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November 22, 2022

Why Did Howard Hughes Move to Vegas on Thanksgiving Night?

City Cast Las Vegas

Why Did Howard Hughes Move to Vegas on Thanksgiving Night?

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On Thanksgiving in 1966, Howard Hughes arrived in Las Vegas in the dead of night on a secret train from Boston. The billionaire businessman, aviator, and movie producer was highly eccentric and at this point in his life had little to no communication with the outside world. As he secluded himself on the 9th floor of the Desert Inn hotel, he began to reshape the future of Las Vegas by buying up casinos and land. But what attracted him to Las Vegas in the first place? Co-host Vogue Robinson sits down with Geoff Schumacher, author of Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia, and Palace Intrigue, to discuss the impact Hughes had on our city, and what his reclusive life in Las Vegas looked like.


Don't miss Geoff's talk at the Clark County Library on Thursday, December 1st at 7 p.m. He'll explain the mysterious "Mormon Will" that supposedly gave a massive share of Hughes' fortune to a complete stranger — and you'll hear Geoff's take on whether the will was real or not.


Where do you see Howard Hughes’ footprint around the city? Let us know on Twitter @CityCastVegas or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719.


Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

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