Since You Asked — A Good Time at Circus Circus

You can actually have a good time at Circus Circus.

Pause …

“No, Dave! The pandemic must be getting to you. You’ve been away from Vegas too long and you’re desperate.”

Maybe, but you can actually have a good time at Circus Circus! I know, CC is cheesy, it’s not fancy, and it’s on a desolate stretch of the Strip. You have to want to look, but if you do, there’s fun to be had.

First of all, there’s the sign. I mean, is there a more iconically gaudy sign than this? I actually think it’s beautiful, possibly my favorite neon sign in all of Las Vegas.

Then there’s the Adventuredome. New York-New York’s got the roller coaster, Strat’s got some thrill rides, but this is an entire amusement park. Indoor coasters, mini golf, and bumper cars, right on the Strip. Check it out in October when they add some spooky Halloween attractions.

One flight up from the casino floor is the Midway. If you’ve got kids with you or are a kid at heart, have some fun playing old-time carnival games. Try to win a stuffed animal for your girlfriend/niece/grandson back home. There’s also a small theater with free (FREE!) circus acts every hour or so — acrobats, jugglers, clowns, and more. Did I mention it’s free?

Las Vegas Blvd. probably has more upscale steakhouses than any other street in the world, and yet one of the best is simply The Steakhouse at Circus Circus. The room and the food are on par with any other fancy meat emporium in town, at significantly lower prices. I had my 40th birthday dinner there and it didn’t disappoint. The Blue Iguana serves pretty good Mexican food as well.

The rooms are decent. They’re small and basic, but they’re clean and cheap. I’m probably the only person in the history of Vegas to check out of the Wynn one day and check into Circus Circus that night (long story!), and I was no worse for wear.

And even though it’s not there anymore, I can’t finish a column about CC without mentioning the Chuck Jones Experience (“Like a Cartoon Come to Life”), which was a very fun time and a great concept, though I think its out-of-the-way location may have been part of the problem.

The north end of the Strip has seen better days and hopefully will again, but it’s still got some appeal. It’s much quieter, without the traffic and bustle of the rest of the Strip. Sahara, Strat, and the Westgate are all walkable (though the latter two probably only during the day), as is the can’t-miss Peppermill Café/Fireside Lounge, which probably deserves its own blog post!