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A Full-Scale Starship Enterprise Attraction Almost Docked in Las Vegas

From January 1998 to September 2008, Star Trek: The Experience inside the Las Vegas Hilton was an amazing attraction and a destination for Star Trek fans from around the world.

However, in 1992 there were plans for a much larger Star Trek themed attraction in Las Vegas. In a contract that was nearly won by the Goddard Group, a full-scale $150 million Starship Enterprise could have been built in the downtown area of Sin City.

Recently, Gary Goddard, head of the Goddard Group, told the story of what could have been, on his blog.

Enterprise Drawing

“The real winner of the 1992 downtown Las Vegas redevelopment competition was NOT the FREMONT EXPERIENCE – it was the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE from STAR TREK.  But no one knows this – until now.” Goddard wrote.

“In 1992 downtown Las Vegas had become a distant second to the Las Vegas Strip.  Where at one time, downtown Las Vegas was the center of the action, the increasing magnitude of the Las Vegas Strip, with the expansion of Caesar’s Palace, the Mirage having opened, and with more and more mega resorts on the way, 80% of the Las Vegas market was now on the Strip, leaving only 20% for the downtown casinos and hotels.  The loss of business was turning the downtown area into a “ghost town” and something needed to be done quickly. The city needed an attraction – something of enough size and power to bring the people back to the downtown area.”

“They put the word out and a number of ideas were considered, with only two of the concepts getting down to the finals.  One was “THE FREMONT EXPERIENCE”; and the other was “THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE”. THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE was created and designed by Gary Goddard and his team of designers at Landmark – Designer: Chuck Canciller; Illustrator: Greg Pro; Planner: Mac MacElrevey.”

Star Trek Enterprise in Las Vegas

“The competition called for something that would “become an attraction of such magnitude that it would draw people from the strip,” and ideally it was to also provide “a destination attraction” that would “re-establish the downtown core as the center of the action in Las Vegas.” A major task – one that would be almost impossible to achieve.  The other catch was it could not be a hotel or a casino because the other hotels and casinos in the area were going to be paying for this attraction to bring people to THEIR places of business, not to have another competitor down the street.”

Star Trek Enterprise in Las Vegas Concept

“My concept was to do something so large and so epic, it would fire the imaginations of people around the world.  After looking at how difficult it would be to bring people to the downtown core (from the Strip), I knew we had to have something really exciting, dynamic, and without equal.  We kicked around a few ideas, and then I came up with something really unique.  I went to Chuck Canciller, my lead designer then – and a genius as well – and said, “What if we built the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE – FULL SCALE  – on the land at the end of the street.  Imagine that…”  Chuck looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but by that time he also knew I was serious about big ideas like this.  He immediately started working on some ideas.”

Read more at the Goddard Group.

 

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8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Derek

    April 10, 2012 at 3:10 am

    Seriously, this would have been AMAZEBALLZ!!!

  2. Kruuzer

    April 10, 2012 at 3:28 am

    This would have been amazing. Think… even if they closed this down in 2008 we could all still go visit and marvel at this work of art… Even if we weren’t allowed inside.

  3. Ismoyont

    April 10, 2012 at 5:24 am

    Just add the rcs thruster and the basic impulse drive. No need for the M/AM reactor yet.

  4. B. Heffron

    April 10, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Maybe this can happen again. With JJ’s updated 1701. Either way, I’d love to see something like this in my lifetime.

  5. mutt klingon

    April 10, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    i hmm? i like if wouldn’t the build real space ship. just like enterprise? for real!

  6. Earthxxx

    April 15, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    Enterprise Refit or NCC-1701-A just build it PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is a definate attraction i would not miss in a million years, if not vagas then Build it any place in the world and i will go to see it as im sure trek fans from all over the world would flock in there millions to see it:) even if it is just a full scale model it would still be great seeing the sheer size of the ship, but with accurate rooms and decks inside, this would be the icing on the cake,
    just found out about this news and the strange thing is i have been thinking for the last few weeks about why no one has thought about making a full size replica before, perhaps all this news buzzing around out there has entered the Sub-conscious minds of trekkies out there:) and could even build a full scale Klingon Bird of prey in landed mode when it was on Volcan.
    if they get enough response from people just then maybe, we hope:)

  7. Dan

    April 4, 2015 at 12:42 am

    Paramount would build this if we all put our words and mouth behind it and tell everyone about it, Paramount doesnt want Star wars to become bigger than Startrek this can be revived and this would bring millions from all over the world and put the convention center inside it and make things interactive, this would be one of the wonders of the world, We need to get paramount behing the project again

  8. Jake Paradise

    March 4, 2022 at 2:37 pm

    I would love to see this Happen ..I had a Friend (Don Marshall) who was on Star Trek for one episode “THE GALLEIO 7″ not to mention He Played Co Pilot Dan Erickson on ‘The Land of the Giants”..I am sure were he still alive ( He Died in 2016) He would have loved it too He actually let me see a Working Draft of a Story he wrote called ” Escape from a Giant Land” However I don’t know what happened with that Idea. And we Kind of lost track with each other over the Years With my Navy Deployments and With me Volunteering to work with K.I.T.T. At Universal to help a friend of mine keep it in good condition Keep the good thought and lets hope that they can get this done

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