“Showboat Hotel and Casino 1961” by Ferris H. Scott of Santa Ana, CA – Scan of a 1961 postcard,

The Showboat Hotel & Casino opened on September 3, 1954, the hotel and casino was located at the north end of the Boulder Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Orginally opened as the showboat (1954–2000). It was the first resort within Las Vegas city limits, it had 100 rooms on two floors.

n 1998, Harrah’s Entertainment bought Showboat, Inc. for $1.15 billion. Harrah’s interests were primarily in the Atlantic City and Chicago markets, however; the Las Vegas property did not fit with the company’s strategy. They sold the Showboat in 2000 for $23.5 million.
Castaways (2000–2004)

Harrah’s refused to sell the Showboat name, not wanting the Las Vegas property to be confused with Showboat Atlantic City, so they renamed it as the Castaways. The hotel consisted of a 19 story tower containing 445 rooms, a 80,000-square-foot casino and an adjacent RV park. Demolition began in July 2005, and the hotel tower was imploded on January 11, 2006.