El Cortez 'Lady in Red' and downtown hauntings

El Cortez Hotel & Casino, which opened in 1941 and is one of Las Vegas's oldest operating casinos, is the subject of local ghost stories including a recurring 'Lady in Red' legend and reports of unexplained noises in older guest rooms. The tales have been covered in regional newspapers and travel/ghost-tour write-ups that collect anecdotes from guests and staff. These reports are part of the hotel's folklore and are not established as verifiable paranormal evidence, and they are treated as debated by historians and investigators. El Cortez's age and continuous operation have helped sustain these urban legends.