Casinos

On May 3rd, 1999, the Venetian Hotel and casino opened its doors to the sounds of trumpets and singing gondoliers!

The Venetian is located where the Sands Hotel and Casino used to stand. Construction started in 1997 and the final building comprised of […]

Exterior of the Desert Inn ca. 1950s
On April 24th 1950, Wilbur Clark’s Desert Inn opened its doors and became the fifth major resort on the Strip. While it had taken a couple of years to complete the construction due to money troubles, the final building was a place of luxury […]

On April 18th 2006, Red Rock Resort in Summerlin opened its doors. Named after the local Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, it was built at a cost of $925 million.

It has a contemporary design involving a desert-themed influence, although there are touches […]

On April 12th 1981, Joe Louis passed away in Las Vegas. Born in Lafayette, Alabama, in 1914, Joe and his family moved away from the discrimination they encountered when he was still young to […]

On April 4th 1955 the newly renamed Hotel New Frontier opened its doors after a major refurbishment. Located opposite where the Encore now stands, it had originally opened as the Last Frontier on Highway 91 a year, where once the Pair O’Dice had sat.
Its […]

On April 3rd 1941, the El Rancho Vegas opened on Highway 91, (opposite today’s Sahara Hotel and Casino) on what was to become the Las Vegas Strip; the first large successful hotel and casino operation outside of downtown Las Vegas.

The El Rancho […]

Sarann Knight Preddy (1920-2014) was an entrepreneur, civil rights activist, and the first black woman to receive a gaming license in Nevada.  In 1950, she and her husband moved to Hawthorne, Nevada where she received her […]

We share this history, not only in recognition of #BlackHistoryMonth, but in recognition of a man who contributed so much to the design of some of Las Vegas’ most unique buildings, as well as residential homes, for which he had a particular passion.

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