Extravagant parties in Las Vegas are as natural as sunlight. The wildest parties in Las Vegas history are unlike any other.
Our city, born from the hands of organized crime and salacious activity, has come to represent celebrations, new beginnings and the joys of life.
From the early days of mobsters running the city to the more current night-life hospitality big wigs, Las Vegas is known to be a city where you can let loose.
Our city contains scenes, people and activities that leave you breathless and — maybe — at a loss for words. With that being said, it’s all of the peculiar factors of Las Vegas that makes this a true judgement-free zone.
What other city offers 24-hour adult entertainment, gambling and amazing food? The people that say New York is the city that never sleeps have never been to Las Vegas.
But, you may be wondering “how did Las Vegas even turn from bare desert to party capital of the world?”
Well according to CultureTrip.com, Las Vegas became a city where the mining industry took over.
Essentially, groups of miners, ranchers and other “Wild West” figures would sprout as the economy of Nevada became centered around precious metals. Hence why Nevada is also coined as the “silver state.”
So, you can imagine that a city containing miners, ranchers and cowboys would attract other businesses such as “saloons” “illegal casinos” and prostitution.
According to PBS, by the end of 1910, the government outlaws all gambling in the United States. Prohibition also caused other illegal bars to erupt across the desert, which offered a certain sanctuary for most illicit activities that were outlawed during this time.
The covert nature of humans needing to drink and party lead to many East Coast mobsters establishing businesses within Las Vegas.
PBS states that Nevada re-legalized casinos in 1931, making our state the only place in the union to offer legal casino gambling. Other states had race tracks, low-stake bingo spreads only. But, Las Vegas had the real gambling games, and the Hoover Dam’s construction brought another mass amount of men to work within the area.
As gambling and the tourism industry became a hot reason to visit Las Vegas, the plethora of organized crime and criminal leaders all followed. Great entertainers like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra entertained the crowds of Vegas, making people want to visit the city to see these great artists perform.
Mega resorts started being built and other promotional, entertaining events started happening more frequently. Club parties, pool parties and other ways of celebrating became foundational within the Vegas ecosystem.
Today, our city still attracts thousands of people from across the world, who are looking to party hard.
Scroll down below to see some of the craziest, most extravagant and wildest parties in Las Vegas history.
Pre-Prohibition partying in Las Vegas
Partying when it’s illegal seems to make it more dangerous and — to some people — more exciting.
During the Prohibition Era, Las Vegas had a little of a peculiar situation compared to other cities. There were a few Speakeasies in Nevada. However, many Saloon Owners in Las Vegas operated openly, according to the Mob Museum. Some bars like Bar Prohibition! has been a staple in the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino since its opening in 1906. So, we can only imagine the historical scenes and iconic figures who have drank at this historical “Old West” watering hole that represents the early ages of Las Vegas.
A crowd of gamblers at the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Parties At Las Vegas' First Resort: El Rancho
The Hotel El Rancho Vegas is coined as one of the “Strip Pioneering” properties due to being one of the first hotel-resorts ever created in Las Vegas. The legacy and parties that happened here were unforgettable to say the least. Sammy Davis Jr., Eartha Kitt, and Dean Martin were some of the biggest performers who sang at this historical resort.
Pictured below is actress Joanne Woodward and actor Paul Newman during their wedding reception at the El Rancho hotel-casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 29, 1958.
Moulin Rouge
The Moulin Rouge is called “the nation’s first major interracial hotel” according to the National Park Service. Until May 24, 1955, Black entertainers were denied the right to perform in hotels and casinos across the city.
The park service further says that the group behind the Moulin Rouge’s inception decided to develop plans for an integrated hotel in a “midpoint location.” Meaning that the hotel’s site was between a predominately white area of the Strip and the largely Black west side. From the employees, patrons and entertainers, the hotel became integrated at all levels.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley's Wedding
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s wedding took place on May 1, 1967 at the Aladdin Hotel. As Priscilla said, “My wedding was very unusual,” according to an article in Vogue.
Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) being fed a mouthful of wedding cake by his bride Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas.
Desert Move Party in 1996
Before there was Electric Daisy Carnival, there was the Desert Move Party of 1996. It was one of the first dance-music parties that had big brand sponsors, radio station support and an amazing lineup of legends.
The rave took place an hour away from Vegas in the desert where an impressive production of lights and lasers cut across the desert sky with pulsing dance music playing throughout the atmosphere. The biggest names in the dance-music scene attended this rave, according to VisitLasVegas.com.
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club was located in the Fantasy Tower of the Palms Casino Resort, making it one of the first official Playboy Clubs in the United States since 1988. The place was quaint with about 10 tables. But the parties and the clientele were definitely exclusive, and the ambiance around the club was “sophistically sexy.”
