Las Vegas – Everything You Need to Know About Circus Circus Casino

Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at12:03 pm by Guest Author

If you’d love to see Vegas but don’t think it’s suitable for a family holiday, Circus Circus is just what you’re looking for. This enormous complex will keep you and the kids entertained from the moment you arrive. Here’s our guide to this fun packed venue…

What is it?

Circus Circus is an enormous hotel with 3,774 rooms situated on Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. If hotels are not your style, Circus Circus has the only park for RV’s on the strip. The huge park has room for 399 vehicles and is operated by Kampgrounds of America.

The hotel underwent major renovations in 1997. These changed it from a standard American Circus to a ‘Cirque de Soleil’ circus. They also added a new tower of hotel rooms – 35 stories high! The whole site is circus-themed with a clown marquee at the entrance. It also has the largest permanent big top in the world.

What is there to do and see?

Head for the big top and watch the amazing top-class circus acts from all over the world and best of all, it’s free! Performances are every day and start at 11 a.m., so if you’ve had a late night at the tables, it’s not too painful!

The other major attraction for the kids – and the grown ups! – is probably Adventuredome. This is America’s largest indoor theme park. It has 25 gravity defying, breathtaking, roller coaster rides on a massive 5 acre site. An all day pass is a reasonably priced $24.95.

Gambling for the parents…

In Nevada, you have to be over 21 to legally gamble. Circus Circus offers three full sized Casinos that are open 24/7. There are slot machines, table games and a poker room. Be sure to try the technological wonder of the Race and Sports Book, which has 18 big screens and 80 seats. Once you’ve worn the kids out in the Adventuredome, get a sitter and try your luck!

Retail Therapy

You don’t even need to leave Circus Circus to enjoy the stunning shopping that only Las Vegas can offer. The shopping Promenade is 40,000 square feet of shopping heaven! Treat yourself to a Designer outfit with your winnings or if lady luck has yet to smile on you, head for the store where everything is $10.

You’ll want something to take home as a memory of your amazing vacation. The exclusive Circus Circus shop will have you spoilt for choice with logo’d souvenirs to fit every budget.

If you’re a Criss Angel fan, the Official Mindfreak store has to be on your list. There are tee shirts, hats, posters, jewelry and memorabilia autographed by Criss himself.

If you yearn for the old days, get a family photo taken at the Buffalo Old Time Photo Co. You get to dress up and it only takes a few minutes to capture a special memory of Vegas and create a family heirloom as well.

Circus Circus also offers:

Plenty of place to eat, with a good variety. But be sure to eat at The Steak House which has been voted the best steak house in Las Vegas 20 years in a row!
Golf – choose from the Royal Links Golf Club, the Desert Pines Golf Club and the Bali Hai.
Three swimming pools
For Business people – Convention rooms with space for nearly 800 people.
For the ultimate Vegas wedding, head for the ‘Chapel of the Fountain’.

Circus Circus in the movies

The hotel was featured in the James Bond film ‘Diamonds Are Forever.’

In his infamous journalistic novel of the 1970’s, ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ Hunter S. Thompson wrote,

“The Circus Circus is what the whole world would be doing Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war…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.”

Circus Circus weren’t impressed and when the novel was made into a film starring Johnny Depp in 1998, they refused to allow any filming there. The producers had to create ‘Bazooko Circus’ instead.

The Adventuredome and the Canyon Blaster roller coaster featured in the 1999 movie Baby Geniuses – but the park was called Joyworld in the movie.

In Mike Myers ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’, Austin and Vanessa sneak into Circus Circus.

Can’t wait to get there?

It sounds like the vacation of a lifetime! If you’d like to know more about Circus Circus, go to their website where you can check room availability and book online, or head on over to Expedia where you can book a package deal. Have fun!