Liberace Home as Tourist Lure Fought

LAS VEGAS — Two people who bought the home of the late entertainer Liberace to turn it into a tourist attraction have met opposition from local officials and the showman’s estate.

Retired Canadian oilman James Sedger and a friend, Lorna Burroughs of Phoenix, Ariz., bought the home at auction Dec. 10 for $325,000.

They said they hoped to maintain the home in tribute to the glitzy pianist and open it to the public.

But last week, both the Clark County Zoning Division and board members of the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts said they oppose the plan.

“This is a small piece of property in the middle of a residential area,” said Bonnie Rinaldi, zoning division development coordinator. “A museum would create enormous problems with traffic congestion and parking.”

The Liberace Foundation, which owns publicity rights to Liberace’s name, said any museum at the home could reduce attendance at the Liberace Museum they operate about a mile away.

“It would be foolish to try to compete with ourselves,” said Joel Strote, executor of the Liberace estate.

The 10,549-square-foot home was auctioned when it failed to draw buyers at the original asking price of $2.8 million. Liberace died in February, 1987.