Circus Circus Hotel Exterior, Las Vegas
Circus Circus opened in 1968, making it one of the oldest casino resorts still operating on the Strip. It was the developed by Jay Sarno, the same developer behind Caesars Palace, and was originally conceived as a casino-only property with no hotel rooms, just a giant circus-themed gambling floor under a big top.
It was one of the first casinos to actively court families rather than just gamblers, a strategy that was popular around with Las Vegas development in the 1980s and 90s. The property features a permanent indoor circus with free acts running continuously above the casino floor — a feature that's been there since the beginning.
The pink-and-white striped big top structure at the front is the original 1968 building. The tower itself is the later hotel addition. The curved copper/bronze structure in the foreground is the Adventuredome, an indoor theme park that opened in 1993.
Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was shot at Circus Circus.
Photo taken in September 2023.
Photo Part Of
