The Underground Mansion’s stunning features include a pool, artificial trees, and hand-painted murals that depict lifelike scenery

Subterranean Splendor

The Underground Mansion Is a Historic Hidden Gem

BY STACEY GUALANDI / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KANDID LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

As a frequent visitor to Las Vegas for decades and a resident for 11 years, I’m proud of my vast knowledge of all things vintage Vegas.

So, imagine my surprise when I learned only recently that a 50-year-old nuclear fallout shelter—better known as the Underground Mansion—is just three miles from the Strip!

Lo and behold, hidden directly below an unassuming two-story home is truly a sunken treasure.

“They’ve left the 1980s property [above] as is to hide the secret of the gem underneath,” says Frankie Lewis, the director of events and business development, also known as the historical caretaker. “The Underground Mansion is one of the most unique places on Earth.”

It’s not open for tours, but Lewis says very few people have been allowed to enter the space.

“It’s ultra-exclusive and secretive, and that brings its own allure to many.”

A few of those in on the secret include hometown heroes Imagine Dragons (who shot their “Monday” music video here), the cast of “Jersey Shore,” Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, Atlas Obscura, and international photographers from around the globe. (I mean, where else can you find a better bunker as a backdrop?)

But for the less famous who are fortunate enough—including yours truly—to follow a “Fallout Shelter” sign deep down a stairwell (or an optional elevator), it feels like you’re literally taking a step back in time.

More than two dozen feet below the surface is a luxurious 16,000-square-foot Cold War-era compound with a three-bedroom, four-bath mansion, a casita, a fireplace, and a wet bar, all surrounded by an artificially landscaped front and back yard. The amenities include a barbecue grill, a disco dance floor, a four-hole putting green, a pool, a hot tub, and even a cave.

Oh, and did I mention the retro Barbie-pink kitchen?

“I love taking photos of guests in the pink kitchen,” says Lewis. “All but one of the life-size faux trees conceal 12-inch-by-12-inch structural steel beams, and it’s pretty special to have an underground pool where we can host a pool party any time of year.”

Throughout the sprawling space, there’s also a billiard room and a blackjack table, approximately 1,000 fluorescent bulbs (in four colors) that allow for day and night simulation, including sunrise and sunset; black lights that illuminate glow-in-the-dark mural features; and twinkling lights on the 12-foot-high ceilings—just in case you forgot you’re in Las Vegas.

“It gives you the feeling of being outside,” says Lewis. “People have told me, ‘Oh, I can’t go down there. I’m claustrophobic.’ Well, you’d probably be more claustrophobic in your own home than here!”

For a bomb shelter, it sure is fully equipped to host an epic blowout.

While the Historic Tour program is on hold until the county finishes its zoning process, Lewis says the Underground Mansion is a picture-perfect event venue.

“Events range from small private parties to large corporate events for up to 200 guests,” says Lewis. “We have live bands, DJs, showgirls, mermaids, high-end chefs and caterers, full bar services, and many other options.”

The mansion also hosts music videos, movie productions, influencers, and TV shows.

So, what exactly is a nuclear shelter like this doing in a no-nonsense neighborhood?

Lewis says Girard “Jerry” Henderson, a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Avon Products director, built the below-ground bunker to be the last private residence for him and his wife, Mary.

During the 1960s, Henderson became fascinated with the groundbreaking concept of bunker homes and the architect Jay Swayze, who designed the first safe, private, and viable “Atomitat” (a combination of “atomic” and “habitat”) in Texas.

Henderson contracted his first Swayze-designed underground home at his ranch in Colorado in 1961.

“Then Jerry funded the construction of the Underground World Home exhibit at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair,” says Lewis. (The original brochures from the World’s Fair are on display in the Underground Mansion, alongside other historic memorabilia).

It wasn’t until 1974 that he broke (under) ground off Flamingo Road, a project that eventually took four years to complete.

“There were only five Atomitats ever built,” says Lewis. “Henderson funded three of the five homes, and this is the last accessible one.”

One of the most fascinating features of the Las Vegas location is the well-preserved wall murals painted meticulously by Texas artist Jewel Smith.

The murals represent just five of Henderson’s numerous properties around the world: upstate New York, New Zealand, Mulholland Drive/Hollywood Hills, the Swiss Alps, and the Colorado Rockies.

Another item of note—sadly no longer on display—was the spectacular necklace from the film “Cleopatra,” framed with a letter from Elizabeth Taylor to Mary Henderson, the actress’s former hairdresser.

Lewis isn’t a caretaker by trade. In fact, she owned a software company that educated medical professionals on medical devices. But seven years ago, she got a random chance to go 26 feet underground.

“I went into the underground and have been helping there ever since.”

During that time, Lewis says she studied Henderson’s family history, mission, and the Alexander Dawson Foundation, which Henderson created in 1957 to give students access to the highest-quality education in the United States.

“My heart is preserving Jerry’s legacy and this special historic property. It has so much potential for educational and historical value,” says Lewis. “So, as long as I can have people continue to support it in a positive way and respect the property, then I feel like my mission is well underway.”

Over the past decade, the mansion was listed multiple times for $5.9 million to $18 million but was taken off the market in February 2024.

Lewis now hopes the 50-year-old Underground Mansion will someday receive historic status with help from the Nevada Preservation Foundation (NPF).

For the second year in a row, this May, the NPF will offer a rare opportunity to take a guided tour of the mansion on the Underground Celebrity Icons of Las Vegas Bus Tour during the Heritage Tourism Festival Home + History Las Vegas event.
“This particular project is fundraising for them, but it’s also exposure for us,” says Lewis. “It’s helping us also shed light on the history of the property with people who care about the history of Las Vegas.”

Later this year, the Underground Mansion will be included in the new travel guide “111 Places in Las Vegas You Must Not Miss” by Mackenzie Jervis, with photography by Kaitlyn Kelsey.

To further celebrate the mansion’s 50th milestone this year, Lewis says they’re expanding their community services.

“We support school field trips, fundraising events for local charities, and tours for families of terminally ill kids,” says Lewis. “After every event, any leftover food is quickly repackaged, labeled, and donated to local homeless shelters for teens.”

Thanks to Lewis, this landmark’s legacy lives on.

But ultimately, if she has her way, this submerged sanctuary is one secret that won’t remain underground.

“I dream that a group or persons who care about Vegas history will continue to preserve it,” says Lewis.

“Then, I want to pass the baton to someone younger who would carry on that legacy so that when I move on, I’ll know it’s still being protected.”

For inquiries about hosting a private event at the Underground Mansion, email frankievegasunderground@gmail.com or call 702-706-6962.

Marty Morawski and Stacey Gualandi at the Underground Mansion