Visit Arlington / The Official Visitors Guide
Moonshine & Poker: Arlington’s History as Vegas Before Vegas TOURING TOP ‘O HILL TERRACE! By April Luter, Decima Mullen, & Casey Mallory
Flanked by two stone walls, a guard house, and heavy iron gates, the entrance to Top ‘O Hill Terrace looks like something out of a 1920s mystery novel.
The expansive views of the surrounding area make it easy to understand the meaning behind the name, Top ‘O Hill Terrace. If these aged walls could talk, they would whisper all the secret passwords that armed guards would demand from the notorious gamblers, gangsters, and entertainers who poured through this entrance. Now a Baptist University, it’s no wonder the place is listed as one of the Top 4 Attractions in Arlington on Trip Advisor, in the same breath as more wellknown attractions like AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, and Six Flags Over Texas. Curator and historian Vickie Bryant has spent the last 20 years collecting memorabilia, photographs, and stories to
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pull Top ‘O Hill visitors back in time to the days of moonshine and poker, or as she likes to say, from “Poker to Preachers.” The rich history began with a simple tearoom and evolved into illegal gambling, moonshine, brothels, and murder. The elite found themselves here rubbing shoulders with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, and John Wayne. Rumor has it that Bonnie & Clyde hid here on their crime spree and photos prove that Sally Rand performed here to the guests in the tea garden. In this age of prohibition, Top O’ Hill offered liquor brought in by bootleggers, and a basement was built to house a high stakes casino. As guests high rolled and reveled their way through the days, the
