What Was Luxor Like When It Opened?

OK, after re-visiting the original Circus Circus in a recent Question of the Day, I have to inquire about the original Luxor. I heard it was equally “unique” and even had its own boat ride. Can you do your “magic” and take us back in time once again?

Sure can. Buckle up for another ride in the QoD time machine.

Luxor opened in 1993, the first of three megaresorts that debuted that fall, along with Treasure Island and MGM Grand; at the time, we dubbed it the Great Race. Luxor cost Circus Circus Enterprises $375 million and it was a stunner, standing tall and triangular, with 13 acres of glass in the form of 39,000 windows. Inside were, and still are, 29 million cubic feet of open space, the largest atrium in the world at the time.

The interior was heavily Egyptian-themed. That included hieroglyphics on the walls; scarabs, the Egyptian symbol of good luck, all over the casino; a replica of King Tutankhamen’s tomb (and a King Tut museum that came later); even a Sigma Derby game that used toy Egyptian barges instead of race horses.

On the second-floor attractions level, it boasted two high-impact motion simulators, "In Search of the Obelisk" and "Luxor Live," plus Theater of Time, which was replaced by a 70-foot-tall IMAX screen only a few years later.

And yes, there was a free Nile River ride.

Near the registration desk, you boarded flat-bottom barges that floated all the way around the base of the pyramid. A guide regaled riders on Egyptology as they passed palm trees and pieces of "ancient" artwork of the walls.

Together, Anthony Curtis and Deke Castleman rode the thing (they go back that far, and further) and tell us that Anthony, more of thrill seeker, was unimpressed, while Deke, who likes just about anything that moves, was more amused. They recall that the ride was supposed to drop off passengers at various places, such as the inclinators, restaurants, and escalators to the second-level attractions.

One of the problems with the "ride" was that, since it was promoted as public transportation, the wait was so long, guests could walk to their destinations way faster than they could float there. So the barges were then promoted purely for entertainment purposes as the Nile River Adventure, though the entertainment was rather tame.

Like the Theater of Time, the river ride remained in place for just three years.

You can get a good look at Luxor from 30 years ago, including the boat ride (in the first minute), in this YouTube video.

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Don the Dentist Feb-26-2023

Unimpressed

A few weeks after it opened a friend and I went to lunch there one weekday (we both lived and worked in LV) and walked around a bit. Our consensus was that "you could tell it was a Circus Circus property". Its too long ago to remember all the details, but the Circus Circus reference sticks in my mind.

David Feb-26-2023

The theming was amazing

And it is a shame that nearly all of it is gone. I loved the theming at every casino - it made each place unique. Now the casinos are mostly nameless, faceless temples of greed.

rokgpsman Feb-26-2023

Going, going, gone

The highly-themed resort casinos like Luxor, Excalibur, Mirage, NYNY, Treasure Island, MGM and others were super places to visit back in the day, great for sightseeing, made you happy to be there with all this around you. It was exciting just to walk down the Strip, explore each one and marvel at these huge resorts with their various attractions, many which were free. It's what helped to make Vegas be called the Adult Disneyland, not just a gambling destination but plenty of other fun things to see and do without feeling like you were there to be gouged. I miss those days, the vibe is different now, you can still have fun but it's not the same. We all change as we get older, but I don't think that fully explains my disappointment in what Las Vegas has become.

kennethross Feb-26-2023

Water ride

Yes, the water ride at Luxor was kind of lame and had the inescapable air of recent installation, rather than of ancient splendor. But I still remember appreciating it.
“29 million square feet of open space” Cubic feet?

kennethross Feb-26-2023

Thanks …

… for updating the post, replacing square feet with cubic feet.

Randall Ward Feb-26-2023

Luxor

never saw the boat ride but the part we all loved was the talking camels

Lotel Feb-26-2023

Wow.nice place

From the video it looks like it was  a great place to visit. too bad it changed.  I may stop by the Luxor to see what it looks like now. thanks for the video link

Sandra Ritter Feb-26-2023

Checked it out

When it first opened, and I was in Las Vegas, I went to check it out. I was curious about the elevators that went to the rooms, on an incline. Although there was a guard station by the elevators, I happened to go when the guard stepped away, so I went in the elevator up to one of the floors of rooms. Let's say 10th fl. The elevator ride was strange, being on an incline, then when I got off, it was like an atrium. The rooms were on the outer walls, and on the other side there was a half wall where you could look down and see the casino below. For sure then I knew I'd never stay there because every time I looked down, which I did a few times, I had the urge to jump. It was very eerie. I certainly wasn't suicidal but that urge was there. I immediately went back down and never went back.I wonder if others had that reaction. Anyone here stay there and feel the same urge?

John Van Engen Feb-26-2023

Luxor

When I played the Sigma Derby there, it had Camels not barges.

Diamonddog2801 Feb-26-2023

Inclinators

I did the boat trip - it was kind of pointless. But the best part was the inclinators - at its opening, and for a very short while afterwards, non guests could ride the and get out and walk along outside the guests hotel rooms to get some great photos looking down on the floor. Not surprisingly, that ideas was nixed very soon afterwards and you needed a room key to access the inclinators.

[email protected] Feb-26-2023

Never Impressed By Interior

Just like nearly every other Strip casino, the "themes" are FAR better seen and experienced on the outside as opposed to the inside (which have always typically been the SAME zillions and bazillions of slot machines wall to wall).  That's why I tell ALL new Vegas visitors to FORGET staying at any Sptrii property with the intention of "walking around" to a bunch of other properties to see the different "themes" because it is a colossal waste of time. I advise to simply drive the entire length of the Strip (starting wayyy down south in Jean) until you get to FSE and check out all the casino/hotels form the car/limo. That way you see every Strip property in a couple hours tops.

Roy Furukawa Feb-26-2023

Cheesy

Gotta love that dated 90's video, I'm in need of some crackers to go along with that cheese. :D

[email protected] Feb-26-2023

MGM Cookie Cutter Casino

Luxor add to the list another MGM take over that destroyed the theming.   Treasure Island,  Mirage, and little by little New York , New York.

Dave_Miller_DJTB Feb-26-2023

Inclinators

About 5 years ago, I rode the inclinators out of curiosity. There were no guards. I gut a feeling of seasickness from the ride. Mind you, I’ve never gotten seasick before or since.

rokgpsman Feb-27-2023

Inclinators

The elevator going up inside the Gateway Arch in St Louis is kinda like the Luxor elevators. Due to the curve of the Gateway Arch the elevator has to jog to one side as it goes up and jog outward as it descends. Many people get freaked out as it happens. It's as safe as any other elevator is, but when you're enclosed inside a little moving box some people don't like the oddball movements and sounds. People getting an MRI have trouble too with the sounds that machine makes. Try living on a submarine for a few months, constantly underwater, you'll find a way to sleep and not worry too much.

JoyceAula49 Mar-01-2023

agree with rokgpsman

I really miss the themed casinos. Now they all look the same. When we first went to the Luxor my husband and I were impressed with the quietness of such a large space.

Doozey Mar-02-2023

inside Luxor

The interior had one feature I remember: acres of taupe walls, no pictures, color. Every casino area looked like every other casino area.

Question of the Day - 26 February 2023

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