Walk down the Las Vegas Strip today and you'll see a lot of shiny, glass-fronted giants. They look like they were born yesterday. But then you see it—the fountains, the Roman columns, the sheer audacity of the white marble. Caesars Palace doesn't look like the others because it isn't. It’s a survivor.
Honestly, if you're standing on the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd, you're looking at a piece of history that has outlasted almost every peer it started with. But how old is Caesars Palace Las Vegas exactly?
The Short Answer: 59 Years of Chaos and Luxury
If you want the quick math, Caesars Palace opened its doors on August 5, 1966.
As of right now in 2026, that makes the property 59 years old.
It’s reaching that "senior citizen" status in a city that usually loves to blow up its history with dynamite. Most Vegas landmarks from that era—the Sands, the Stardust, the Desert Inn—are literally dust. Caesars is still here. You've gotta wonder why.
Basically, it's because Jay Sarno, the guy who dreamt this place up, wasn't just building a hotel. He was building an obsession. He spent roughly $24 million (which was a staggering amount in the mid-60s) to create a "fantasyland" that would make every guest feel like a Roman emperor.
That’s why there is no apostrophe in the name. It’s Caesars Palace, not Caesar's Palace. Sarno wanted it to be the palace of all the Caesars—plural. Every person who walked through the doors was supposed to be royalty. Kinda cheesy? Sure. But it worked.
What Really Happened in 1966?
The grand opening wasn't just a ribbon-cutting. It was a three-day bacchanal that cost $1 million alone. Think about that. In 1966, you could buy a neighborhood for a million bucks. Sarno spent it on 50,000 glasses of champagne, filet mignon, and 200 pounds of Alaskan king crab.
He even hired "goddesses" to peel grapes for high rollers.
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The original hotel was just one tower—the Roman Tower (now known as the Julius Tower). It had about 680 rooms. People lost their minds over it. It was the first time a Vegas resort really committed to a "theme" on this scale. Before Caesars, hotels were just fancy boxes with neon signs. Sarno changed the DNA of the city.
The Teamsters Connection
You can't talk about how old Caesars is without mentioning where the money came from. It's a bit of an open secret that the funding was sourced from the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund. Jimmy Hoffa’s fingerprints were all over the place.
Back then, the mob and Vegas were like peanut butter and jelly. It's just how things got built. Sarno had a vision, but the "boys" had the cash.
The Evel Knievel Fiasco (1967)
Just a year after opening, Caesars cemented its status as the world’s most famous hotel.
Evel Knievel showed up.
He wanted to jump the fountains. On New Year's Eve, 1967, he cleared the fountains but crashed so spectacularly on the landing that he crushed his pelvis and ended up in a coma for 29 days.
The footage of that crash played on televisions everywhere for decades. It was the best PR the hotel ever got. You can’t buy that kind of notoriety. Even today, tourists stand by those fountains and look for the spot where he hit the pavement.
Growth Spurts: Why the Age is Tricky
While the "core" of the hotel is from '66, most of what you see today is much newer. Caesars has expanded like a living organism.
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- The Centurion Tower (1970): Now the Nobu Hotel.
- The Forum Tower (1979): Originally the Olympic Tower.
- The Palace Tower (1997): This is where the really fancy villas are.
- The Augustus Tower (2005): Added nearly 1,000 rooms.
- The Octavius Tower (2012): The newest major addition.
If you stay in the Julius Tower today, you are technically staying in a room that was part of the original 1966 layout. Of course, it’s been renovated so many times that there’s probably not a single molecule of 1966 carpet left, but the bones are the same.
The Colosseum: A Turning Point in 2003
In the early 2000s, people thought Caesars was getting a bit "old." The Roman theme was starting to feel a little dusty compared to the flashy new Bellagio across the street.
Then came Celine Dion.
Caesars built The Colosseum in 2003 specifically for her. It cost $95 million. Everyone in the industry said it was a mistake. They thought a "residency" was where careers went to die. Instead, Celine turned Caesars into the most profitable entertainment venue in the world.
She paved the way for Elton John, Cher, Rod Stewart, and eventually Adele. By doubling down on being "The Home of the Greatest Entertainers," Caesars proved it wasn't just a relic of the Rat Pack era. It was still the king.
Ownership and Identity
Who owns a 59-year-old palace? It's changed hands a lot.
Sarno sold it in 1969 to the Perlman brothers (the guys who started Lum's restaurants) for $60 million. Later, it went to ITT Sheraton, then Park Place, then Harrah’s, which eventually became Caesars Entertainment.
In 2020, Eldorado Resorts bought the whole company for $17.3 billion but kept the Caesars name because, let's be real, the name is the most valuable thing they own.
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Today, the land is actually owned by Vici Properties, which is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), while Caesars Entertainment just operates the casino. Modern corporate Vegas is way less "Goodfellas" and way more "Excel Spreadsheets."
Is It Still Worth Visiting?
Some people worry that an old hotel means "dirty" or "outdated."
In Vegas, "old" usually means "the best location."
Caesars occupies the absolute center of the Strip. You’ve got the Forum Shops (which basically invented the idea of a high-end mall inside a casino), the Bacchanal Buffet (regularly voted the best in town), and the Garden of the Gods pool complex.
It feels big. It feels massive. It feels like you might get lost for three days and never see the sun.
That’s exactly what Jay Sarno wanted.
Actionable Advice for Your Visit
- Check the Tower: If you want the "historic" feel with modern luxury, book the Julius Tower. If you want the best views and the most space, go for the Augustus Tower.
- The Fountain Walk: Don't just look at the fountains out front. Walk the entire perimeter. There are dozens of replica statues, including a perfect copy of the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
- The "Secret" Entrance: The Forum Shops have a valet entrance off Stan Mallin Dr. that is often way less crowded than the main Strip entrance.
- Skip the Front Desk: Use the kiosks or the app. Caesars is 59 years old, and sometimes the check-in lines feel like they've been there since 1966.
Caesars Palace isn't just a hotel. It's the anchor of the Las Vegas Strip. It’s survived bankruptcies, corporate takeovers, and the total reinvention of the city. Fifty-nine years later, it’s still the most recognizable address in Nevada.
Plan your next trip around the 60th anniversary coming up in August 2026. The property is already prepping for a massive celebration that will likely rival Sarno’s original million-dollar party.