Little Church of the West facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Little Church of the West
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Little Church of the West (2007)
Location	4617 S Las Vegas Blvd. Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Nearest city	Las Vegas
Built	1943
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	92001161
Added to NRHP	September 14, 1992

The Little Church of the West is a famous wedding chapel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA. It's a special place because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. This means it's an important historical building. The chapel was built using redwood and was designed to look like a church from an old pioneer town. It is the oldest building still standing on the Las Vegas Strip.

A Look at History

The church's sign in 2012

The Little Church of the West first opened its doors on May 22, 1943. It was built as part of the Hotel Last Frontier complex, which was one of the first big hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

Moving Around Las Vegas

Over the years, the chapel has moved several times.

• In 1954, it moved from the north side of the Hotel Last Frontier to the south side.
• In 1979, it moved again to the grounds of the Hacienda hotel-casino. This move was to make space for the Fashion Show Mall.
• In December 1996, the Hacienda hotel closed down. The chapel was moved one last time to where it is today. It's now on the east side of the Strip, south of the Mandalay Bay resort.

A Historic Landmark

The Little Church of the West was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1992. It is the only building on the entire Las Vegas Strip that has this special historical listing.

In 2002, the church was very busy, performing about 6,000 weddings each year. By that time, more than 250,000 couples had gotten married there since it opened. In 2017, the chapel celebrated its 75th birthday. It continues to be the oldest building on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Featured in Movies and TV

The Little Church of the West has appeared in several movies and TV shows.

• In a 1959 episode of Perry Mason, the church and its neon sign were shown.
• It was featured in the 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas. In the film, characters played by Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret get married inside the church.
• The chapel also appeared in the TV series Vega$ in 1978 and 1980.

Famous Weddings

Many famous people have chosen to get married at the Little Church of the West. Here are some of them:

See Also

• List of wedding chapels in Las Vegas