About the Moulin Rouge Museum & Cultural Center

About our Organization

The Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino was one of the most significant sites in American civil rights history, and continues to be a vital monument to the social, cultural, and entertainment histories of the City of Las Vegas. The Moulin Rouge Museum & Cultural Center, Inc., is devoted to documenting the history and significance of the first integrated hotel and casino in the United States,and creating educational opportunities for students of all ages and backgrounds to engage in dialogues concerning race, prejudice, politics, identity, image, and community.

Our principle goal is to found a permanent educational institution on the site of the soon-to-be-redeveloped Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino. This educational facility will include permanent and temporary gallery exhibition spaces, and will be responsible for the production of educational materials to be distributed to students throughout the Clark County School District. The Museum and Cultural Center will also be responsible for creating traveling exhibitions, intended to create vital education opportunities in locations outside of Las Vegas.

We continue to advocate the architectural preservation of those building elements of the 1955 structure which survived a devastating fire in 2003. The tower, the famous neon sign designed by Betty Willis, and the magnificent decorative gold leaf columns are a few of the elements which survived the blaze. Despite the fire, the building has held its integrity and maintained its listing on the National Register of Historic Places (#92001701, added 1992). We will help protect the historic elements of the building in keeping with the United States Department of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation.

Business History

The Moulin Rouge Museum and Cultural Center, Inc., grew from the efforts of a group of community members who were devoted to the preservation of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino and its history. This group of concerned community members formed the Moulin Rouge Preservation Association.

The Moulin Rouge Preservation Association included Assemblyman Wendell Williams, Alice Key, Dee Dee Jasmin, Ruby Amie, Katherine Duncan, Delores Sawyer, Bobby McRoy, Frank Wright, Harold Bradford, Patricia Davis, Gloria Weddle, Beatrice Bryant, Phyllis Hargrove, and Faye Williams, to name a few.

The Preservation Association worked alongside previous Moulin Rouge leasees Sarann Knight-Preddy, Joe Preddy and James Walker, to promote the preservation of the historic property. To raise funds and awareness, the Association organized a number of community events, such as the Moulin Rouge Hall of Fame, Women Making a Difference, Down Memory Lane, and a New Years Eve celebration featuring Chitterlings Under Glass. The Moulin Rouge Preservation Association also massed volunteers to work on building maintenance and cleaning projects including tree trimming, painting, and re-striping of the parking lot.

In 2001 the Association was awarded a grant by the State of Nevada Cultural Affairs Commission to establish the Moulin Rouge Museum & Cultural Center, a non-profit, 501(C)3 Organization whose gifts are tax deductible.

The Museum and Cultural Center continues to raise awareness of the Moulin Rouge's vital and turbulent history.

Personnel and Organization

The Moulin Rouge Museum and Cultural Center, Inc., is governed by a volunteer board of professionals who are dedicated to the preservation of this important part of American history.

Katherine Duncan, President

Sarann Knight-Preddy, Vice President

Ron Risk, Treasurer

Atty. Frederick Santacroce, Secretary

Mahlon W.L. Chute, Curator

Dr. Gwendolyn Gates Bartlett
Charlene Peterson
Sam Wright
Dr. David Adams
Walter Mason

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