Where did Robert “Evel” Knievel attempt to jump a towering row of fountains? Where did the “Rain Man” crew set up shop for six weeks during filming? Where have Adele, Cher, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Kelly Clarkson, Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Liberace, among many others, all performed? Where did Wolfgang Puck open Spago in 1992? And where is Lisa, of K-pop fame, set to make her Las Vegas residency debut?
The answer, of course, is Caesars Palace, the Las Vegas institution that marked its 60th anniversary in August. Since opening its doors, the resort has spent six decades making history—and becoming an indelible part of Las Vegas history along the way.
Construction of the 680-room resort, conceived by hotel operator, builder and designer Jay Sarno, began in 1965 and when it opened on Aug. 5, 1966, it offered lavish suites that featured whirlpool tubs, floor-to-ceiling windows, colorful shag carpeting, round beds and grand pianos. The opening party, whose invitations went out on elaborate scrolls, lasted 48 hours, as reported by The New York Times, cost $1 million (about $9.5 million today) and Andy Williams took to the stage.
Today, the resort offers 3,980 rooms and nearly 630 suites and villas spread across numerous towers, and is home to a Nobu Hotel (the world’s first), as well as 30+ restaurants and entertainment venues, the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis and the Forum Shops, with its very own 160 luxury boutiques, restaurants and entertainment spaces.
Sixty years after Caesars Palace first opened its doors, Prevue got a first-hand look at how the Las Vegas legend was celebrating the milestone. Caesars Entertainment Meetings & Events hosted us for a 3-day FAM, rolling out the red carpet—and giving us a taste of what happens when Caesars goes all in.
The whirlwind weekend gave us an inside look at the people, places and only-in-Vegas moments that have helped shape Caesars Palace over the past six decades—and a few reminders that its story is still being written.
Among those places are some that have helped make Caesars Palace, well, Caesars Palace—we sipped exclusive 60th anniversary cocktails at Vista Cocktail Lounge, dove into some much-welcomed downtime at QUA Baths & Spa’s renowned Roman Bath House, dined at the one-and-only Nobu (can I get a round of applause for the black cod miso?) and enjoyed a VIP breakfast at Restaurant Guy Savoy, where every bite took us one step closer to culinary heaven and where we had the rare opportunity to taste Ukrainian dessert wine from 1900.
But some of the most memorable moments came from hearing the stories of those whose own histories are intertwined with the resort’s. Among them was Dr. Kenneth Mattox, a trauma and acute care surgeon who has helmed the Trauma, Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery Conference (TCCACS) for more than 27 years. The conference—a premier forum for advancing trauma and acute care surgery—has been held at Caesars Palace for 60 years, nearly as long as the resort has been welcoming guests. Over those decades, research presented and ideas exchanged at the conference have helped advance trauma care and, ultimately, save lives around the world. And the reason they continue to return to Caesars Palace year after year? As Mattox tells it, the people who work there are like family, and there’s never been a request the resort couldn’t handle.
We also breakfasted with James Hogg, trained as a Gentleman’s Gentleman and Executive Director of Luxury Hotel Operations at Caesars Palace. He kept us enthralled with stories ranging from the resort’s early days to the larger-than-life requests of its Villa guests. Hogg joined Caesars Palace in 2024 and his passion for the property—and Las Vegas history in general—is palpable. A gifted storyteller and history enthusiast, Hogg helped curate a small museum dedicated to Caesars Palace’s 60th anniversary. Located just off the main lobby and open for the next few months, the museum offers a treasure trove of Caesars Palace history, with everything from film memorabilia and vintage playing cards to old-school casino chips, original menus and posters from legendary boxing matches as well as hotel room keys from years gone by.
All that history deserved a celebration—and Caesars Palace delivered. The weekend culminated in a 60th anniversary gala fit for an emperor with 2,800 guests in attendance. Eric Vaughn, the resort’s Director of Banquet Culinary Operations, did not hold back, creating a beautifully executed dinner with all the trappings. The star of the evening, though, was the birthday cake—an elaborate Julius Caesar cake perched atop a marble-inspired column and accented with flowers created by none other than the “Cake Boss” himself, Buddy Valastro.
And of course, there was entertainment—from Caesars Palace memorabilia lining the corridors to the ballroom, including a representation of the motorcycle “Evel” Knievel used when jumping over those fountains, to Colin Jost playing host for part of the evening and, finally, the main attraction: The Doobie Brothers.
Call it another one for the Caesars Palace history books. And we took a bit of that history home as we were gifted a crystal from a chandelier that once illuminated Caesars Palace’s casino floor.
For an in-depth “on location review” of how Caesars Entertainment Meetings & Events can roll out the red carpet for your groups—including “only in Las Vegas” offsite activation— check out Prevue’s upcoming November/December 2026 issue.
