The Burlesque Hall of Fame

?The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a modern phenomenon created to help celebrate a style of performance art that has been a part of American culture since the 19th century and into the 20th century when memorable acts like Josephine Baker stepped on the stage. It was originally the idea of a retired dancer and founding member of the Exotic Dancers League named Jennie Lee. Her dream was to assemble her collection of memorabilia in a museum on abandoned goat farm that she purchased in Helendale, California. In addition, she had planned to open a burlesque school and a bed and breakfast. She began the work on the museum, but her life was cut short by breast cancer. A friend and fellow dancer, Dixie Evans, took the project to the next level.

The museum called The Exotic World Burlesque Museum came under the guidance of Dixie Evans and Charlie Arroyo, Lee’s widower. Jennie Lee's collection began to grow with donations from visitors all over the world. Its size took over the entire farm. When Arroyo died in 2005, Dixie Evans closed the museum for renovations due to weather damage. The museum was then moved to a site in Las Vegas on Fremont Street, once known as Exotic World. The Burlesque Hall of Fame became the center of the history and tradition of this unique performance art. It became the place for the annual Miss Exotic World Pageant after 2006, and remains the central office for The Exotic Dancer's League of America trade union.