Circus Circus Las Vegas

This is about the Circus Circus in Las Vegas. There is also a Circus Circus in Reno, Nevada.

Circus Circus Las Vegas is a circus-themed 3,774 room hotel and 101,000 square foot (9,392 m²) casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Las Vegas Strip that is owned and operated by MGM Mirage. Circus Circus features free circus acts on a regular basis throughout the day. Circus Circus has the only RV park on the Strip providing additional accommodations in the 399 space park operated by Kampgrounds of America (KOA).

Circus Las Vegas is the largest permanent big top in the world.

History

Opened October 18, 1968 by Jay Sarno.

Became the flagship casino for Circus Circus Enterprises (later Mandalay Resort Group), now part of MGM Mirage.

Underwent major renovations in 1997 that changed the hotels theme from the standard American Circus to a French Cirque du Soleil style Circus. Circus Circus is slated to be renovated to its former self in 2006.

The hotel may be demolished and rebuilt. According an MGM Mirage report, the Circus Circus site "does not make economic use of the 44 acres that it sits on, therefore, we feel that demolishing the current property and rebuilding it in a different fashion (while still keeping the Circus Circus name) will be in our best interest."

Film history

The hotel's famous midway was featured in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.

In his journalistic novel of the early 70s, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "The Circus-Circus is what the whole hep world would be doing Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war. This is the sixth Reich. The ground floor is full of gambling tables, like all the other casinos . . . but the place is about four stories high, in the style of a circus tent, and all manner of strange County-Fair/Polish Carnival madness is going on up in this space." When the Thompson work was adapted to film in 1998, the fictional "Bazooko Cicus" was a thinly-veiled stand-in for the world-famed resort, which had refused permission for the filmmakers to shoot on their property.

The Adventuredome and the Canyon Blaster roller coaster were featured in the movie Baby Geniuses. The theme park was known as Joyworld in the movie.

Adventuredome Theme Park

Formerly known as Grand Slam Canyon. Located under the pink top, this 5 acre (20,234 m²) indoor amusement park offers 16 rides and is connected to the hotel. The theme park includes a roller coaster (the Canyon Blaster), rock climbing wall, 18-hole miniature golf course, an arcade, and carnival type games. The dome of the park is made up of over 350,000 sq ft. of insulated glass.

Amenities and Entertainment

In addition to the casino and the Adventuredome Theme Park, Circus Circus also offers:

Convention rooms—space for up to 800 people
Race and Sports Book 80 seats, with 18 big screens
Three swimming pools
Wedding chapel Chapel of The Fountain

References

Circus Circus web site
Vegas.com

External links

Circus Circus Las Vegas web site

Amusement parks in the United States | Casinos in Las Vegas | Hotels of Las Vegas | 1968 establishments