List Of Brothels In Nevada - Wikipedia

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Carlin

Elko

Wells

Battle Mountain

Mound House

Mina

Amargosa Valley

Crystal

Pahrump

Sparks

Ely

Las Vegas

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Locations with active brothels in Nevada

Major city

This is a historical list of the legal brothels in Nevada. They are arranged by name within location (the nearest town or named place) within each county that licenses such establishments. Defunct establishments are retained for completeness. Note, however, that this list so far only covers the modern era of brothel prostitution in Nevada, from about 1950 onward, after the closure of the red light districts of Reno and Las Vegas.

According to the Nevada Brothel List site, there were 21 legal brothels in Nevada as of February 2018,[1] down from its peak of 35 in the early 1980s.[2] As of September 2023, there are only 18 legal brothels open in Nevada in just 6 of the state's 17 counties.[3]

While prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada, it is illegal outside these licensed brothels. Prostitution is illegal under state law in Clark County, which contains Las Vegas and its metropolitan area. Other counties may choose to allow it, if they desire to. Currently Carson City (an independent city), Douglas County, Eureka County,[4] Lincoln County, Pershing County[5] and Washoe County (which contains Reno) ban brothels. The other ten counties permit brothels, but four of them do not currently have any active brothels.[6]

Active brothels

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Elko County

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Elko

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The Desert Rose Gentlemen's Club[7] – opened in late 2014 in the building that had previously housed the No. 1 Geisha (which closed in 2011).[8]
Inez's D&D Bar[9] – This brothel is reportedly supposed to stand for "Dancing and Diddling".[8] The brothel is a next-door neighbour to the closed PJ's Lucky Strike,.[10] It was one of the first Nevada brothels to have an internet presence.[8] The brothel is under the same management as nearby Mona's Ranch.[11]
Mona's Ranch[12] – Originally built as a family home in 1903, it was later converted to a brothel.[10] It was formally known as Bette's D&D.[13]
Sue's Fantasy Club[14] – Sue's has a mirrored dance floor and pole. Courtesans are all of Asian heritage.[10]

Wells

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Bella's Gentlemen's Club

The ranch opened in 1950[15] as the Hacienda Ranch[8] and is located just off Interstate 80.[16] The rooms have different themes,[17] and there is a jacuzzi[18] and a BDSM dungeon.[19] It has been owned and run since 1981 by Bella Shauna Cummins.[8] In the late 1990s, Cummins had a road built from the ranch to the highway. The road avoids patrons having to cross the busy tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad.[8] In 2004, the ranch was temporarily closed by the local sheriff's office for irregularities in medical certification of the prostitutes.[20] The owners of Bella's, Shauna and Lance Cummins, subsequently sued Elko County Sheriff Dale Lotspeich for allegedly acting outside the law in closing the establishment. Their action against the sheriff was unsuccessful.[21]

Donna's Ranch

Main article: Donna's Ranch The ranch was originally established near the railroad to serve the men constructing the nearby railroad.[22] Wells was a major cattle pick-up point on the Central Pacific Railway, cowboys who had driven the cattle to the railroad celebrated in the ranch.[22] Current owner, Geoff Arnold purchased the ranch from Evelyn and Ken Merrill in 1999 for $1,000,000.[23][24] The boxer Jack Dempsey was a previous owner.[25]

Lander County

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Battle Mountain

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The Desert Club[26] The Desert Club first opened in the late 1800s,[27] and is reputed to be one of the smallest brothels in Nevada.[28] In 1986, the brothel was bought by Ginger and Chuck Barrett along with the nearby Calico Club.[29] It closed down in 1991 but has since reopened.

Lyon County

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Mound House

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By local ordinance, brothels are restricted to the Mound House area.

The Love Ranch

Main article: The Love Ranch Formerly known under several variations of the name Kitty's, this brothel was owned by Dennis Hof. Hof is best known as the star of HBO's Cathouse and proprietor of the nearby Moonlite BunnyRanch. Hof reportedly renamed this operation in 2004 to better take advantage of the "BunnyRanch brand name", which he has heavily promoted. In June 2008, this house was again renamed, this time as The Love Ranch in order to build a unique identity for the brothel. It is sometimes referred to as The Love Ranch North, to differentiate it from Love Ranch Vegas.

Moonlite BunnyRanch

Main article: Moonlite BunnyRanch The brothel, now known as the Moonlite BunnyRanch, first opened in 1955 as the Moonlight Ranch. There is a historical marker on the premises, found just inside of the property's original main gate, as the ranch is located near a stop on the original Pony Express. It operated discreetly until 1971, when Nevada began regulation of houses of prostitution. Dennis Hof, a frequent customer, purchased the business in 1993 for $700,000 and invested another $500,000 in upgrading the facilities and decor. The Moonlite BunnyRanch was featured on HBO's America Undercover show specials, Cathouse (2002) and Cathouse 2: Back in the Saddle (2003). This led to the series Cathouse: The Series, airing in two seasons in 2005 and 2007. The ranch was also featured as a supposedly "haunted house" in an episode of Proof Positive and is frequently mentioned on the Howard Stern Show, usually to announce that another porn star has started to work there.

Sagebrush Ranch

Main article: Sagebrush Ranch Originally, the first Sagebrush Ranch was about 20 mile east of Carson City off US-50 East up Six Mile Canyon Road in Mark Twain through the 1980s. It was a two-story building, which was still in Lyon County before moving to current location. Then for a time, the Sagebrush Ranch was two separate (but connected) licensed brothels: the Sagebrush I (originally known as the Sagebrush Red-Light Ranch) and the Sagebrush II, just north of the original brothel. In 1999, the Sagebrush I building was destroyed by a fire that was accidentally sparked by an overturned candle in one of the ladies' rooms. While no one was seriously hurt in the fire, the Sage I building was a total loss. During its rebuilding, the Sage II building housed a combined operation. When the lavish new replacement facility opened in mid-2001, the ladies all moved into the new building, called simply the Sagebrush Ranch.

Kit Kat Guest Ranch

Main article: Kit Kat Guest Ranch The Kit Kat Guest Ranch is a legal, licensed brothel located about 7 miles (11 km) east of Carson City in the unincorporated town of Mound House, in Lyon County, at 48 Kit Kat Drive. It reopened in May 2016, after being purchased and renovated by Dennis Hof.[30] In 2023, Kit Kat burned down. No one was harmed in the fire. Hof’s estate is working to entirely rebuild the brothel, but have yet to decide where and how to do so.

Mineral County

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Mina

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Wild Cat Brothel – Known for its Ionic columns marking off the car park,[31] it was formerly the Playmate Ranch. As the Playmate it was run by Bill 'Little Bill' Wilkins, who also owned the nearby Billie's Day & Night.[32] It closed in about 2010 and was bought by Phil Maita who reopened it as the Wild Cat in 2013.[33]

As of September 2023, the Wild Cat Brothel is "Temporarily Closed" according to its Google Business Profile listing.

Nye County

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Amargosa Valley

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Alien Cathouse (sometimes referred to as "Lathrop Wells")[34] – Originally the Cherry Patch II, and owned by Joe Richards, it was purchased by Dennis Hof, who sold it prior to his death.

Crystal

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Love Ranch South

Main article: Dennis Hof's Love Ranch The Love Ranch business was purchased by Dennis Hof, owner of several other Nevada brothels, in the fall of 2010. It has since been extensively upgraded. Formerly called the Cherry Patch Ranch, Crystal Love Ranch, Mabel's Whorehouse, Madame Butterfly's. On October 16, 2018 Dennis Hof died in this facility, which subsequently closed.

Pahrump

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Chicken Ranch

Main article: Chicken Ranch (Nevada) Walter Plankinton opened the Nevada Chicken Ranch in 1976,[35] as close to Las Vegas as legally possible. He encountered strong opposition from local law enforcement and other brothel owners.[36] In 1978, the Chicken Ranch was burned to the ground, allegedly by arsonists. The twelve prostitutes and two employees barely survived. Plankinton reopened with a new set of trailers five days later. In 1982, Plankinton sold the Chicken Ranch for $1,000,000 to Kenneth Green, a San Francisco businessman, and Russel Reade, an ex-teacher. Reade, who had contributed $25,000 towards the purchase, became the manager. Around 15 women were working at the ranch at that time.[37] On February 8, 2006, the ranch accepted a purchase offer for $5.2 million.

Sheri's Ranch

Main article: Sheri's Ranch Unlike other brothels in the state, Sheri's Ranch styles itself as a resort, with upscale rooms and furnishings, sports bar, tennis courts, a spa and outdoor swimming pool. In January 2001, the business was purchased by Chuck Lee, a retired Chicago homicide detective of 20 years, former owner of an AT&T retail store, and car dealership owner from Las Vegas, Nevada.[38] Author Lora Shaner, a former madam of the brothel, wrote a 1998 book about her experiences, Madam: Chronicles of a Nevada Cathouse,[39] reissued and extended in 2001 as Madam: Inside a Nevada Brothel.

Storey County

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Mustang Ranch[40][41]

Main article: Mustang Ranch The original Mustang Ranch was forfeited to the federal government in 1999 following owner, Joe Conforte's convictions for tax fraud, racketeering and other crimes. In 2002, the brothel's furniture, paintings and accessories were auctioned off. The Bureau of Land Management sold the Ranch's pink stucco structures on eBay in 2003. Bordello owner Lance Gilman purchased the buildings for $145,100 and moved them to his Wild Horse Adult Resort & Spa five miles to the east, where the relocated and extensively renovated buildings eventually became the second brothel located at that complex. However, the rights to the name Mustang Ranch, which Gilman had hoped to use for this new brothel, were tied up in a court battle with David Burgess, the owner of the Old Bridge Ranch, nephew of Joe Conforte, and manager of the Mustang Ranch from 1979 until 1989. In December 2006, a federal judge ruled that Gilman was the "exclusive owner of the Mustang Ranch trademark" giving him the rights to use the name and branding.[42]

White Pine County

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Ely

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Ely City Council restricted brothels to one area on the outskirts in 1959. At one stage the brothels covered three blocks and employed over 400 women. The two remaining brothels are located in "Bronc Alley" red-light district in High Street.[43]

Stardust Ranch[44][45] – In 1999 the City Council voted 3–2 to shut down the Stardust but Mayor Robert Miller overturned this decision because of the economic benefits the brothel brought to the city.[43]
Big 4 Ranch[46][45] – One of the oldest brothels in Nevada, it was built in the late 1880s and opened as Rainey's dance hall. In 1939 it became a brothel, named the "Big 4" after the four men who co-owned it. The brothel closed in 1999 and was bought by the owners of the Stardust Ranch[43]

Defunct brothels

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Churchill County

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Fallon

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Lazy B Ranch – It opened in 1975,[2] and was reputed to allow minors as customers, even having a separate waiting room for them.[47] There was no main-connected power or water at the brothel. Power was supplied from a generator. A well was dug but the water was too salty to drink, so drinking water had to be shipped in and the women showered at the nearby Salt Wells Villa.[48] The brothel closed in 1999 and it was rumoured that it was bought by Momma Katt, the former madam at Sue's in Elko, but it never reopened.[47]
Salt Wells Villa – This brothel was a collection of trailers located at Salt Wells, 15 miles east of Fallon. It opened in 1975[2] and featured a fireplace, pool table and a dancing stage.[49] In 1977 it was firebombed. The local sheriff's wife, Mildred Banovich, was charged with arson and received a short jail sentence after pleading guilty. The brothel's owner, Reina Fuchigami (aka Gina Wilson), sold the business in the 1980s after being accused of employing underage prostitutes. The brothel changed hands several times until bought by James Kopulos in 1996.[2]

Many of Kopulos's customers were from the nearby Fallon Naval Air Station, who received a 10% discount,[49] and some paid by credit card. The cards were billed as "James Fine Dining". A 1998 report by the General Accounting Office censured the Navy for about 50 of its cardholders spending more than $13,000 at Salt Wells and other Nevada brothels using their travel cards.[2] Free showers and coffee were offered to truckers.[49] In January 2000, GQ magazine called Salt Wells Villa the best brothel in Nevada.[49] Prostitute Maggie Holmes accused the brothel of not withholding taxes from her money and failing to pay for her medical examinations in 2003. In response Kopulos claimed he did not understand the intricacies of local laws. Later in the year the brothel was closed for a short while after inspectors found rodent infestation and a lack of drinking water.[2] In financial trouble, and the county having voted to revoke his license, Kopulos surrendered his license and closed the brothel in May 2004.[50]