anticipation to arrival. And if you're driving after dark, those lights in the distance hit different, a renewed sense of energy, a second wind for the last leg of the drive. Vegas is still 45 minutes north, but those lights make it feel like the party's already started.
And now, as of May 2026, it's all coming to a close. Whiskey Pete's has been dark since December 2024, Buffalo Bill's went event-only in July 2025, and Primm Valley Resort will permanently close on July 4, 2026. Looking back, I'm grateful I made the pitstop in 2018 while all three casinos were still up and running.
The 2018 Pit Stop
By the time I stepped foot into these casinos they were already kind of a living ghost town, but that’s what made them amazing. There is always something poetic about the slow decay. And tucked inside that decay were a few things worth stopping for.
The Desperado Will Leave You Desperately Wishing You Hadn't
The Buffalo Bill’s Casino opened in 1994, had a tram that ran to the Primm Valley Casino, a log flume ride, a pool in the shape of a buffalo, and the main event: the Desperado. A hypercoaster with a 225 foot drop and a top speed of 80mph. (It also once held a guiness world record as the world's tallest roller coaster)
The interior was exactly what you’d expect, gloriously kitsch, leaning all the way into the days of Buffalo Bill and the Wild West. This trip was before @theroadsidetourist was started so I’m lacking in my own visual documentation but here are a few from their website so you get the idea…
Images via BuffaloBill's / PrimmValleyResorts.com
Now to get back to the coaster…
I'd always assumed it to be out of commission as every time I'd driven past I'd never spotted it running. But I was wrong. On that day the same five kids appeared to be keeping it in business, getting off and sprinting back through the line to do it all over again. I was with my friend Laura (besties), and the two of us have a long history with roller coasters. We rarely pass one up. So it felt more like an obligation rather than a decision. Against our better judgment, we bought two tickets to join them.
Immediate regret as the ride began. It was not smooth, it was not fun, and we spent the majority of the ride yelling "I [explicit] HATE THIS" on every drop. By the time we stumbled off the platform, my back was wrecked and we were in immediate need of a debrief beer. We made our way to one of the casino bars and reached a swift consensus: lucky survivors.
Clearly we weren’t the only ones with this sentiment….take a look at some of the reviews I found while sipping that very necessary beverage.
And if those reviews weren’t enough validation, a year later the ride was formally inspected by Clark County and officially deemed unsafe, with a notice placed directly on the ride's control panel. (https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Desperado)
BUT, as it turns out, almost dying on a roller coaster wasn't even the highlight…
The Most Unexpected Find? A Relic from 1934.
The Bonnie and Clyde death car. The actual one. A bullet-riddled 1934 Ford V-8 Fordor Deluxe with over 160 bullet holes in the body, displayed behind glass on the casino floor of Whiskey Pete's. Next to it, a display case filled with artifacts from the ambush: Clyde's shirt with bullet holes, letters of authenticity, and a few small personal items from their travels. All of it free to see.
And that, my friends, was my Primm experience. The kind of weird, random stuff you hope for in any roadstop. It was past its prime, it was looking rough, but it’s completely irreplaceable. And while I know nothing lasts forever, the road to Vegas just won't be the same without its glow.
