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500 N. Sierra Street
Reno, NV 89503
(800)648-5010
(775)329-0711
Circus Circus-Reno spent $70 million to renovated their 1,572 rooms, suites and hallways to provide guest and visitors with elegance and greater comfort. The rooms in both the North Tower and Sky Tower were completely refurbished and decorated with European circus art that depicts acts under the big top at the turn of the century. Similar artwork is found in the hotel corridors.
Guest rooms feature large ornate oval mirrors, writing desk with matching chairs, and armoires that hide the television set at the top and provide clothing drawers at the bottom. The bathrooms have large tub showers with Rosa Beta granite on the shower walls and vanity counter tops, and the rooms have a rich European look of window treatment panels, valences and drapes that blend in with the colors of the bedspread and carpeting.
Suites provide guest with additional space and privacy, separate bedrooms and living rooms. A sofa dominates the living room and a king sized bed highlights the bedroom, which also has a Queen Anne chair and another armoire with a hideaway TV.
A new 1,814 space, six-story parking garage and a 209-space surface parking lot was added to provide guest with 3,723 parking spaces, the largest number available in Reno. The new parking garage is easily accessible to vehicles coming off Interstate 80 onto Sierra and Virginia Streets.
Public areas were upgraded using the turn of the century theme. Two new restaurants were added: The Main Street Deli and Ice Cream Shoppe, and Art Gecko's Southwest Grill.
The casino has 65,000 square-feet of gaming action with 1,680 slot and video machines, 82 gaming tables, two keno parlors, a Race and Sports Book. Under the big top, families can enjoy free circus acts every day of the week. Trapeze fliers and daredevils preform on the high-wire while Jugglers and acrobats preform ring-side. The Midway has enough carnival games to keep the kid's busy and amused for hours. Circus Circus is a world of pink and white fantasy that the entire family will enjoy.
Circus Circus-Reno Turned 20 on July 1, 1998
Twenty years ago, Circus Circus-Reno emerged on the Reno gaming scene rocking with enough activity that rivaled a crowd celebrating New Year's Eve. Circus Circus opened at midnight, Saturday July 1, 1978, when its gaming license officially began.
The fledgling hotel-casino had 104 rooms, three restaurants, a snack train, 33,000-square-feet of gaming space, Big Top with a circus stage, carnival midway, underground parking for 300 cars, three cocktail lounges and a gift shop.
Today, Circus Circus is among the world's 50 largest resort hotels. It's a majestic twin tower complex with its original Big Top, located at the head of downtown Reno's gaming row just off Interstate Highway 80 near the Sierra and Virginia street off-ramps. Circus Circus has 1,572 luxurious rooms and suites, six restaurants, 65,000-square-feet of gaming space, six retail outlets, four meeting rooms, six cocktail lounges and parking facilities for over 3,200 vehicles.
The coming of Circus Circus to northern Nevada had been in the rumor mill from the start of 1977. But surprisingly enough, the word being circulated was that the facility was to be built in Sparks, just a stone's throw to the east of Reno. It was officially announced on June 14, 1977 that the development was to be on a Reno city-block area, taking over the site of the Gray Reid Department Store and the Nevada National Bank. The department store and bank building became the original 104-room hotel structure, which currently is the Casino Tower housing administrative offices and elegant VIP suites. Parking for 300 cars was constructed below the hotel. The other facilities were added on by expanding outward from the building.
When it finally opened, it turned out to be like a New Year's Eve celebration downtown because two other casinos--Del Webb's Sahara Reno and Charles Mapes' The Money Tree -- simultaneously launched their operations with Circus Circus at midnight July 1, 1978. It was "New Year's Eve crowds--complete with hats, horns and a countdown to midnight," the Reno Evening Gazette reported in its July 1, 1978 issue."Many moved back and forth from the Money Tree. Others made the circuit of the Sahara, Money Tree and Circus Circus." More than a thousand people had been waiting more than two hours for Circus Circus to open before Tony, the Wonder Horse, ushered the throng in by chewing up the ribbon to the front entrance. That started the swarms of people to one of the West's leading destination resort hotels.
The Midway today continues to offer family-oriented entertainment with world-class circus acts and an enlarged carnival game area. It has a large state-of-the-art video arcade with 77 video games and 33 carnival games. Opens daily at 11:15 a.m. The free circus acts perform at 30-minute intervals starting at 11:15 a.m.
Nevada-style gaming operates non-stop in an area covering 65,000 square feet. There are 82 live gaming tables, a poker room, keno lounge, race and sports book, more than 1,682 slot, video poker and multi-game machines.
For dining: Amici's Pasta &Steaks has a variety of Italian favorites, steaks, poultry dishes and seafood. Art Gecko's Southwest Grill offers Southwestern dishes. Courtyard Buffet, buffet dining with a large variety of entries. Kokopelli's Sushi, the first sushi bar in Reno seafood delicacies and traditional favorites. Main Street Deli & Ice Cream Shoppe, early morning to late night snacks, Haagen-Dazs ice cream and pastries, sandwiches with hand-carved meats, soups and salads. The Three Ring Coffee Shop is open 24-hours a day with various entries.
Retail shops include The Candy Corner near the Main Street Deli with six varieties of Grandma's fudge. The Wine Cellar with beer, wines, liquors, champagnes and quality cigars. The Lobby Store offers a large variety of gift items. The Logo Store has fine gifts including 1950s memorabilia. The Veranda Store Circus Circus logo T-shirts, baseball caps and mugs. The Country Store and assortment of plush animals by Lou Renkin.
Hotel operations has increased to 1,464 rooms, 70 mini suites and 38 suites. From its humble beginning of 104 rooms from the original tower, Circus Circus added the 22-story North Tower in 1981, and the 27-story Sky Tower in 1985. A bridge was built over Fifth Street linking with the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino when it was built in 1995. Then in a two-year upgrading project of the entire facility starting in 1996, Circus Circus took on a new, elegant look with the interior transformed to resemble the European circus lifestyle at the turn of the century. Meanwhile, a six-story new parking garage and a surface parking lot were added in a two-block area north of the property.
From a block property in 1978, Circus Circus now encompasses four city blocks. Its linkage to the Silver Legacy and Eldorado Hotel/Casino creates the largest entertainment resort complex in northern Nevada. The complex offers more than 200,000-square-feet of gaming area, over 20 restaurants and food outlets and a wide variety of entertainment venues. In downtown Reno's gaming row, it dominates nearly eight city blocks.
Circus Circus has repeatedly been voted as the "best place to go if your under 21" by local newspapers.
