1955 Opened, Closed 5 Months Later - 900 W. Bonanza Rd (Leo Frey)
2003 Destroyed by Fire on May 29, 2003
2004 Acquired by Moulin Rouge Development Corp. for $12.1 M

A daring new concept was born in the form of the Moulin Rouge Hotel & Casino. This was a departure from the norm for two reasons: Its location was neither on The Strip nor Downtown, but on West Bonanza. Secondly, it was heralded as 'the first interracial property in Las Vegas.' Why was this even necessary? Because much to Las Vegas' shame, up until that point the black population in Las Vegas was segregated almost as much as it was in the South. The schools were interracial, but that was about all. If a black visitor wanted to stay in Las Vegas, in the mid-Fifties the only choices were smaller hotels and motels or boarding houses on the west side of town. Ironically, some of the biggest entertainment draws at that time were performers of color--Billy Eckstine, Lena Horne, Pearl Bailey, Dorothy Dandridge, and, of course, Sammy Davis, Jr. They performed in the most spectacular showrooms to enthralled audiences, but they couldn't stay in the rooms of the same properties. When the Moulin Rouge opened, it enjoyed great success. It was featured on the cover of Life magazine and it quickly became the place to hang out after hours, as well as the showplace for luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, George Burns, Count Basie, etc. Boxing great Joe Louis was the official greeter. Pressure from too much competition from the overbuilding of hotels on the Strip, perhaps exacerbated by poor business management, the Moulin Rouge closed after only eight months. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the property, including the prospect of re-opening it, and giving it the long-overdue credit it deserves as an official historic landmark.