- A retired Boeing 747 is being turned into a unique dining venue.
- The plane is among a handful of double-deckers that have been repurposed into tourist attractions.
- People can sleep in a 747 engine in Sweden, or rent out an entire 747 for a wedding in England.
You don’t need to book a plane ticket to experience one of the most iconic — and quickly disappearing —passenger planes.
In February, Las Vegas entertainment venue AREA15 took delivery of a retired 45-year-old Boeing 747 and plans to convert it into an immersive cocktail and dining experience.
Imagine neon lights, a restaurant, and a dance floor where the passenger cabin once was. Plus, access to the old cockpit and the upper deck via a grand staircase.
“It’s going to be like 20 feet up in the air and coming out of the building,” AREA15 CEO Winton Fisher told Business Insider. “It’s been a significant investment for us, millions and millions of dollars.”
The double-decker was once a centerpiece of Burning Man, but it got stuck in the Black Rock playa in 2018 and was decommissioned. It was eventually put into storage until AREA15 bought it in 2022.
Fisher did not disclose an exact opening date or admission price for the 747 but said it would be a place to dine, drink, and party and would be “accessible to the public.”
Repurposed 747s can be found around the world
While any large aircraft art piece may catch someone’s attention, the 747 is particularly famous.
The quad-engine jet, nicknamed the “Queen of the Skies,” was the world’s first widebody plane and was launched in the 1960s to support the booming demand for air travel.
Aviation enthusiasts and historians have long hailed it as the catalyst for aircraft innovation and industry growth.
Dozens of carriers worldwide took advantage of the 747’s mammoth capacity — which prompted cheaper plane tickets — and some used the upper deck to create luxurious lounges to attract high-paying customers.
However, the iconic 747 is disappearing from the skies as more efficient twin-engine airliners take over. Just four global passenger airlines still fly the plane commercially in 2025.
Most of the dwindling global fleet has gone to the boneyard, but a select few have found new life as tourist attractions in countries around the world.
