Marble Room

Towards the end of the 19th Century, The Gaslamp Quarter was the red light district in San Diego. There were no less than 75 brothels operating between Market St. and what is now the San Diego Convention Center. These were booming businesses catering to sailors, merchants, and visitors.

As is common in city development, along with the influx of business and people there grew a thriving Red Light district. Although prostitution was technically outlawed, the ordinances were rarely enforced. Not only were brothels a somewhat established part of western society at the time, but some of their most loyal customers were the very men in charge of enforcing the ordinances – the police, the mayor, and the city councilmen!

The Golden Poppy Saloon and Hotel, run by Madame Cora, was located at the site of our current Marble Room. Madame Cora was known for having the prettiest girls and her brothel was one of the most popular. The hotel consisted of a noisy saloon downstairs and 20 rooms upstairs. Each room (and girl) was color coded to match the color of a marble that customers would receive upon payment.

During the obligatory police raids, Cora would explain that her customers were just buying marbles and not sex. This flimsy justification (and a few well placed bribes) allowed her to continue to operate while others were being shut down.

Eventually all the Gaslamp brothels were shut down or sent underground. The new Marble Room captures the feel and excitement of a part of San Diego’s colorful past. Occasionally, Madame Cora herself makes an appearance to check on her girls and hand out marbles to some of our lucky guests.