Moonlite Bunny Ranch
Encyclopedia
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in Mound House, Nevada, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 6 miles (10 km) east of Carson City. The ranch
Ranch (brothel)
Ranch is a common name used to describe a brothel, especially in western areas of the United States.-Origin:This usage dates back to the original Chicken Ranch near the town of LaGrange, Texas, an old brothel that is no longer open which accepted chickens as payment during the Great Depression...
is owned and operated by Dennis Hof
Dennis Hof
Dennis Hof is an American pimp, entrepreneur, and restaurateur. He is best known as the former, owning two brothels in Nevada. His brothels are in Moundhouse, Nevada, a few minutes outside Carson City, less than an hour by car from Reno, Nevada...
. The Love Ranch
BunnyRanch Two
The Love Ranch is a legal, licensed brothel located about 7 miles east of Carson City, Nevada in the unincorporated town of Mound House, in Lyon County, at 95 Kit Kat Drive....
(previously known as the BunnyRanch Two), a separately licensed brothel, is located about a mile south of the Moonlite BunnyRanch, near two other brothels (the Kit Kat Guest Ranch
Kit Kat Guest Ranch
The Kit Kat Guest Ranch is a legal, licensed brothel located about 7 miles east of Carson City in the unincorporated town of Mound House, in Lyon County, at 51 Kit Kat Drive ....
and the Sagebrush Ranch
Sagebrush Ranch
The Sagebrush Ranch is a legal, licensed brothel located about 7 miles east of Carson City, Nevada in the unincorporated town of Mound House, in Lyon County, at 50 Kit Kat Drive....
).
History
The brothel, now known as the Moonlite BunnyRanch, first opened in 1955 as the Moonlight Ranch. There is a historical marker on the premises, found just inside of the property's original main gate, as the ranch is located near a stop on the original Pony ExpressPony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
. It operated discreetly until 1970, when Nevada began regulation of houses of prostitution. Dennis Hof, a frequent customer, purchased the business in 1993 for $700,000 and invested another $500,000 in upgrading the facilities and decor.
Dennis Hof subsequently purchased another nearby brothel, then known as Madame Kitty's Fantasy Ranch, located about one mile (1.6 km) away. To better capitalize on the BunnyRanch brand name, he rechristened it BunnyRanch Two in 2004. Hof has since renamed this establishment. As of June 2008 it became known as The Love Ranch.
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, former professional wrestler and Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
, wrote in his 1999 autobiography I Ain't Got Time to Bleed that he visited the Bunny Ranch in the 1970s, had sex there, and received $10 in return for his Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
belt.
On April 23, 2001, an article about Dennis Hof and the BunnyRanch appeared in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
In July 2003, Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
singer Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
was charged with battery after a prostitute at the ranch alleged that he grabbed her around the throat and threw her against a wall.
In February 2009, a new main entrance to the Moonlite BunnyRanch with direct access to U.S. 50 opened to traffic. Constructed by the Nevada Department of Transportation
Nevada Department of Transportation
The Nevada Department of Transportation is a government agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. NDOT is responsible for maintaining and improving Nevada's highway system, which includes U.S. highways and Interstate highways within the state's boundaries. The department is notable for its...
as a business access road, the new street was officially named BunnyRanch Boulevard by Lyon County
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
.
In early 2009, due to the recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
, State Sen. Bob Coffin
Bob Coffin
Bob Coffin is a Las Vegas city councilman, representing the city's east side in Ward 3. He was previously a Democratic member of the Nevada Senate, representing Clark County District 10 from 1987-2011. Previously he was a member of the Nevada Assembly from 1983 through 1985. Mr...
(D) had proposed legalizing prostitution statewide for tax purposes. Hof was prominently featured in a number of media reports saying he would expand into Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
given the opportunity.
However, the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
lawmakers had refused to consider the proposal of statewide legal prostitution during that legislative session.
Conversely, Nevada Senator Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
has considered closing and illegalizing prostitution in Nevada, citing claims that businesses are hesitant to relocate there or open there due to it.
In the media
The Moonlite Bunny Ranch was featured on HBO's America UndercoverAmerica Undercover
America Undercover is a television series of documentaries that airs on the cable television network HBO. Within the series are several sub-series, such as "Autopsy", "Real Sex" and "Taxicab Confessions". The series began in 1983 and, after a brief time being broadcast weekly in 2001, is now...
show specials, Cathouse (2002) and Cathouse 2: Back in the Saddle (2003). This led to the series Cathouse: The Series
Cathouse: The Series
Cathouse: The Series is an HBO television series that documents the professional lives of the workers at the Moonlite BunnyRanch, a legal brothel in Nevada....
, airing in two seasons in 2005 and 2007. The ranch was also featured as a supposedly "haunted house" in an episode of Proof Positive
Proof Positive
Proof Positive was a reality television paranormal investigation show broadcast by the SciFi Channel beginning in October 6, 2004 through December 8, 2004. It was shown as part of the "SciFi Wednesday" evening schedule line up in the United States along with other reality television programs as...
and is frequently mentioned on the Howard Stern Show
Howard Stern Show
The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005...
, usually to announce that another porn star has started to work there.
In 2008, Moonlite BunnyRanch prostitute Brooke Taylor was featured in the web series "Who's Sleeping with Your Husband", speaking candidly about the reasons she believes men visit brothels and revealing the most popular menu items.
Publicity stunts
In June 2008, during the Late-2000s financial crisisLate-2000s financial crisis
The late-2000s financial crisis is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s...
, it was promoted that the first 100 clients to bring their U.S. Federal Stimulus Check to the BunnyRanch, in order to cash, would receive double the amount of the check on their Ranch Pleasure Party. “You get a check from Mr. Bush & spend it on BunnyRanch Bush!” Dennis Hof, owner. A Thank You Card when signed by 100 clients (and the Bunnies) would then be sent to President George Bush at The White House.
In September 2008, a 22-year-old woman calling herself Natalie Dylan announced on The Howard Stern Show that she would auction off her virginity on the BunnyRanch website, and that the act would be consummated at the ranch. While Dylan's sister had worked at the Bunny Ranch two years prior, Dylan insisted her sibling had nothing to do with her decision, saying "My sister definitely didn't pressure me into doing this". A recent women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
graduate from Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
, Dylan planned to use the money to finance graduate school and said "I feel empowered because I am being pro-choice with my body." She retained the right to reject the winner of the auction and pick another bidder, claiming that several bids had exceeded $1 million. Dennis Hof was to receive half of the winning bid. A news report in May 2010 suggested that the episode may have been a hoax, although Hof insisted it was not. It also appears that the transaction was never consummated, as Hof stated: "It didn't work out, but she still made $250,000 out of the deal."