Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge, the first integrated hotel and casino in Las Vegas, opened in May 1955 and became a landmark of racial integration in Las Vegas and the United States. Entertainers from the Las Vegas Strip and Hollywood flocked to its showroom and casino, where black and white celebrities and patrons mingled freely in segregated Las Vegas. Boxing champion Joe Louis, a part owner of the hotel and its official greeter, welcomed gamblers, performers, visitors, and locals to the color-blind entertainment venue. The Moulin Rouge successfully challenged the long-standing segregation practices of the Las Vegas hotel-casino industry, but despite its popularity it closed in October 1955, and the reason remains unknown. In 1960, it again played a major role in the community's slow progress toward integration when civic leaders and NAACP officials met there and informally agreed to desegregate Las Vegas hotels. During the last 50 years, many people have tried to reopen the resort. Originally built by white investors, the property passed into black ownership in 1989. An arson fire on May 29, 2003, burned the original casino floor and showroom, but the hotel, commercial area, and neon sign were saved. The sign was designed by Betty Willis, who also created the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign at the south end of the Strip.

Las Vegas, Nevada · United States