Featured image credit: Ken Lund
You need to sparkle pretty darn brightly to be the shiniest of mansions in Las Vegas. But most Vegas natives would agree that Casa de Shenandoah fits the bill. In fact, it’s arguably the most well-known home in the Vegas area. Yes, even more recognized than other Las Vegas Home Spotlight stars like the former Lonnie Hammargren house and the Underground House. Leave it to Las Vegas royalty to wrangle the crown jewel of Las Vegas mansions. The sprawling luxury ranch was famously created and owned by the Midnight Idol himself: Mr. Wayne Newton. For the superstar, and anyone else who witnessed its glory, Casa de Shenandoah was more than a home. These days, its gates are closed to even Newton himself.
Update – July 2024:
Wayne Newton’s former casa has hit the market again, listed by Smoketree Group LLC for a cool $31.3 million. But as he prepares for his residency at the Flamingo, Newton himself has little to say about the matter. Via his wife, Kathleen, the legendary crooner declined to comment.
Finding Paradise in Nevada
Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah was always a work in progress; a personal masterpiece running parallel to his legendary body of work. When the zenith of Las Vegas mansions was finally completed, it stretched across nearly 40 acres of land in the appropriately named town of Paradise, Nevada.
Over Newton’s several decade residency at Casa de Shenandoah, he hosted presidents, staged his own wedding, and even briefly opened the grounds as a public attraction. Whether entertaining guests or simply amusing Newton and his family, Casa de Shenandoah in its prime offered:
- A 57,056-sqft main structure
- Seven additional structures
- Car museum (with over 100 vehicles)
- Stables for breeding Arabian horses
- Horse hospital
- Private airport terminal
- Zoo
- Green room
- Game room
- Artesian wells and lakes
Casa de Shenandoah Isn’t Like Other Las Vegas Mansions
With Newton expressing so much interest in horses, a ranch-style estate only made sense. By the early 1970s, Casa de Shenandoah boasted a stable devoted to breeding rare and expensive Arabian steeds, an equine hospital, a riding corral, and additional stables. At one point, the horses even had their own dedicated swimming pool.
Newton’s love for the animal kingdom extended beyond horses, as alluded to in his 1965 appearance on The Lucy Show as a Southern singer with a penchant for crooning to critters. Eventually, that love developed into a private zoo on the Casa de Shenandoah property.
Many of the animals were even allowed free reign of the grounds, including wallabies, deer, African penguins, and swans. Kaleidoscopic peacocks gathering at the lakes painted a common picture on the property.
Amidst all of this, Newton, his wife, and his daughter lived alongside his parents and even, at times, other relatives. In its prime, around 70 servants also populated the property. Consider it “Downton Abbey goes Vegas”!
Traveling Without Moving
With an entertainer as successful as Newton, compromise was rarely on the menu. It’s perhaps one of the only (if not the only) Las Vegas mansions to have its own airport terminal, indicating Newton’s love for travel. After all, Newton needed a place to dock his private Learjet. A heliport was eventually added to the grounds as well.
But Newton also held a burning passion for collecting luxury cars. At one time, Casa de Shenandoah hosted 13 exceedingly rare automobiles. These were stored in an array of garages across the property. Perhaps the ultimate prize in his collection was a 1929 Duesenberg once owned by his former patron Howard Hughes.
The Mansion to End All Las Vegas Mansions
While exotic animals and car collections are impressive, the main show of lavishness at Casa de Shenandoah is undoubtedly the primary residence, completed in 1979. Unlike most Las Vegas mansions, Newton adopted a decidedly Southern influence when designing the manor. The resemblance was so striking to the Tara plantation featured in Gone With the Wind that the crooner had to publicly denounce any intentional similarity.
Decoration of the 57,056-sqft seven-bedroom seven-bathroom structure was predominantly handled by Newton’s wife at the time, Elaine Okamura. The only exception was Newton’s private office which eventually became known as the Red Room for its generous use of wine-colored velvet on the walls. He adorned these crimson spaces with his numerous awards, plaques, and honors. It was from this room that Newton fielded his numerous interviews with the hungry media over the decades.
When all was said and done, Newton’s mansion alone cost $4 million. Not exactly a modest amount for the late ‘70s.
Mi Casa Es Su Casa
Life on the ranch was good for several decades. Then, in 2010, Newton shared a somewhat ambitious idea he’d been mulling over. He wanted to share the majesty of Casa de Shenandoah with the public as a local attraction.
Guided tours would introduce guests to Newton’s menagerie of animals, his collection of cars, and even a tour of his assembled (but inoperable) Fokker jet. Visitors could walk through Las Vegas history in a museum designed to look like an extended version of Newton’s own Red Room. The museum would honor Vegas luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. in addition to Newton himself.
Guests could feed their eyes, ears, hearts (and mouths) at a 600-seat dinner theater designed in homage to the Copa Room at the Sands. The Copa was particularly meaningful to Newton in his rise to Las Vegas royalty. Naturally, he’d be the regular headliner. The former site of Napa Valley Pottery and Floral was already eyed as the location for both the museum and theater.
Snake Eyes for Shenandoah
But, as is Las Vegas tradition, you lose more often than you win. The mere mention of Casa de Shenandoah as a tourist attraction riled Newton’s neighbors who critically referred to the venture as “Graceland West.” Having been mentored by Elvis Presley, Newton took particular offense to the jab, proclaiming “Elvis was a dear friend, but to use Graceland as a way to promote what we’re doing would not be right.” Evidencing his deep love for his home, he continued, “It’s Shenandoah, and it will always be Shenandoah.”
Yet, with a public outcry over potential traffic snarls, Casa de Shenandoah’s life as an attraction was already embattled. Still, county officials rubber stamped their approval. Yet, in 2012, Newton ran into further snags when his business partner, CSD LLC, sued him, accusing Newton and his family of interference in the project. Rumor has it that the Newtons didn’t want to vacate the Casa de Shenandoah premises during development of the attraction.
In spite of the numerous hurdles, Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah opened its gates to the public on September 18, 2015. Unfortunately for Wayniacs and Vegas votaries alike, the revelries would be short lived. The most decadent of Las Vegas mansions closed for renovations on April 24, 2018. Despite Newton’s promises for a reopening in the near future, Newton withdrew his attraction permits for Casa de Shenandoah just three months later.
The Timeline of Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah
With Casa de Shenandoah seemingly in constant motion, perhaps a timeline provides the best illustration of the king of Las Vegas mansions.
1960s
- 1966 – Wayne Newton purchases five vacant acres in Paradise, Nevada.
- 1967 – Now officially named Casa de Shenandoah, residences have been added to the property as well as horse stables and a riding corral.
- 1968 – Newton marries Elaine Okamura. She immediately joins her husband, along with his parents, brother, and sister-in-law, in living on the Casa de Shenandoah grounds.
1970s
- 1970 – By this point, Newton has established his stable for breeding rare Arabian horses on the property.
- 1973 – Three additional residences and a horse hospital have been constructed.
- 1976 – While designing a lavish mansion, Newton and his wife reside in a six bedroom ranch home on the grounds. Newton’s parents live in a neighboring home, also on the property.
- 1978 – Work is completed on Newton’s southern-influenced, 57,056-sqft, seven bedroom mansion. This will be his primary residence for the rest of his years at Casa de Shenandoah.
- 1979 – A far cry from the initial five acres of vacant land Newton purchased, Casa de Shenandoah now hosts Newton, his family (including his parents), and around 70 servants.
1990s
- 1994 – Following Newton’s divorce from Elaine Okamura, he met current wife Kathleen McCrone. It was in this year that they wed in a lavish ceremony on the Casa de Shenandoah grounds.
2000s
- 2000 – A raging brush fire at neighboring Sunset Park sweeps over Casa de Shenandoah’s ten-foot wall, causing damage to an acre of land.
2010s
- 2010 – Newton publicly shares his intentions to develop his property into an attraction open to the public.
- 2013 – After legal strife, Newton lists the property for sale, but removes it from the market shortly afterward.
- 2014 – Newton once again lists Casa de Shenandoah for sale.
- 2015 – After legal headaches, Casa de Shenandoah opens its doors as a public attraction on September 18.
2018 – The attraction closes for renovation on April 24. Despite publicly stating intentions to reopen, Newton and McCrone withdraw their permits in July. - 2019 – Smoketree, LLC purchases Casa de Shenandoah.
2020s
- 2020 – The property once again is listed for sale on the market.
- 2023 – While Casa de Shenandoah is no longer on the market, it was listed for sale in February for $28.5 million.
- 2024 – Casa de Shenandoah once again hits the market, this time listed by Smoketree Group LLC for $31.3 million.
“It’s Shenandoah, And It Will Always Be Shenandoah”
It’s worth noting that, in Newton’s wake, Casa de Shenandoah has hit the market several times. Most recently, it was listed in February at over $28 million. There’s no word on whether the iconic “N” for Newton remains emblazoned on the entryway floor or on the primary swimming pool tile. But signature or not, Newton’s mark will always remain prominently on Casa de Shenandoah, easily one of the most decadent Las Vegas mansions.
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Does Smoketree, LLC plan to level Casa De Shenandoah and turn it in to apartments or a strip mall?
Someone need to petition the state to turn it into a historical site to preserve the house that Wayne built and for all that he does and has done for Vegas.
Wayne Newton was and still is there for LasVegas. In the worst of times and the best of times he was there to support and cheer his city. “Mr Las Vegas”, “The Mid Night Idol” sang and danced his heart out bringing crowds to a city labeled “Sin City.” Wayne Newton brought class and sophistication along with Frank and the “Rat Pack” carving a path for the most talented and loved artists to thrive… Even the King, Elvis Presley, performed for the Las Vegas crowds.
Wayne paved the way! And, a tiny tainted tinsel town grew to great heights. They would come and they would go but only Wayne Newton remained true and steadfast and called Las Vegas and her residents his home and his neighbors.
Many decades have past since that dynamic kid and his brother came to town; and, if fortunate, we all will retire to enjoy our senior years. But Wayne Newton continues to entertain and promote his Chosen City as the #1 vacation spot for all. His contributions have been endless. Everyone from presidents to common folks want to see and meet Wayne Newton when visiting Las Vegas and he never disappoints!
Time for Las Vegas to step up and save Wayne’s beloved Casa!
Time for Las Vegas to give back!
It is an investment for
the future….long after
Wayne has left the building.
Hilarious. Let the bulldozers roll. Only in some cultural backwater nightmare like Vegas could something like Wayne Newton–Wayne Newton!–become so popular.
Time to mow that garbage down. Tried to make it Graceland and that was a mistake. Looks like a good spot for a Sam’s Club or Home Depot. I think he spent most of his money trying to look like an alien with all of that plastic surgery. Ridiculous.