Harrah's Reno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harrah's Reno |
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| Location | Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Address | 219 North Center Street |
| Opening date | October 29, 1937 |
| Closing date | March 17, 2020 |
| Theme | Pavilion |
| No. of rooms | 928 |
| Total gaming space | 40,200 sq ft (3,730 m2) |
| Signature attractions | Sammy's Showroom (formerly Headliner Room) |
| Notable restaurants | Carvings Buffet (formerly Fresh Market Square Buffet) Harrah's Steak House Hash House a go go (formerly Café Napa) Ichiban Joy Luck Noodle Bar Starbucks |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Architect | Martin Stern Jr. and Associates Worth Group |
| Previous names | Harrah's Club |
| Renovated in | 1967: Harrah's Steak House 1969: West Tower 1981: South Tower 1995: East Tower 1999: Café Napa 2000: The Plaza 2005: Ichiban, Quiznos and Starbucks 2006: Carvings Buffet 2011: Hash House a go go |
| Coordinates | 39°31′39″N 119°48′46″W / 39.527536°N 119.812737°W |
Harrah's Reno was a well-known casino hotel located in downtown Reno, Nevada. It is now closed. A company called CAI Investments bought the building and plans to turn it into a new complex called Reno City Center. This new center will have different uses, like apartments and other businesses.
This casino was special because it was the very first one opened by William F. Harrah. He was the founder of the famous Harrah's casino company.
Contents
A Look Back: Harrah's Reno History
Starting a Casino Empire
William F. Harrah opened his first bingo parlor on October 29, 1937. However, it closed just two months later in December 1937. Harrah didn't give up! He spent the winter raising money and reopened his casino. This time, he called it the Heart Tango. It was located right in the middle of Reno's casino area, between Virginia and Center streets.
Over time, Harrah slowly bought other casinos next to his. He kept building up his business. In 1968, he bought The Reno Golden Hotel. He hired a famous casino architect, Martin Stern Jr., to design a fancy 24-story hotel tower. This new tower was built on top of the old Grand Hotel. It opened on October 10, 1969. Later, in 1981, a 100-room tower was added by the new owners, Holiday Inn.
Famous Performers at Sammy's Showroom
Harrah's had a special showroom where many top entertainers performed. These were the same stars you might see in Las Vegas. Some famous names included Joan Rivers, the Smothers Brothers, Merle Haggard, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Mitzi Gaynor.
In 1991, after the death of the legendary performer Sammy Davis, Jr., the Headliner Room was renamed Sammy's Showroom. Sammy Davis Jr. had performed there often and was the first act when the Headliner Room originally opened.
Sammy's Showroom first featured two main acts and revue shows. Over the years, it changed to only having revue shows. Some of the headliners who performed in Sammy's Showroom after it was renamed included Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Rich Little, Phyllis Diller, and Marilyn McCoo. The last headliner to appear in Sammy's Showroom was Gordie Brown in 2004.
Growth and Changes Over Time
In 1995, Harrah's Entertainment became its own company. They built the world's largest Hampton Inn hotel right next to the Reno casino. This Hampton Inn opened in November 1995. It was connected to the casino, with its own lobby and meeting rooms.
During the Reno Truckee River flood in 1997, both the Hampton Inn and Harrah's had to close because of water damage. In 1999, Harrah's bought the 26-story Hampton Inn building. They made it a part of Harrah's, adding 400 rooms to their hotel.
Also in 1999, Harrah's bought two older, closed casinos: the Nevada Club and Harold's Club. They tore down these old buildings to create a large outdoor entertainment area called The Plaza. The Plaza opened in 2000 as a concert venue. Some of the first performers there included Ray Charles, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Chuck Berry. People could buy VIP seats or sit in free areas. The concerts could be heard all along Virginia Street.
Harrah's also updated its hotel towers. The East Tower (which used to be the Hampton Inn) was remodeled in 2003. The original West Tower was renovated from 2005 to 2006. One famous restaurant, Harrah's Steak House, which founder William Harrah built in 1967, remained mostly unchanged. Other parts of the casino and meeting rooms were updated in 1995, 1999, and 2006. The Carvings Buffet opened on February 24, 2006, after being closed for renovations.
In early 2011, the hotel management started to invest in updating parts of the property. They also brought back bright purple exterior lights for the hotel towers, which is the official color of the Harrah's brand. In February 2011, the old Cafe' Napa coffee shop closed. It was replaced by a Hash House a go go restaurant.
The Final Chapter and Future Plans
On October 6, 2017, the ownership of Harrah's Reno changed. It was transferred to Vici Properties, and then leased back to Caesars Entertainment.
In January 2020, Caesars and Vici announced they would sell Harrah's Reno to CAI Investments. This company planned to close the property and turn it into a non-gaming hotel and other businesses.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Steve Sisolak ordered many businesses, including Harrah's Reno, to close on March 17, 2020. This was to help stop the spread of the virus. In June 2020, Caesars announced that Harrah's Reno would not reopen. The sale was completed in September 2020.
CAI Investments will rename the property Reno City Center. It is planned to include 540 apartments.
See also
In Spanish: Harrah's Reno para niños
