El Cortez opened on Fremont Street in 1941, when Downtown was still the centre of Las Vegas's hotel and casino business. Unlike the demolished resorts remembered through replacement sites, its historic building remains part of the working property at 600 Fremont Street. The National Register nomination describes the original hotel and casino as a visible link to Fremont Street's growth between 1941 and the early 1950s, when the expanding Strip began to overshadow Downtown.
Start with its historyEditorial illustration of historic El Cortez, based on a user-supplied photograph of unknown date.
A brief history of El Cortez Hotel and Casino
El Cortez’s Fremont Street frontage and rooftop sign on February 4, 2020, with street works in the foreground.
El Cortez's ownership history connects several different versions of Las Vegas. Moe Sedway and his associates acquired it in 1945; J. Kell Houssels and Ray Salmon took over management in 1946, with the nomination distinguishing that step from the later legal transfer.
Read the full historyNational Register nomination, PDF page 4, Section 7 Summary Paragraph
National Register nomination, PDF pages 6-7, Section 7 Subsequent Alterations, including signage and marquee description
National Register nomination, PDF page 1, Section 2 Location
NPS asset metadata, NRIS 13000010, listing date February 13, 2013
Sections 7–8: building, 1952 alterations, ownership and transaction-stage dates; PDF page 48 reproduces 1941 opening advertisement.
NRIS 13000010: listing date 13 February 2013 and 600 Fremont Street.
Operator chronology: Gaughan 1963, Epstein 2008, original-room renovation 2022. Some other dates on this timeline conflict with archival evidence; no blanket endorsement.
November 7 grand opening, Gaughan 1963 and 2008 sale; compare National Register transaction stages.
1 May 2025 contractor announcement: completed renovation/expansion; primary account of work rather than independent heritage assessment.
The operator gives November 7, 1941 as the grand opening. The National Register narrative says November 6 but cites a November 7 newspaper report; its reproduced advertisement announces November 7. The date field retains the undisputed year.
Gaughan's purchase was reported in late 1962, with new ownership effective January 1; the operator uses 1963. These dates refer to stages of the transaction.
The National Register describes the building at the time of nomination; later renovations are separate developments.
The exterior photograph shows February 4, 2020, including street works then underway. Its signs, advertised prices and street conditions are historical image details, not current visitor information.
Stories connected to El Cortez Hotel and Casino
Story image unavailable.
A reported long-term guest
The El Cortez opened on Fremont Street in 1941. This Story recounts the reported arrangement that kept Fat Irish Green in a room there for years after Bugsy Siegel’s death.
Two ways to explore El Cortez Hotel and Casino
Themed tour 20 stops Audio narration
Themed tour 31 stops
Free audio samples are available here. See each tour for current app and Pass options.
The National Register documents the historic property at 600 Fremont Street, between Sixth and Seventh streets in Downtown Las Vegas. Its original building and later additions belong to a larger working resort. The historic address and nomination boundaries do not by themselves establish a present entrance or visitor route.
Sources, image credits and the limits of what we know.
National Register nomination, PDF page 4, Section 7 Summary Paragraph
National Register nomination, PDF pages 6-7, Section 7 Subsequent Alterations, including signage and marquee description
National Register nomination, PDF page 1, Section 2 Location
NPS asset metadata, NRIS 13000010, listing date February 13, 2013
Sections 7–8: building, 1952 alterations, ownership and transaction-stage dates; PDF page 48 reproduces 1941 opening advertisement.
NRIS 13000010: listing date 13 February 2013 and 600 Fremont Street.
Operator chronology: Gaughan 1963, Epstein 2008, original-room renovation 2022. Some other dates on this timeline conflict with archival evidence; no blanket endorsement.
November 7 grand opening, Gaughan 1963 and 2008 sale; compare National Register transaction stages.
1 May 2025 contractor announcement: completed renovation/expansion; primary account of work rather than independent heritage assessment.
Vegas Retold / AI-generated illustration; reference photographer unknown
Source reference: User-selected clipboard reference; original photographer, date and source host unknown. This URL identifies intended use, not the original photograph.
AI-generated editorial illustration derived from the supplied photograph; geometry and detail simplified, small marquee lettering abstracted. Not archival evidence.
User requested this generated illustration and public use. Underlying photograph copyright status and clearance remain unknown; user supply is not clearance or public-domain proof. No specific item restrictions supplied.
Image source ↗mliu92 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Source reference: mliu92, February 4, 2020. Originally shared on Flickr; Wikimedia Commons licence review confirmed CC BY-SA 2.0 on February 14, 2020.
Depicted date: 2020-02-04
LicenseOriginal photograph retained without editorial alteration. Responsive displays may resize and crop the presentation.
Retain attribution, source, licence and an indication of changes. Adaptations require the same or a compatible licence. No endorsement implied.
Image source ↗AI-generated illustration / Vegas Retold; adapted from user-supplied reference, original photographer unknown
Image source ↗AI-generated illustration / Vegas Retold; adapted from user-supplied reference, original photographer unknown
Image source ↗.jpg){kind=link}