Arlington’s historic gambling casino and tearoom-turned-nightclub, Top O’ Hill Terrace, just opened up an underground tunnel to visitors.

The landmark, known as “Vegas Before Vegas,” attracted lots of gamblers as well as visitors who were often unaware of the casino games. The restaurant and tea garden, opened in the early 1920s, operated alongside a casino and brothel until in 1947 when the Texas Rangers raided the gambling operation. Before then, guests escaped through underground tunnels into the nearby woods or hillside or to the tea garden.

J. Frank Norris, the pastor of Fort Worth’s First Baptist Church, called it “a blight on Tarrant County” and vowed to own it one day as a proponent of prohibition and gambling reform. Then in 1956, that prophecy came true when the Bible Baptist Seminary (part of First Baptist Church) relocated there. It’s now known as Arlington Baptist University, which continues to use the site today.

“We think we have a whole underground system of tunnels yet to be unearthed,” said curator and historian Vickie Bryant. Bryant says they expect to find over 10 tunnels.

There’s one tunnel already discovered that was used for a rapid escape and later that students would walk through when they had classes in the old casino. There’s now a ramp and handrails so that visitors can go down into that tunnel, which is located at the back of the campus kitchen.

“That’s just something new that’s happened in the last three or four weeks, that we’re letting people go in the tunnel,” Bryant said.

The University of Texas at Arlington recently told Bryant that it is interested in helping digitize photos and information from Top O’ Hill, which she calls a “redemption story.” “This is just the beginning. of working this out with them,” she said.

Tripadvisor has rated Top O’ Hill #1 of 42 things to do in Arlington. The tour takes a little over two hours, wherein Bryant shares the story of the historical landmark and shows visitors the historic structures that are left. Tours are by appointment only and cost $10. To schedule a tour, call (817) 987-1716 or email [email protected]. It’s located in Arlington Baptist University at 3001 W Division St, Arlington. Click here for a list of upcoming tours.

“We want to tell the story and we want to unearth the tunnels and the underground system,” Bryant said. “And I think something is getting ready to happen, pretty positive about that.”