Grayson built El Cortez, downtown Las Vegas' first major resort, for $245,000. On February 22, 2013, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Primarily Spanish Colonial Revival in style, it reflects a 1952 remodel when the façade was modernized. It opened on Fremont Street on November 7, 1941, and is one of the oldest casino-hotel properties in Las Vegas, along with the nearby Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. Slots, table games, and a race and sports book occupy one floor of the main pavilion, at this historic casino.
