The Moulin Rouge was a glitzy nightclub that opened in 1889. There was a dance hall and an art
gallery inside, and outdoors a garden with slideshows, a giant papier-mâché elephant, a shooting
gallery, a fortune teller, and a troupe of tame monkeys! A huge circus painting by Lautrec hung in the
entrance hall. Outside, red lights decorated a windmill, creating the effect of flames when the arms
turned. The carnival atmosphere of the Moulin Rouge attracted people from all walks of life, making it
one of the most fashionable places to go in all of Paris.