Several years after closing down, the Kingdom Gentleman’s Club, with its bevy of young women swaying to the beat of suggestive tunes, is now part of the town’s history.
The new owner of the property, at the corner of Homestead Road and South Highway 160, hosted an official grand opening on Sunday, Dec. 10, featuring a new bevy of women dancing to a different beat.
Those women belong to the Nevada Silver Tappers Dance Troupe, who perform at numerous events throughout the year.
They were invited by the new owner of the property, Dr. Peter Shield to help kick off the grand opening of what is now known as the Magic Kingdom, described as an Egyptian antique-style business mall, with a community center capable of hosting weddings and other events.
“We are now up and running, but we still have a lot to do to meet our requirements,” Shield said. “We will be working very hard to bring this property up to the standards that the Pahrump Planning Commission requires. We have also been waiting for three months while trying to get IRS approval, which came just a few days ago.”
Vision continues to grow
Shield noted that though his new business venture is in its infancy, his vision for the property is continuing to grow.
At present, he has at least 11 vendors on site with a vast assortment of products and services.
“Four of our vendors came from Las Vegas where our original Vegas operation was located,” he said. “We closed the Vegas operation to move here. I just really love this location. I couldn’t ask for a better location here in Pahrump.”
Shield’s sheer enthusiasm for the location and the fact that it’s mid-December, prompted him to invite a special guest to join in on the 10 a.m. grand opening ceremony.
“Santa Claus arrived by helicopter thanks to Mr. John Morris from the Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch,” he said. “He was kind enough to fly all the way to the North Pole to pick Santa up, and drop him off here. Santa will also be here every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., and starting on December 20, he will be here every day from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. for the children to visit with up through Christmas.”
Being there
Along with the arrival of St. Nick on Sunday, Shield showered plenty of praise upon members of the Nevada Silver Tappers, who performed on the main stage, albeit, minus the pole-dancing poles used by the previous performers several years ago.
“The Nevada Silver Tappers did a brilliant show and they were really wonderful,” Shield said. “We had free refreshments for our visitors, as well as free gifts and photos of Santa for all of the children.”
Shield also said he’s interested in expanding what the Magic Kingdom provides within the community, in terms of culture.
“Right now I am looking to find a local art teacher,” he said. “We would like somebody to teach painting here and eventually I would like to have an art school here if there is a local artist who feels competent enough to do that. They can just ring me, if they would be so kind, at 702-409-2639, or pop in anytime, and I would be delighted to show them around and chat with them.”
Additionally, Shield plans to host numerous events throughout the year, including a weekly charity auction, with a start date still pending.
“Between now and December 18 of this year, I will be presenting my Smithsonian lecture on alien intervention on archaeological sites,” he said. “I will also be lecturing about flying saucers and space-age travel.”
Also on site is a silver and goldsmith, Shield said.
“He is Sam Edwards, who has his workshop ‘Exolette’ here,” he said. “He also manufactures jewelry and as a silver and goldsmith, he is here for anybody who is interested or has questions.”
The Magic Kingdom is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day with the exception of Monday.
“There were many locations throughout Nevada I could have chosen to open up my shop,” Shield said. “I chose Pahrump because it has a castle. What more could one ask for?”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes