Circus Circus Reno

Circus Circus Reno
Address	500 North Sierra Street Reno, Nevada 89503
Opening date	July 1, 1978
Theme	Circus
No. of rooms	1,572
Total gaming space	65,000 sq ft (6,000 m2)
Permanent shows	Free Circus Acts Casino Cabaret
Signature attractions	Carnival Midway Free Circus Acts
Notable restaurants	Smokin' Gecko's BBQ Bonici Brothers
Casino type	Land
Owner	MGM Resorts International
Previous names	none
Years renovated	1981, North Tower 1986, SkyTower 1995, Silver Legacy Skybridge access, North Parking Garage
Website	Circus Circus Reno

This article is about the Circus Circus hotel and casino in Reno, Nevada. There is also a Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel and casino located in Reno, Nevada, owned by the MGM Resorts International. The hotel offers 1,572 rooms. The 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m²) casino features free circus acts on a regular basis throughout the day over the midway which also offers 33 carnival games.

Circus Circus is the second largest casino-hotel in downtown by number of rooms.

History

The main structure was originally built as a Gray, Reid & Wright Department Store which, at the time, was the only department store in the state of Nevada. Originally opened on November 7, 1957, the structure replaced a prior store location which was destroyed by a gas explosion on February 5, 1957 and is now the site of the Palladio condominiums. The new store contained 40,000 square feet (3,700 m²) of retail space and 6,000 feet (1,800 m) of storage space in a basement and 2 retail floors accessible by escalators, and had 45 departments including an electronics shop selling televisions and radios, a bookstore, record store, and wine shop, as well as a restaurant, beauty salon, and cobbler. 1977 brought about plans to enlarge the store, adding 2 additional floors, 102 hotel rooms, and a casino. The casino would have been known as Camp 14, and would have had a logging theme. The south portion of the first floor would have remained under the name Grey Reid's, but would sell only woman's clothing, and would contain an expanded beauty salon. The plan never materialized, and Grey Reid's moved to a new location in the Old Town Mall (now known as the Reno Town Mall) in July of that year. Instead, the owners were approached by CIRCO Resorts, then operating company of Circus Circus Las Vegas.^[1] After about a year of renovations, the casino opened on July 1, 1978, about a decade after its Las Vegas counterpart, and on the same day as the opening of the Sahara Reno (now the Montage condominiums) and the opening of the expansion of the Money Tree. Circus Circus Reno was inspired by the gaming boom spurred by the new MGM Grand in Reno, casino companies wanted to gain some of that momentum. The Reno Circus opened with a small hotel and very similar attractions to its Las Vegas counterpart.

In 1981, the hotel's 21-story North Tower opened, followed by the 28-story SkyTower in 1986. In 1995, extensive renovations were completed, including the remodel of the mezzanine level where the restaurants are located, the midway, and a skybridge connecting to the Silver Legacy

In 2008, Circus Circus had planned on adding an indoor swimming pool. Until the opening of the Silver Legacy in 1995, guests at Circus Circus did not have access to swimming facilities. According to a rendering on the Circus Circus website, the pool would have been under a glass canopy, placed atop the skybridge tram station.^[2] As of July 2010, construction has yet to begin. In addition, all references to the project on the resort's website have been removed. It is unlikely Circus Circus Reno will ever be remodeled by MGM Resorts International in the near term as they had planned on selling it and while no one will comment on the situation, Circus Circus Reno is likely still on the market.

References

1. ^ Hinman, Debbie (Summer 2010). "The Grey, Reid, Wright Company: A Nevada Institution". FootPrints (Historic Reno Preservation Society) 13 (3): 8–11. http://www.historicreno.org/. 
2. ^ "Reno Coming in 2008 - New Swimming Pool and Room Remodels - Circus Circus Reno Hotel and Casino". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071017093618/http://circusreno.com/hotel/comingin2008.aspx. Retrieved June 5, 2011. 

External links

• Circus Circus Reno web site

Coordinates: 39°31′53″N 119°48′57″W / 39.531428°N 119.815698°W / 39.531428; -119.815698