Circus Circus Las Vegas: A casino caught between two eras of modern and old Vegas

Circus Circus Las Vegas was built at a crossroads. Jay Sarno's vision to turn Sin City to a family-friendly one was ambitious and successful, and stands the test of time as it remains a family-destination in Las Vegas. However, behind the scenes a darker side emerged, being funded and under the control of organized crime. Circus Circus is an exemplary casino that showcases the duality of Las Vegas. In the front, circus acts and an elephant named Tanya held center stage, and at night, showgirls and topless burlesque kept adults entertained. 

Key Points

• Circus Circus opened in 1968 as one of the first casinos actively welcoming families, with Jay Sarno’s “green felt Disneyland” concept and carnival games for children.

• Unique blend of entertainment (acrobats, midway games, circus acts) set a new course for Strip resorts and became a blueprint for later family-friendly developments like Adventuredome in the 1990s

• The Hippodrome showroom—hidden behind the clowns and carnival games—hosted glamorous showgirl revues and burlesque acts like Nudes in the Night, exposing the dual nature of Circus Circus: family fun up front, adult allure  behind the curtain
  

• Behind-the-scenes connection to organized crime, mob-backed loans and cash-skimming operations

• The shift towards modernization—automation, kiosks, and the loss of personal touch— as the Strip moves toward increased mechanization 

Origins: Family Driven Circus Circus

When Circus Circus opened in 1968, it reshaped the image of Las Vegas casinos by welcoming families to what was dubbed a “green felt Disneyland.” The vision wasn’t far from Jay Sarno’s earlier creation, Caesars Palace (1966), which at the time was the largest hotel ever built as a single unified project in Nevada. Just two years later, Sarno unveiled Circus Circus—complete with acrobats, carnival games, and even dice-throwing elephants beneath a giant pink-and-white big top.

His bold experiment worked: for the first time, Las Vegas offered a casino designed not just for gamblers, but as a destination the whole family could enjoy.

The Family-Friendly Revolution In Las Vegas

Circus Circus built its reputation as the first true family casino. It was one of the first places on the Strip where families could play games, watch live circus acts, and once hotel towers were added, stay the night as part of a budget-friendly Vegas vacation. In 1990s the addition of the Adventuredome, was another shift in the citywide attempt to rebrand itself as a family-friendly Las Vegas. 

Las Vegas has gone through several waves of trying to become more family friendly, most notably during the 1990s when resorts introduced pirate battles, theme parks, arcades, and elaborate attractions to welcome families and children. This experiment led to family-friendly themes like MGM's Grand Adventures theme park and Treasure Island’s outdoor shows.

Circus Circus has continuously maintained its family-focused identity and atmosphere, and stands out as the enduring pioneer that truly "stood the test of time" for families in Las Vegas. 

Mob-Funded 

Behind these wholesome ambitions was a harsher reality: a casino funded and infiltrated by organized crime. Sarno needed massive financing to bring his big-top dream to life. Traditional banks weren't lining up to bankroll a circus-themed casino on the Strip, so Sarno turned to the Teamsters Union pension fund—which under heavy mob influence. But the money came at a steep cost.

By the early 1970s, Circus Circus was deeply entangled with racketeering and skimming operations. Casino cash flowed out the back door while clowns and carnival barkers lured families in through the front. The FBI would later identify Circus Circus as one of several Las Vegas casinos siphoning untaxed profits straight into mob pockets. The resort’s history shows how even the most family-friendly marketing couldn’t mask the darker forces that helped build—and nearly broke—Las Vegas.

Secret Burlesque Showroom

Behind the cheerful Big Top façade of clowns and midway games, Circus Circus kept another, more provocative secret. A long-forgotten 750 seat showroom blended a variety of family entertainment with the casino's distinctive family-friendly presentation.

From 1969 to '74, the Hippodrome featured glamorous adult burlesque and showgirl reviews like Nudes in the Night, offering risqué entertainment for parents while their children enjoyed carnival attractions, highlighting the resort’s layered past and the contradictions of early Las Vegas.

The showroom at Circus Circus has resurfaced in recent years as a hidden piece of Las Vegas history. Sealed off for decades and recently rediscovered, the shuttered doors reveal a side of Circus Circus rarely seen by visitors. Just steps away from the carnival games and trapeze acts that built its family-friendly reputation, this contrast embodied the dual nature of Las Vegas—where wholesome spectacle and seductive allure existed under one roof.  

Modernization: A New Vegas

Fast forward to today, and Circus Circus is again on the edge of change—as Las Vegas faces a technological revolution. The Strip is rapidly automating, with cashiers and lobby staff replaced with self-serve kiosks and dealers swapped for mechanical card shufflers and digital gaming machines. Vegas modernization is quickly moving past places like Circus Circus, once haunted by mob bookkeepers and high-wire acts, and Las Vegas Strip nostalgia is now facing the reality of technology replacing the personal touch that made Old Vegas legendary.

Old Vegas charm versus the automated revolution

Today, Circus Circus is a casino caught between eras. Las Vegas is shifting toward a mechanized city, this casino is one of the few places that are left where once can still feel the magic of yesterday's Vegas.

This family favorite remains a top destination for families in Las Vegas, still holding on to its Old Vegas charm. The midway circus acts are still performing every hour, and the second floor is filled with arcade games reminiscent of a carnival. However, walking through the casino today, the green felt tables have dwindled to a small floor section, the carousel bar has been replaced with slot machines, and retail shops line the walls. 

 

Hold History in Your Hands

On our tour, you’ll get to see and handle authentic artifacts from Las Vegas’s past—original Circus Circus menus, vintage advertisements, old room keys, matchbooks from the bar at the Hippodrome, promo gifts that Jay Sarno handed out to guests and postcards once sold in Tony Spilotro’s gift shop. These rare pieces bring the stories to life, offering a tangible connection to the glamour, grit, and mob influence that shaped the early days of the Strip.

Don't miss this tour, available in October for a limited time, or available anytime for private bookings.