A reconstructed minaret marking the site of the Agua Caliente casino and resort, the Prohibition-era playground of Hollywood stars that made Tijuana famous before it burned and closed in the 1930s.
The Agua Caliente tower on Boulevard Agua Caliente is a reconstructed minaret marking the former site of the Casino de Agua Caliente, opened in 1928 as a Moorish-Spanish resort complex of casino, racetrack, spa, and hotel built to attract American visitors during Prohibition. The original complex, with its striped minaret-topped tower, drew Hollywood stars and helped make Tijuana internationally known as a border pleasure city through the late 1920s and early 1930s. Mexico's 1935 ban on gambling closed the casino, and much of the original complex was later demolished or repurposed; the site today is occupied by a public school campus, with the rebuilt tower standing as the only visible echo of the original architecture. There is no museum or interior exhibit at the tower itself, and no original interior fixtures survive on site; what remains is a street-level architectural landmark rather than a preserved building. The tower's Moorish Revival styling, with its tiled dome and horseshoe-arch details, was reconstructed to evoke the demolished original rather than restored from surviving fabric. Its significance is symbolic: it stands for the Prohibition-era boom that first drew mass American tourism to Tijuana and shaped the city's early international identity.
Why it matters
The symbol of Tijuana's Prohibition golden age and the origin of the city's international reputation
Location
Blvd. Agua Caliente, Colonia Aviacion, 22014 Tijuana, B.C.
32.5145, -117.0096 View on map
Highlights
- Reconstructed Moorish-style minaret marking the 1928 casino site
- Street-level landmark on Boulevard Agua Caliente
- Historical link to Hollywood-era Prohibition tourism
- Walking distance to the historic Avenida Revolucion corridor
Tips for visiting
- View the tower from the street, since the surrounding site is now a working school campus
- Pair the visit with a walk along Avenida Revolucion for more Prohibition-era architecture
- Visit during the day, as there is nothing to see or enter after dark
- Do not expect an interior exhibit; the tower is an exterior landmark only
Frequently asked questions
Can visitors go inside the tower?
No, the tower is a street-level landmark and the surrounding grounds are a school campus, not open to visitors.
How long does a visit take?
Viewing the tower takes a few minutes; most visitors combine it with a longer walk nearby.
Is the site suitable for a family visit?
Yes, it can be viewed briefly from the street with children, though there is no dedicated visitor area.