We geeks may have a Mecca once again.  The place that made Vegas even greater, Star Trek: The Experience, which closed on Sept 1st of this year, seems to have found a new home, as reported last week by Trekmovie.com and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Serious negotiations are in the works between CBS/Paramount and Rohit Joshi, owner of the fiscally-troubled Neonopolis entertainment and shopping complex in old-school Downtown Las Vegas.  Rumor has it that gear from the LV Hilton is being hauled to Neonopolis instead of being discarded or shipped back to CBS as per the original plan.

 

This delights us to no end.  Quark’s bar wins out as my favorite in both the bar and the restaurant category (the Flaming Ribs of Targ rock!).  Of all the places in Vegas, The Experience is the one place on my list that I was most excited to visit, and typically made a trip to Quark’s on every night of my prior trips. 

 

The Klingon Encounter ride was showing its age prior to its closing (Strip scenes showed such anachronisms as Sigfried & Roy and the Stardust), and will no doubt be updated to tie into the new Abrams vision of Trek.  In order to open in time for the May movie release, I suspect that the initial opening could be minimal (Quark’s – hopefully! – and the gift shop and Museum of the Future, perhaps the Borg Invasion ride).  We’re really looking forward to visiting during our December 2009 trip to see what ST:TE Next Generation looks like.  We hope that they can re-hire some of the seasoned actors who played the costumed characters, such as April Hebert and Mark Weitz. 

 

If there’s a place big enough to host the Creations convention, this could be huge for Downtown.  Whereas a convention of this size was par for the course on the Strip, it could provide just the annual financial booster-shot that Fremont Street needs, and enough to keep Neonopolis from closing its doors for good. 

 

Needless to say, we’re quite excited, and will keep you apprised of further developments.  Q’pla!