Harold's Club In Reno, Nevada

The giant, $60,000 mural that once hung over Harold’s Club’s South Virginia Street entrance in Reno now stands in front of the Reno-Sparks Livestock Center as an homage to this pioneering Nevada casino. The 70-foot-long, 35-foot-tall painting is vibrant in its depiction of the Wild West and is three times the square footage of a standard billboard. It’s a fitting reminder of how great an impact Harold’s Club had on Nevada and gaming.

“It was a wonderful place to be a part of,” says Neal Cobb, a Harold’s Club historian and former employee (craps dealer). “[The Smiths] took care of us and the community.”

In 1935, brothers Harold Sr. and Raymond A. Smith parlayed a $500 investment and their carnival work experience into the operation. Along with their father—Raymond I. Smith, or “Pappy,” who joined them as the general manager—they started the club with one game and two slot machines in 3,750 square feet of space. In the 1950s and 60s, Harold’s Club grew to 1,525 slots and 61 table games, making it the Nevada casino with the most gaming offerings at that time. In later years, it also housed a restaurant, several bars, headliner entertainment (Petula Clark, Louis Armstrong, Brenda Lee, and many others), and spanned seven floors... read more >