Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge opened its doors on October 6, 1889, at the foot of the Montmartre hill. Its founders, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, designed the venue to bring wealthy Parisians into the Montmartre district for a night of what they called slumming. To make the attraction even more bizarre and enticing, the garden once featured a massive plaster elephant salvaged from the World Exhibition. Inside that elephant was a tiny, private club where guests could pay a single franc to watch belly dancing performances.