Stretching for over 4.2 miles, the world-famous Las Vegas Strip is known for its vibrant and eclectic collection of massive hotels, resorts, and casinos. However, did you know that it is also home to one of the most enchanting castles in Nevada? A unique blend of medieval charm and modern luxury, this incredible castle-themed hotel and casino is the perfect destination for an exciting Vegas vacation!
The Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Located along the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, the Excalibur Hotel and Casino is an enchanting castle where you can actually stay the night! With several colorful turrets, crenellations, a drawbridge, and even a moat, this incredible castle will make you feel like you’re back in medieval times.
The Excalibur Hotel and Casino cover about 50 acres of land at the Tropicana-Las Vegas Boulevard intersection. William Bennett and Veldon Simpson created the castle’s unique theme and design, after spending time traveling through various castles in Europe. Simpson was especially inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.
The design team hired a trademark expert to ensure that the hotel didn’t copy elements from Disney.
©Max Richard, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons – Original / License
Inside the Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Yates-Sullivan did the interior design of this beautiful castle in Nevada. The firm also traveled around Europe for inspiration but didn’t want to replicate the interiors of the country’s castles entirely. Instead, they also took inspiration from film studios with a much more romanticized and bright castle appearance.
When the Excalibur Hotel and Casino opened in 1990, it was the largest hotel in the world with 4,032 incredible castle-themed rooms! It only held this title for three years, however, and lost it to the MGM Grand just across the street. In addition, remodeling in 2006 removed and altered Excalibur’s rooms so that they now have a more simple and classic design.
Today the Excalibur Hotel and Casino boasts 3,981 beautiful rooms, all found in the four large 28-story towers framing the castle. The casino is 92,389 square feet, with over 2,500 slot machines and table games. In addition, the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Nevada also incorporates family-friendly elements into the castle with an arcade, motion simulator rides, and a medieval-themed midway with carnival games.
The interior is just as impressive as the exterior, with suits of armor and stained-glass windows.
Live Entertainment at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Besides its incredible design, one of the most unique aspects of the Excalibur Hotel and Casino is its live medieval-themed dinner shows. The first show, “King Arthur’s Tournament”, premiered back in 1990 when the hotel opened. This incredible live-action show featured 15 horses and 45 actors in many exciting jousting events. Later in 1999, the hotel spent more than 2 million dollars to upgrade and remodel the show, introducing the new-and-improved “Tournament of Kings”. You can still attend the show today, and it is one of the longest-running shows on the Las Vegas Strip!
“Tournament of Kings” is definitely an upgrade from the original, with impressive stunt work, horses, and pyrotechnic displays. As you watch brave knights battling in sword fights and jousting, you can enjoy medieval dinners — served medieval style of course, without utensils.
In addition to its medieval-style entertainment and events, the Excalibur Hotel and Casino also hosts shows and entertainment like the “Australian Bee Gees Show” and the very popular “Thunder from Down Under”.
MGM Resorts International operates the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.
Wildlife Near the Excalibur Hotel and Casino
The Excalibur Hotel and Casino is located on the Las Vegas Strip, which is an incredibly urbanized area. So, you likely won’t see a lot of local wildlife around this castle in Nevada. Occasionally you may catch a glimpse of pigeons outside the hotel, or possibly even small rodents, squirrels, or raccoons stealthily collecting scraps along the street.
However, you can still see other incredible animals in the many sanctuaries and parks near the hotel. The nearby Flamingo Hotel and Casino, for example, is home to the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat. In this beautiful four-acre garden area, you can see flamboyant Chilean flamingos basking within a serene habitat filled with waterfalls, ponds, trees, and streams. In addition to the flamingoes, there are also other beautiful birds, like parrots, brown pelicans, whistling ducks, shovelers, hummingbirds, and songbirds. If you look closely in the ponds, you might also be able to see turtles, albino channel catfish, sturgeon, and colorful Japanese koi. And the best part is that the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat is free to visit!
Chilean flamingos live in South America but have also been introduced in the Netherlands.
©iStock.com/WMarissen
Marine Wildlife Near the Excalibur Hotel and Casino
If you head down the strip to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, you can also visit the Shark Reef Aquarium. This spectacular 105,000-square-foot facility is home to all kinds of marine creatures, like sea turtles, jellyfish, rays, sharks, and even piranha. It does cost to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium, but it’s well worth the price to walk through the large Shark Tunnel and marvel at the enormous 1.3 million-gallon main tank.
In addition, the Silverton Casino and Lodge is home to the Silverton Las Vegas Aquarium, with more than 117,000 gallons of water and thousands of tropical fish species. Visiting the aquarium is free, and depending on the day, you might even see an enchanted mermaid swimming with the many beautiful sea creatures. And if you’re really looking for a fantasy getaway, the Silverton Aquarium also offers sessions at their magical Mermaid School!
Just off the Vegas Strip and Maryland Parkway, you can check out Seaquest Las Vegas, located in the Boulevard Mall. Not only are there tons of amazing marine animals here, but Seaquest also offers animal interactions as well. You can feed a crested porcupine, snorkel with stingrays, hold one of the world’s longest snakes, pet a large tortoise, snag a selfie with an opossum, or spend some time hanging out with an adorable wallaby!
Just a 20-minute drive from the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, lies the Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson. Here you can learn all about conservation efforts and how to protect animals across the world. There are also a few hands-on experiences, like feeding or painting a giraffe, or feeding a lion.
There are several different shark species living at the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
Native Wildlife in Paradise, Nevada
Although you are unlikely to see many native animals near the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, the area beyond the Las Vegas Strip is home to many desert animals. Here in the Mojave Desert, there are many incredible animals like desert tortoises, which can live up to 100 years! Bighorn sheep, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope also frequent the area. The desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) is the official state mammal of Nevada, and unfortunately, it is also an endangered species. They live within the mountainous desert and are excellent climbers due to their special hooves.
In addition, this unique desert area is also home to coyotes, scorpions, snakes, and bats. In fact, Nevada is home to over 20 different species of bats and a wide variety of different snakes! Most of the snakes in this area are harmless to humans, but there are a few venomous species. The Mojave rattlesnake, for example, is one of the most venomous snakes in the Mojave Desert. Fortunately, however, rattlesnakes are not aggressive, although they will defend themselves when necessary.
If you see a rattlesnake, leave it alone and be sure to give it a wide berth.
©Creeping Things/Shutterstock.com
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