Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino
"Named for an 1890s railroad which was never built, Railroad Pass first became a destination after Professor Robert T Hill discovered alunite in the area in 1908. A mining district was formed, but only small amounts of gold were found. Mines in the area included the Alunite, Bean Pot, Lucky Dutchman, Quo Vadis, Spearhead and Vincent. The short lived mining boom ended by 1910. With the advent of the Great depression, tent cities sprang up in the pass with names like Texas Acres and Oklahoma City. The Railroad Pass school district was organized in 1932, with a one room school just above this site, which operated until absorbed into the Henderson School District in 1942. The patented Alunite Mine site was acquired because of its proximity to the Boulder Canyon project. A bar and casino was built, which opened in 1931. This casino, originally known as Railroad Pass Club, holds gaming license #4 issued by the State of Nevada, and is the oldest continually operating casino in the state."
(Queho Posse Chapter 1919 E Clampus Vitus)
"When the Bureau of Reclamation built Boulder City, it declared this federal town would be free of gambling, liquor, and prostitution. But the government didn’t control the 20-acre parcel of land outside the government boundary. On this parcel, less than a mile outside the federal lands, Los Angeles entrepreneur P.J. Warren built a casino at the crossroads of the dam site, Las Vegas, and the rich mining districts along the Colorado River.
Built in 1931, the Railroad Pass Casino was a popular destination for residents and travelers. Even before the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, bootleg liquor was served while gamblers played roulette, craps, and blackjack. The casino was also famous for its live music and dancing.
The casino played a vital role in the developing community. The owners helped raise money for a much-needed school for children, and cashed dam workers’ paychecks or secured their money in a safe. The business has continued to flourish and today, Railroad Pass Casino and Hotel prides itself as being the longest continuously operating gaming establishment in Southern Nevada."
(City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department)
"This vault door was manufactured between 1870 and 1892 by Hall’s Safe and Lock Co. which was founded in 1848 by Joseph L. Hall. The lock on the vault door is engraved with a patent number that was registered in 1859. The decorative ornament that was mounted on the outside of the vault door is on display in the Heritage Room. The vault room was constructed at Railroad Pass in the early 1930’s and was rumored to be constructed and used by the Union Pacific Railroad for payroll purposes. The foundation of this vault is 6 feet thick and the walls are 1 foot thick. There is very little information about the Cary safe on the interior of this vault. The numbers on the handle indicate the serial number of the safe but there are no serial number records remaining from the Cary Safe Company which was in business from the 1890’s through the early 1930’s."
(Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino)
"In 1908, mining engineer Robert T. Hill staked a claim in Railroad Pass hoping to find gold deposits as rich as those in Goldfield to the north and Searchlight to the south. Hill reasoned that gold could surely be found at this location, since he had discovered large deposits of alunite, a white mineral typically used as an indicator of gold deposits. Hill formed a syndicate and built a bustling mining camp known as Camp Alunite southwest of here with a blacksmith shop, stables, an assay ofice, and tent houses for his miners. Hill and his syndicate sank several shafts in the mountains and flats around Railroad Pass - but they ran out of money without finding the elusive wealth Hill believed was there. The Railroad Pass "gold boom" went bust and Camp Alunite was abandoned, its building and workings reclaimed by the desert."
(City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department)
Railroad Pass Casino opened on August 1, 1931.
Five-story hotel tower built in 1986.
Ramada Tower built in 2021.
Holds Nevada State Gaming License No. 4.
Located at 1500 Railroad Pass Casino Road, Henderson, Nevada.