Twin Lakes in Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Lorenzi Park
1926
Lorenzi Lake, the dream of pioneer David G. Lorenzi, opened as a private resort in 1926, became the Twin Lakes Lodge in the 1940s, and a public park in 1966.
Arriving in southern Nevada in 1911, Lorenzi began building his park on 80 acres of raw land two miles northwest of downtown Las Vegas in the early 1920s. The "park" was mostly a grassy area with a swimming hole until the commercial opening in 1926. Lorenzi built two lakes and two islands, one with a band shell and the other a clubhouse. Rowboats, a dance pavilion, swimming pools, horse-back riding and picnic tables were all available for the 10-cent admission fee. Las Vegans flocked to Lorenzi Lake to enjoy music, dancing, spectacular special celebrations and relief from the heat in "Nevada's largest sanitary swimming pool." Celebrities and politicians staged events here, where the powerful rubbed shoulders with ordinary people.
Californian Thomas Sharp bought the property in 1937 and improved its water supply but let the resort run down. He later leased it to Las Vegan Lloyd St. John who renamed it Twin Lakes Lodge, restored the park, and added a motel. Throughout the 1950s, the motel buildings served as part of a dude ranch, a temporary home for divorce seekers required by state law to live in Nevada for at least six weeks. The city acquired the Twin Lakes Lodge property in 1966, later combined the lakes, filled the swimming pool to create the Sammy Davis, Jr. Festival Plaza and donated the land for the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society. In 2005, some of the old motel buildings still exist at the northwest corner of the park.
Erected by the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Preserve America & the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. (Marker Number 2.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 36° 10.757′ N, 115° 11.263′ W. Marker is in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Clark County. It is in Twin Lakes. Marker is on Twin Lakes Drive, 0.1 miles south of West Washington Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Marker is just inside the entrance to the park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Las Vegas NV 89107, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Padre Francisco Garcés (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Twin Lakes Lodge (about 600 feet away); Las Vegas (The Meadows) (approx. 0.6 miles away); Las Vegas Springs (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Las Vegas Springs (approx. 0.7 miles away); Binion House (approx. one mile away); Kim Produce Farm (approx. 1.2 miles away); First Water Company (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Las Vegas.
Regarding Lorenzi Park. This is site #2 on the Pioneer Trail. Noted on marker: The Pioneer Trail celebrates the early history of Las Vegas, offering a glimpse of the people and places that made Las Vegas thrive.
The park is listed on the City of Las Vegas Historic Property Register.
The following text is from a missing 2005 Centennial Marker:
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Pioneer Trail - West Las Vegas
Also see . . . Lorenzi Park Page on www.LasVegasPioneerTrail.com. Come visit the Las Vegas Pioneer Trail for yourself. (Submitted on October 31, 2020, by Deuce Brandt of North Las Vegas, Nevada.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,670 times since then and 51 times this year. Last updated on December 28, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1. submitted on December 7, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 4, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.