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course, putting course, horse racing track, greyhound race track, gardens & tropical aviary, guest bungalows, laundry, and workshop areas. The resort also had its own private radio station and airport facility. The highlight of the opulent casino was the Gold Room, where patrons could only bet using gold chips, with a rumored $ 500 minimum wager. One Los
Angeles Times reporter concluded in 1929 that "there isn't another place on the continent, outside of a U.S. Mint, where you can see so much money piled up before your eyes at one time. Its only rival in the world is Monte Carlo."
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231:(Faun Fountain). The original guest bungalows are still standing, on the east side of the former complex. The 18-hole golf course is now the Country Club of Tijuana. And a replica of the iconic bell tower (which once stood at the resort entrance) now stands at the beginning of Boulevard Agua Caliente, about two miles west of the old resort.
205:. RodrĂguez would later serve as President of Mexico (1932-1934). RodrĂguez owned the land upon which the resort was built. The Agua Caliente Company gave the contract for the construction of the resort to Fernando L. RodrĂguez, who was Governor RodrĂguez's brother and one of Baron H. Long's business associates. According to
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The first stage of the resort was completed in June 1928. It consisted of a 500-room hotel, casino, health spa with
Turkish steam bath, minaret tower, and café. The second stage was completed at the end of December 1929. It consisted of an Olympic-size swimming pool, health clinics, 18-hole golf
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celebrities flocked to Agua
Caliente, which was just 18 miles south of the San Diego International Airport. Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Louis B. Mayer, the Marx Brothers, Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, and the boxer Jack Dempsey were among the regular visitors. The
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and eventually fell into disrepair. Although most of the original buildings are gone, remnants remain. The blue-tiled minaret has been preserved, and sits on the west side of the grounds near the Plaza
Minarete shopping mall. The interior shell of the Spa Building was also preserved, and the
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was a resort that operated from 1928 to 1935. Although the casino and hotel were closed, the racetrack continued to operate for many years. The original grandstand structure was destroyed by fire in 1971, but was rebuilt and continues to operate today as the
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The entire Agua
Caliente resort cost approximately $ 10 million to build, which was a huge sum of money for that era. It was built by the Agua Caliente Company, which was formed by North American investors Baron H. Long,
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cited Agua
Caliente as his inspiration for building the Flamingo Club, on what would become the Las Vegas Strip. The great New Zealand bred Australian racehorse
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resort also attracted elites from around the world, including diplomats, royalty, sports stars, politicians, patricians, and nouveau-riche capitalists.
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were filmed on location there. And the resort also attracted gangsters. Al Capone was rumored to have been a regular visitor. And
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won the Agua
Caliente Handicap in 1932, earning the richest purse in the world at the time. The American thoroughbred champion
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389:"Satan's Playground: Mobsters and Movie Stars at America's Greatest Gaming Resort, By Paul J. Vanderwood (2009)"
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Olympic-size swimming pool in the courtyard was restored in the late 2000s. It's now called the
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author Paul
Vanderwood, RodrĂguez used taxpayer money to construct and outfit the enterprise.
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488:"Replica for an Agua Caliente's still-standing monument in Tijuana creates controversy"
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Satan’s
Playground: Mobsters and Movie Stars at America’s Greatest Gaming Resort
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outlawed gambling in 1935 and closed the resort. It became a state-run school,
298:"HOTEL AGUA CALIENTE, AGUA CALIENTE, OLD MEXICO—WAYNE D. MCALLISTER, DESIGNER"
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neighborhood. It was designed by the prominent North
American architect
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The vast and spectacular resort opened on June 22, 1928, outside the
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427:"Before Las Vegas, Tijuana was Southern California's Glitzy Escape"
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The Agua Caliente Story: Remembering Mexico's Legendary Racetrack
322:. Vol. 89, no. 10. October 1931. pp. 27, 30.
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was discovered there while performing in a show. The films
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Gambling and horse racing were illegal in neighboring
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and James N. Crofton. The fourth partner was General
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16:Hotel and casino and hotel in Tijuana, Mexico
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469:"The Tijuana Agua Caliente Hotel and Casino"
425:Reynolds, Christopher (September 16, 2007).
259:The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister
220:Escuela Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas
556:Buildings and structures in Baja California
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509:Photos of Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel
201:, who was acting Military Commander and
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227:. Near the pool are the remains of the
551:Tourist attractions in Baja California
320:Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine
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444:Taylor, Lawrence D. (June 1, 2002).
387:Godoy, Diego A. (October 17, 2018).
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23:, Rancho Mirage, California, U.S..
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152:. So, many wealthy Americans and
486:Curry, Maria E (May–June 2020).
473:San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles
450:The Journal of San Diego History
467:Chandler, Will (May 22, 2019).
446:"The Wild Frontier Moves South"
225:Alberca de Agua Caliente (PFLC)
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21:Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
492:Save Our Heritage Organisation
408:"The Glitter of Agua Caliente"
102:Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel
29:Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel
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571:1928 establishments in Mexico
302:Architectural Digest Magazine
412:Baja Bound Mexican Insurance
336:Vanderwood, Paul J. (2009).
109:and Casino, a branch of the
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185:won the same race in 1938.
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576:Hotels established in 1928
41:View of the Minaret, with
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370:"Rita Hayworth Biography"
340:. Duke University Press.
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240:Beltran, David Jimenez.
19:Not to be confused with
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546:Agua Caliente, Tijuana
431:The Los Angeles Times
199:Abelardo L. RodrĂguez
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561:Casinos in Tijuana
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61:1928-06-22
43:Las Torres
170:The Champ
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270:See also
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304:. 1929.
244:(2004)
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