A bit about this place

Rendez - Vous at the Moulin Rouge: (Meeting at the Moulin Rouge). Step inside, ladies and gentlemen, step inside! Enter the world of the Moulin Rouge and find yourself instantly transported to a time of playful decadence, whimsical fantasy and splendid extravagance. It’s a taste of Bohemian Paris with the homely comforts of one of Bloemfontein’s most innovative guest houses. So step inside. The show is about to begin A Lady with a past: Steeped in a rich and varied history, the Moulin Rouge was built in 1890 and designed by the celebrated architect, Herbert Baker. Right from the onset, this unique building was marked for a distinctive future and became Bloemfontein’s very first police station and prison. During the Second World War, the Moulin Rouge experienced the first of several radical transformations when it served as a hospital. It was in the 40’s and 50’s however, that the Moulin Rouge underwent its most fascinating transformation when it became a “gentlemen’s club”, managed and owned by the flamboyant Madame Rochelle! During this time it catered to the more sensual needs of the political elite of Bloemfontein. Even now, the building preserves certain interesting and rather unusual architectural and decorative features dating from this period. Now, redecorated and lovingly restored to its former glory, the Moulin Rouge offers you an experience of a bygone era, right in the heart of the Free State. Situated in Andries Pretorius Street at the foot of the historic Naval Hill Wildlife Reserve, the Moulin Rouge is within easy reach of all the major hospitals, shopping centres, schools, University and the Sand du Plessis theatre