Pioneer Club Las Vegas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pioneer Club |
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| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 |
| Address | 25 E Fremont Street |
| Opening date | April 10, 1942 |
| Closing date | 1995 |
| Theme | Old Western |
| Signature attractions | Vegas Vic |
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Schiff Enterprises |
| Coordinates | 36°10′16″N 115°08′43″W / 36.1712°N 115.1454°W |
The Pioneer Club Las Vegas was a famous casino in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. It opened its doors in 1942 on Fremont Street. For many years, it was one of the most popular casinos in the downtown area. The Pioneer Club stopped being a casino in 1995. This was the same year the Fremont Street Experience was finished.
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Discovering the Pioneer Club's History
The building where the Pioneer Club was located was built a long time ago, in 1918. It started out as a restaurant. The Pioneer Club and Cocktail Lounge officially opened in April 1942. It was right on the corner of 1st Street and Fremont Street.
In 1965, the Pioneer Club grew bigger. It bought The Elwell Hotel, which was right behind it. They changed the hotel's name to the Pioneer Club Hotel. A few years later, in 1969, the hotel was sold and became the Golden Hotel. The Pioneer Club kept growing. In 1983, it bought Club Bingo, which was next to it. This allowed the casino to become even larger.
For a while, from 1956 to 1967, it was known as the New Pioneer Club. In 1984, the Golden Nugget bought the old hotel building. They tore it down to build a parking garage for their own casino and hotel.
Changes in Ownership and Closing Down
The Pioneer Club had a few different owners over the years. Margaret Elardi, who also owned other hotels, was one of them. Later, Gold Strike Resorts owned it. In 1992, new owners took over the Pioneer Club. However, they found it hard to compete with the much larger casinos nearby. These bigger casinos were either at the start or end of the Fremont Street Experience. Also, huge new megaresorts were opening on The Strip.
Because of this tough competition, the owners closed the Pioneer Club in 1995. The building stayed empty until 1998. Then, a company called Schiff Enterprises bought it. They opened a souvenir store inside. Even though it's not a casino anymore, the old Pioneer Club signs and the famous Vegas Vic sign are still on the outside of the building.
Meet Vegas Vic: The Neon Cowboy
Even though the Pioneer Club is closed, its most famous part, Vegas Vic, is still there! Vegas Vic is a giant 40-foot tall neon cowboy sign. He is a landmark in Las Vegas.
How Vegas Vic Was Created
The idea for Vegas Vic came about in 1947. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce hired a company to create a friendly cowboy character. This cowboy was named Vegas Vic, and his famous greeting was "Howdy Podner!"
The owners of the Pioneer Club wanted a neon version of this cowboy for their building. They asked The Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) to build it. YESCO then hired an artist named Pat Denner. He designed the sign based on the cowboy image from the Chamber of Commerce. Vegas Vic was made to look like a cowboy in blue jeans, a yellow-checked shirt, and a red bandanna.
Vegas Vic was put up on the outside of the Pioneer Club in 1951. He completely changed how the building looked.
Vegas Vic in Movies
Vegas Vic and the outside of the Pioneer Club have even been in movies! They were clearly shown in the 1971 James Bond film, "Diamonds Are Forever".
Images for kids
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The Pioneer Club in the 1940s
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The Pioneer Club in the 1950s
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The Pioneer Club in 1973
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Vegas Vic up close, after his restoration in 1998
