PLOT LUCKHistoric Harrison Guest House
A surviving Westside boarding house that accommodated Black travelers and entertainers when Strip hotels excluded them.
- Era
- 1942 through the segregation era
- Public location
- 1001 F St., Las Vegas
- In Plot Luck
- Physical Las Vegas discovery; trusted live Real GPS gate.
Is it worth visiting?
- Access / admission
- Historic property; do not assume it is open for drop-in tours.
- Suggested time
- No drop-in visit recommended without an arranged public event.
What to expect
The important story is the place the guest house held in segregation-era Las Vegas, when entertainers and travelers faced unequal accommodations. The significance survives even if the building is not operating as a general-admission museum.
Before you go
Consult the historic organization for announced public programming. Respect the building, nearby homes and all posted access restrictions; never treat a map pin as permission to enter.
Check official visitor information and updates ↗
PlotLuck editorial visit rating (not a Google review score). Conditions, access and fees may change. Information checked October 17, 2026; verify with the venue before traveling.
The story
The Harrison Guest House tells a Las Vegas story that the Strip’s glamorous image can easily hide. Genevieve Harrison began renting rooms in the Westside in 1942, during an era when Black visitors and performers could work in Las Vegas entertainment venues while still being denied accommodation in many of the same hotels and casinos.
The National Park Service identifies Harrison’s Guest House as an African American boarding house tied to Black heritage and entertainment history in Las Vegas. Harrison’s own organization describes guests that included entertainers such as Nat King Cole, Pearl Bailey and Sammy Davis Jr. The house also appeared in the Negro Motorist Green Book, the travel guide that helped Black motorists identify businesses where they could safely obtain lodging and services during segregation.
That history makes the building important beyond celebrity names. Boarding houses provided essential infrastructure for people navigating a city whose entertainment economy depended on Black talent while its accommodations remained segregated. The National Register documentation describes Harrison’s Guest House as the only known surviving example of an African American boarding house of this type in Las Vegas from that era.
The building is now preserved as a cultural and educational site. Plot Luck places it beside the Moulin Rouge in the public story collection because the two locations reveal different pieces of the same history: one shows how Black visitors and performers found lodging under segregation; the other shows a direct attempt to build an integrated resort.
Why it belongs in Plot Luck
This is not a side note to casino history. It explains the people and infrastructure behind the entertainment economy and preserves a story that can otherwise disappear behind resort mythology.
Plot Luck’s public history pages are separate from the reward authority. Reading this page does not claim a reward. The live game decides physical-visit eligibility from its existing trusted location rules.
Sources & further reading
Plot Luck summarizes these sources in its own words. External sites control their own current hours, access rules, pricing and content.