It is a place so nice, they named it twice. No, it is not New York, New York. It is Circus Circus in Las Vegas. This place is considered to be one of the most popular casino hotels in Vegas, if not the entire world. Many from the world over flock to Vegas each year to stay at the resort hot spots. For over a half century, Circus Circus has been one of the places to go. But are there some guests that might have overstayed their welcome for far too long? Could there be a ghostly presence that might just haunt the halls and rooms of Circus Circus. We will dive into the brief history of Circus Circus and how it became one of the most popular places in the world. And we will discuss how it became one of the most haunted in all of Vegas.
Early Years
Source: [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Circus_Circus_Las_Vegas_-_001.jpg]
Circus Circus first opened its doors on October 18, 1968. The hotel and casino was founded by business partners Jay Sarno and Stanley Mallin. Both Sarno and Mallin were founders of Circus Circus Enterprises. The hotel and casino was considered the flagship building. The building project was said to cost approximately $15 million. At its opening, Circus Circus was a standalone casino. At the height of Vegas becoming a popular tourist destination, Circus Circus had suffered financial issues due to the fact that they were not in the loop with other Vegas attractions that doubled as both a casino and hotel. Because of this, most of the Vegas high rolling gamblers would resist going to Circus Circus.
However, these financial issues would lead Sarno to obtain a $23 million loan from the Teamsters Pension Fund. The intent was to use the money to build a hotel. This also led to Sarno making a connection with infamous mob boss Anthony Spiltoro. This lead to Spiltoro getting a portion of the casino. Soon after, both Sarno and Mallin were under investigation for tax code violations as well as their relationship with a member of an organized crime family.
The Haunted Circus Utah
As the financial issues mounted heavily for both Sarno and Mallin, both were forced to sell their stakes in 1974. That year, William Bennet and his business partner William Pennington purchased Circus Circus to the tune of $25 million. By the time the ownership changed, one expansion was made to the building while another one was in the process of being completed. The second expansion project finished up the following year. Three more expansions would follow in 1980, 1986, and the final one coming in 1996.
The Haunted Circus: Features The bonus game in action. The circus might be a laugh, but it’s what happens beyond its borders is the main attraction. Land 3 or more bonus scatter symbols to be taken outside to some gnarly treed environment where you’ll find the bonus wheel. The bonus wheel is made up of 3 tiers offering prizes of increasing. 29 reviews of Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus 'Wow! This is the best haunted house experience in the whole state. I have been to some pretty fun and scary haunted house experiences in my time, but, this one takes the cake. It was colorful, creative, and fun and funny. Dollars I ever spent. It is mostly for pre- teens, Teens and adults.' The Haunted Circus HUB Stadium Saturday, October 20 This Halloween, you’re invited to join us inside the HUB Stadium for Metro Detroit’s largest Halloween Extravaganza! Join everyone in their sexiest, freakiest, and scariest costumes!
Circus Circus is currently owned by MGM International, the same company that owns many of Vegas’s most popular hotspots. One notable property previously owned by them was Bally’s Hotel and Casino. Before Bally’s got the name, it was known as the MGM Grand. The Grand was the site of a fire that left nearly 90 people dead. Could it be that MGM International may have some guests that might have overstayed their welcome on both their former and current properties?
The Building Itself
Source: [https://www.maxpixel.net/static/photo/1x/Circus-Circus-Las-Vegas-Gambling-Casino-3813029.jpg]
Santa claus play. Over the course of its half century history, Circus Circus has undergone numerous expansions and renovations. Today, the building is include a hotel but also numerous amenities and entertainment options for guests and their families. Today, Circus Circus has a ballroom that can hold up to 600 people, a waterpark known as the Splash Zone, Slots-A-Fun Casino, and a place where you can bet on horse races and sporting events. Of course, it is not Vegas without the wedding chapel. And that is exactly what Circus Circus has (better known as the “Chapel At The Fountain). The list goes on and on.
Circus Circus has numerous hotel rooms located throughout the building. Specificially, there are three towers: the West, Casino, and Skyrise towers. Each of these towers has hotel rooms that are available for affordable prices. Since they are actually low in price, many tourists are filling them up quite fast. So if you want in on the fun and adventure in Las Vegas, you may want to consider Circus Circus as a possible place to crash while you’re gambling or searching for paranormal activity in the place known as Sin City.
But paranormal activity is never far behind no matter where in Vegas you decide to stay. But if you are in Circus Circus, the activity can happen right outside your doorway. Many people that have stayed in Circus Circus have recounted stories of phantom noises and strange occurrences either happening in the hallways or in their hotel rooms themselves.
Hauntings and Unfortunate Happenings At Circus Circus
Source: [https://s.abcnews.com/images/Travel/las-vegas-sign-strip-gty-jef-180418_hpMain_4x3_992.jpg]
Circus Circus may be a site for fun and amusement. But it has also been a sight for hauntings and even some unfortunate events. One of the most recent tragedies that took place involved a Vietnamese couple that was found stabbed to death in their hotel room. The stabbings were later ruled a double homicide in what appeared to be a robbery gone wrong. A suspect has since been arrested and is currently facing trial as of this writing. However, this wasn’t the only homicide that has taken place at Circus Circus over the years.
One notable homicide was said to take place in Room 123. Two victims involved a mother and a son. It was later determined that the mother had killed her son first before herself. The spirits of both victims are believed to be still there even to this day. Some have recounted hearing whispers of “help me” being heard. Some have even reported seeing the words on a bathroom mirror in the room itself. According to one account, a guest reported crossing paths with a woman and her young child, asking if they had seen a man named Robert. The pair was said to disappear without a trace soon after. It could be assumed that “Robert” may have been the father of the child that was killed. Those who have stayed in Room 123 have also heard furniture being moved around and even sightings of a little boy were reported in the halls outside of the room.
The information surrounding the alleged murder suicide is unknown or when it happened. And some may have dismissed it as some kind of urban legend. But the recounts of some paranormal activities made by previous guests of Circus Circus are often interesting to hear.
Is Circus Circus Worth Going To?
The short answer: yes. Double yes if you are looking for an affordable place to stay and if you are one of the many legions of people that are up for a paranormal adventure. You might be brave enough to stay in Room 123 or nearby there if it is available. However, if you cannot seem to find any paranormal activity at Circus Circus itself, it is not the end of the world. There are many places that you can check out where reported accounts of paranormal activity have taken place. Like any other city in the country, Las Vegas is never in any short supply of haunted places to check out. So if you’re up for an adventure in Sin City, you should check out some of the other places that are supposedly haunted in Vegas.
Conclusion
Circus Circus is still one of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas. But if you need a place to crash and perhaps encounter with some of the guests that have somehow overstayed their welcome, this might be the place where you want to book your room. Who says that staying at a haunted hotel could not be fun?
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You guys…our giant amazing building is just begging to be transformed into a spooky, scary haunted circus mansion. It literally could not be more perfect.
We’re gonna make it happen, and we want YOU ALL (PSCA’s amazing students) to be a part of it! What more perfect way to surprise and scare all your friends and family with your amazing circus skills. Casino empire 2. The main idea is to get the whole PSCA community involved, and then invite all our family, friends and colleagues to come check out this crazy thing that we do.
We’ll be running the Haunted Circus Friday and Saturday nights in the last three weeks of October, from 6pm-10pm.
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THE SHOWCASES
ADULT STUDENT SHOWCASE: twice each hour on the :20 and :50
There will be a traditional Adult Student Showcase in March/April, but the Haunted Circus will have a showcase element to it as well! If you enjoy creating 3-5min Halloween themed routines on your favorite apparatuses, this is your chance. You can sign up for as many performances as you want, but for each performance you need to volunteer for at least ONE shift anywhere else in the Haunted Circus.
You can make whatever kind of act you want. We need PG-rated acts and some R-rated acts; just be sure Rachel knows which one you’re planning on so that we don’t accidentally scar some younger kiddo.
Anyone signing up for the Showcase will get FREE Member workouts for September and October. You have to actually end up performing though-if you sign up but then drop out after using the Member Workouts, we’ll have to charge you for the months.
Questions about the showcase? Email Coach Rachel, [email protected].
YOUTH STUDENT PERFORMERS
Youth students ages 13+ may audition a solo or small group piece for inclusion in the showcase performances or volunteer to be in one of the Haunted Circus Paths. The Cellar Path is open to youth performers ages 13+, and the Attic path is open to youth performers 16+. Parents are welcome and encouraged to volunteer for anything, as circus skills are not actually needed for many things. You can go ahead and sign up for the slot you want and then email Rachel to schedule an audition, [email protected].
OTHER ACTIVITIES AND HEADLINERS
In addition to the performances, there will be Halloween centric activities throughout the evening and a headlining performance or special event at 9-ish each night.
THE HAUNTED PATHS
In addition to the Showcases in the Sanctuary, there will be two Haunted Paths that the audience can walk down: the Cellar Path and the Attic Path.
The Cellar Path (PG): 6pm-8:15pm. Produced by Kate and Clara Hanley.
This spooky, family-friendly haunted pathway is where kids of all ages get to interact with halloween characters, cross a tightwire abyss and have a scary good time. It will snake through the downstairs part of the building, through the gym and up the spiral staircase into the Sanctuary. To volunteer for this path, you must be 13+.
There are a variety of circus and non-circus roles, including: Witches, ghosts, coin-operated circus performers, spooky attendants and more.
Circus Circus Room 123
The Attic Path (R) 7pm-9:15pm. Produced by Jefferson Grubbs.
This path needs performers totally committed to scaring people as they walk up the stairs and traverse the second floor. If you’ve got great make-up skills, an awesome mask, a chainsaw or just enjoy jumping out at people, this is your jam. To volunteer for this path, you must be 16+.
The attic path needs a variety of circus and non-circus performers, including: a psychic, a creepy doctor, a zombie and more.
The attic path also features a special room dedicated to YOUR creepy idea–when you volunteer, put your idea into the description, or email your idea to Jefferson at [email protected].
THE PARTICIPANT RAFFLE
In addition to free Member Workouts for September and October, anyone who volunteers and ends up participating will be entered into a special participant raffle! Different jobs get you a different number of raffle tickets based on how long the shifts are.
Showcase performance: 1 ticket/performance
Pathway volunteer: 2 tickets/shift
Ghoul (set up, break-down, ticket taking etc): 3 tickets/shift Creature from the black lagoon game.
We’ll draw the winners on the last night of the Haunted Circus, October 27th!
1st Prize: TWO MONTHS UNLIMITED CLASS CARD (or account school credit equivalent for youth students)
2nd Prize: TWO PRIVATE LESSONS
3rd Prize: TWO PSCA HOODIES OR T-SHIRTS
The Haunted Circus
SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED, BUT WE DO STILL NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS TO TAKE TICKETS!
EMAIL [email protected] IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP OUT WITH TICKETS.