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Oasis Bordello Museum, Wallace, ID


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Wallace was well known for its bordellos and Red Light District in the 1900's. This 2-story building with a basement, one of the only buildings in Wallace to survive the 1910 fire, opened in 1895 as a saloon and a hotel,but it operated as a bordello until 1988. It had 10 rooms upstairs, and the girls worked 12 hr shifts 2 weeks straight. The head of the operation was Madam Ginger. She was a philanthropist, and well liked. After the prostitution was outlawed in 1973, Madam Ginger took the signs down, and made donations to the police department, so that they would look the other way, and she could continue her business as usual. In 1988 Madam GInger got a tip, that the Feds were coming, so the girls took what they could, and left in a hurry leaving everything else behind. Madam Ginger was not able to continue her business, so she sold the building in 1993 to the Mayfields. They decided to keep the place as it was, and make it into a museum. On the main floor you will find a gift shop, and several murals by Robert Thomas. I do recommend taking the tour, that will take you upstairs where the action was. You will hear some funny stories and see how the place was run. There is also a basement with some displays. Those of you who are sensitive, may find the basement overwhelming, as lots happened in this building back in the day. During our upstairs tour, our voice recorder picked up 2 male voices. Not being any of us, maybe some of the old customers are still looking for some good times.


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