Las Vegas Tropicana’s stained glass ceiling sister locations revealed by creator

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Shimmering through the Tiffany-stained glass dome of Caesar’s Palace, guests can see 125 years of history and one of the last few connections to the soon-to-be imploded Tropicana.

In 1979, The Tropicana Las Vegas agreed to pay $200,000 for a large, stained glass barrel dome, ceiling completed by the California-based company Judson Studios.

David Judson, president of Judson Studios , said he remembers when his father sold the Las Vegas casino’s leadership on the idea of a glass dome while he played video games nearby.

“I remember being at the Tropicana when my dad was talking to them and selling them the job,” Judson said. “It was probably the largest job my father had ever done at that time, and it was a really big deal. It was the largest stained glass barrel dome in the world.”

The family business is now being led by David who proudly introduced himself as a fifth-generation Judson. The studio, initially founded in Los Angeles in 1897, has left its striking stains in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, The Los Angeles Natural History Museum, and the Caesars Palace.

“My father did quite a bit of work in Vegas,” Judson said.  “We were probably one of the studios that was closest to Vegas at that time.”

Above the rotunda of the Caesar’s Palace Neptune Villa, formerly the Palace Court Restaurant, the work of Judson Studios remains. The piece is one of two which still stands in the Las Vegas Valley with the other displayed at the former home of Sigfried and Roy.

When the Tropicana Las Vegas announced their closure and demolition experts feared the first piece from Judson Studios would be lost. Bally’s Entertainment told 8 News Now the now multimillion-dollar barrel dome has been moved to storage with a plan not yet announced.

“It’s hard to get too attached,” Judson said. “Things like that on the strip don’t last all that long. I think it’s great, and I really do hope that it finds a new home and finds a new life.”

The future for stained glass work keeps the studio busy according to Judson who said his team is keeping up with the trends and technology of the industry.

“I’m very bullish on Judson and stained glass in general,” he said. “We are really leaning into technology and pushing the limits of what it can do. I’m really excited to see where it goes from here.”

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