Today, Circus Circus is struggling to keep pace with
the more opulent-themed hotels and casinos on the Strip,
but fortunately, the hotel’s designers have done
an excellent job bringing Circus Circus into the new
century. Gone are the bright primary colors and garish
trims in favor of subtle, muted tones and more high-rent
touches that appeal less to big-top buffs and more to
the Cirque du Soleil crowd.
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Just as the hotel has become more sophisticated, so
have the kids who come here (don’t come expecting
an adult playground -- the circus theme remains and
the kid appeal along with it). The midway level features
a ton of carnival games (kids have an opportunity to
gamble legally with stuffed animals as jackpots), more
than 300 video and pinball games and trick mirrors.
A major highlight is the five-acre Adventure Dome, a
huge indoor theme park complete with rides, mazes, food
stands, roller coasters and a 90-foot waterfall. There’s
also an IMAX/Ride Film Cineplex that takes passengers
on a pulsating four-minute movie adventure. But they
don’t call it Circus Circus for nothing -- the
real attraction here is the Big Top. The world’s
largest permanent circus features trapeze artists, stunt
cyclists, jugglers, magicians, acrobats and high-wire
daredevils. Guests can watch the action from the midway
or get close on benches in the performance area. And
since the mezzanine overlooks the casino, parents can
look up and wave to the kids without straying too far
from the blackjack table.
In addition to blackjack, Circus Circus has other amenities
for adults as well. The hotel features more than 2,200
slot machines and numerous table games spread throughout
three casino areas, as well as a full race and sports
book with a seating area that features individual television
sets to monitor the sporting events. There’s also
a 40,000-square-foot Promenade of Shops (featuring the
now-standard cobblestone street and mock storefronts
used in the newer casinos), several restaurants including
the upscale Steak House, a rotating cocktail lounge
and the 30-year-old Chapel of the Fountain, the longest-running
hotel-casino wedding chapel in Las Vegas.
The thousands of rooms here occupy sufficient acreage
to warrant a free Disneyland-style monorail (another
kid pleaser). The newer Tower rooms are the best, while
the Manor sections comprise five white, three-story
buildings in a motel-type atmosphere. There’s
also an RV park, which features a 24-hour convenience
store, swimming pools, saunas, whirlpools, kiddie playground,
fenced pet runs, video-game arcade and community room.
The hotel usually has some of the cheapest rooms in
town, so if you’re single and don’t feel
like running away with the circus, check in, leave your
bags, and then run off to some of the more upscale adult
casinos to gamble and play.
Circus Circus has been a family favorite for years.
From the thrilling rides and midway games in the Adventuredome
to gourmet dining at The Steak House, this hotel pleases
everyone.
A runaway hit since opening in 1968, Circus Circus has
the distinction of appearing in two classic Las Vegas
stories: as a malevolent wonderland in Hunter S. Thompson's
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and as a
backdrop to foreign intrigue in "Diamonds Are Forever."
While neither story paints the resort as it truly is
-- a classic hotel-casino and a great place to bring
your kids -- they cannot help but illustrate Circus
Circus' distinctive charm, unique not only to Las Vegas
but to the world.
The world-famous main casino floor is always jumping.
Overhead, live circus acts -- acrobats, trapeze artists,
clowns, jugglers -- perform around the clock. A carnival
midway offers games of skill and chance for all ages.
Nearby, the largest space-frame dome in the United States
houses the Adventuredome, an indoor theme park featuring
the Canyon Blaster, a double-loop, double-corkscrew
roller coaster guaranteed to put a scream on your face.
Several restaurants, a celebrated poker room, a giant
race and sports book, the unique rotating cocktail lounge
and new shopping promenade should serve to reinforce
any desire to run away and join the circus.
