They took the Moulin Rouge sign down early in the morning.  Our buddy, Joel Rosales of Leavinglv got there too late to snap any photos of the sign coming down but he did get these of the aftermath.

The Moulin Rouge, of course, was the first integrated casino in Las Vegas when it opened in 1955.  It closed its doors in less than a year amid rumors that still swirl around the property today.

Benny Binion Statue

I was surprised to discover this statue had been moved.  For years a downtown landmark, this statue of Benny Binion stood on the corner of Casino Center and Ogden Avenue.  However, it is no longer there.

According to Joel, it was moved to the South Point Hotel and Casino out on the south Strip a few months ago.  Michael Gaughan approached the Las Vegas City Council about moving the statue out to his equestrian center.  Despite the disapproval of Mayor Goodman, the City Council voted in agreement for the statue to be moved.

So, if you want to visit Benny, you have to go out the South Point.  I guess since the Horseshoe is no longer under the control of the Binion family and that casino is now owned by Terry Caudill, who also owns the Four Queens, perhaps there was some worry that the statue would be destroyed.

Special thanks to Joel Rosales at Leavinglv.net for letting us the images above.

Candlelight Wedding Chapel

As part of the Clark County Centennial Celebration, the Clark County Museum will begin restoration of the Candlelight Wedding Chapel later this year.  The Candlelight stood near  the Riviera for years before it became endangered.  Funds were secured and the Chapel was moved to the Clark County Museum where it will now be restored so that future generations will be able to see one of the few remaining old-style wedding chapels from the Las Vegas Strip.

Candlelight Wedding Chapel in 2007

Special thanks to Allen Sandquist for letting us this image.

 Candlelight Wedding Chapel today at the Clark County Museum

This past weekend, phase one of the Candlelight Wedding Chapel
renovation at the Clark County Museum was completed.
Phase two will begin in the late summer, and in mid November the Clark
County Museum will host a gala opening event.
 
The chapel, donated by it owner Gordon Gust and spared by the developers
of the Fontainbleau Casino, was moved from
its location just north of the Riviera Hotel arrived at the museum in
the early morning of March 1, 2007.
 
The opening of the Candlelight Wedding Chapel plays a central role in
the Clark County Centennial Year celebration activities.

Thanks to Malcolm Vuksich at the Museum for letting us use the updated image and for the update on the progress of the restoration.