Carter Lake, Iowa, has always been a geographical curiosity—an Iowa town tucked inside Nebraska. From the 1960s through the 1980s, it became more than a cartographic oddity: it was a nightlife enclave where striptease clubs thrived, drawing crowds from Omaha and beyond.
The Apache Lounge | 1960s
In the 1960s, the Apache Lounge set the tone for Carter Lake’s reputation. With its neon glow and exotic branding, it offered striptease shows that blended burlesque glamour with the risqué allure of the era. The Apache became a destination for those seeking entertainment outside Omaha’s stricter boundaries.
The Lounge boasted 3 shows nightly with a band called Don Chico Combo.
An incomplete list of performers who graced the Apache stage:
- Tami True – Truly an “exciting” exotic dancer
- Anita Milo
- Miss Pollyanna
- Naughty Valletta
- Miss Lynn Haven
Nite Life Lounge | 1970s
By the 1970s, the Nite Life Lounge carried the torch. Its name captured the spirit of the decade—hedonistic, freewheeling, and unapologetically bold. Patrons flocked to Carter Lake for late-night revelry, where striptease acts reflected the shifting cultural landscape: less vaudeville tease, more direct erotic spectacle.
The Nite Life Lounge was renamed to the “Nite Life Go Go Club” in the 1980s. Evidence of semi-nude amateur contests in 1984 can be seen in the newspaper ad below. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-2, amateur dancers could “exhibit your dancing talent” twice a week on the Nite Life stage.
Sassy Lady Lounge | 1980s
The Sassy Lady Lounge defined Carter Lake’s strip scene in the 1980s. Advertising semi-nude “beautiful ladies” wearing nothing but g-strings and pasties, the Sassy Lady Lounge also boasted semi-nude amateur go-go contests. With a cheeky name and a reputation for rowdy crowds, it embodied the brashness of the decade. The club became a fixture of Carter Lake’s identity, cementing the town’s image as a small but notorious hub of Midwestern adult entertainment.
Though short-lived and often overshadowed by larger venues in Omaha, the Apache Lounge, Nite Life Lounge, and Sassy Lady Lounge marked Carter Lake as a curious outpost in the region’s nightlife. Their presence from the 1960s through the 1980s represents a fleeting but telling moment—a blip in the burlesque and striptease history of Iowa and the Omaha metro area. These clubs remind us that even small borderland towns can leave an imprint on performance culture, shaping how Midwestern audiences experienced glamour, rebellion, and the evolving art of tease.
Sources
Newspapers:
- Omaha World Herald. Page 24. January 20, 1987
- Omaha World Herald. Page 27. November 23, 1984
- Omaha World Herald. July 24, 1976
- Omaha World Herald. December 31, 1966
- Omaha World Herald. November 4, 1966
- Evening World Herald. November 10, 1966
- Evening World Herald. January 29, 1965
- Evening World Herald. August 12, 1966
- Omaha World Herald. December 3, 1966
- Omaha World Herald. November 23, 1966
- Omaha World Herald. Page 23. October 24, 1984
- Omaha World Herald. July 15, 1976
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