Opening of Caesars Palace with Miss Cleopatra (Yvonne) 7/22/66. Las Vegas News Bureau
Caesar Palace has been celebrating its 50th anniversary all year. The mega casino-resort will continue the celebration throughout the year but the actual anniversary date just passed. Caesars Palace opened on August 5, 1966. In honor of its 50-year legacy at the center of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace celebrated its golden anniversary (50th) with a birthday pool party, featuring a five-tier cake, champagne toast and a 10-minute fireworks extravaganza hosted by award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay. The celebration was so big that it took place over two days.
The anniversary celebration continued on Saturday, Aug. 6 with an over the top, once in a lifetime, gala. The massive soiree was headlined by Tony Bennett, Jennifer Lopez, Howie Mandel, Wayne Newton, Donny & Marie Osmond, Matt Goss and The Righteous Brothers. Caesars Palace offered awards to many of the stars who have graced its stage over recent years. Special “Icon Awards” were presented to Calvin Harris, Gordon Ramsay, Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld and more. Some of the award winners who weren’t present for the festivities sent recorded messages.
The weekend celebration actually kicked off on Friday, August 5. The main attraction was an evening pool party for hotel guests at the picturesque Garden of The Gods Pool Oasis. Host Gordon Ramsay led the birthday champagne toast and cake cutting with nearly 3,000 guests. Poolside guests and crowds gathered outside of the resort on the Vegas Strip enjoyed a 10-minute anniversary-themed fireworks show above the re-imagined Julius Tower at Caesars Palace.
Few businesses last on the Vegas Strip for 5 years, let alone 50 years. Caesars Palace has done a magnificent job reinventing itself since 1966. There are now six hotel towers instead of just one. The original hotel tower was known as the Roman Tower. It was renovated and renamed this year to become the Julius Tower this year. The original casino is still operational but there’s another casino area that extends out to the Forum Shops. It may not seem this way but the Forum Shops have been open for over 20 years. The mall attached to Caesars Palace first opened in 1994 and was renovated 10 years later.
Today, the entire property known as Caesars Palace makes up one of the largest casinos in the world. There are plenty of large casino-resorts in Las Vegas but few offer an experience that you’ll find at Caesars Palace.
Photos: Caesars Entertainment
