Cleopatra Returns to Caesars Palace, Part of Resort’s 60th Anniversary Exhibit

By Scott Roeben, on September 18 2026
6 min read 4 comments
Las Vegas Things to Do in Las Vegas

A famous good luck charm, a statue that once welcomed guests to Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace is back at the Strip resort.

The Cleopatra statue is featured in a new free exhibit that features the history of Caesars Palace. The resort recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. Caesars opened Aug. 5, 1966. Cleopatra is slightly younger. She made her debut in September 1970, so she’s 56.

We’ll say what Caesars Palace can’t: It’s a long-standing tradition to touch Cleopatra’s boobs for good luck.

Cleopatra’s had a little work done. It’s Las Vegas, so it’s the law.

Cleopatra’s Barge closed at Caesars Palace in March 2020. Everything did, actually, thanks to the pandemic. Some things came back. Cleopatra’s Barge, not so much.

When the live entertainment venue closed, fans of Vegas history feared the famed Cleopatra statue might be headed to a landfill.

She was saved, and we shared she would be back, time and location unknown. Now we know. Our sources also got the part about a Clique venue replacing Cleopatra’s Barge, before it was announced. It’s now Caspian’s.

That is how we do.

Anyway, the new Caesars Palace exhibit is called the “Caesars Palace 60th Anniversary Experience.”

Here’s a quick walkthrough. The exhibit isn’t huge, so technically, any walkthrough is going to be quick.

We love it, but it’s not an experience. It’s an exhibit, a collection of memorabilia from the resort’s glorious history. It’s not immersive, or experiential, and it’s not especially interactive, but nobody’s perfect.

The Cleopatra statue is the centerpiece of the exhibit, but Caesars Palace has put together a treasure trove of discoveries in this well-executed homage to itself.

Come on, Cleo, at least try and feign a little excitement.

There’s a section devoted to the folks who have performed at Caesars, along with another display about the sporting events hosted there over the years.

Yes, the exhibit includes sports, despite our best efforts.

There are cabinets full of tchotchkes, along with fun facts galore.

In one cabinet, they talk about broken chips of all things.

Bette Midler didn’t love her time in Las Vegas, so we’re glad her chip broke.

The placard says, in part, “One question we are often asked is: ‘Can you break a casino chip?’ The answer is yes. Before you are examples of broken casino chips retrieved from dealers’ toke boxes. While chips are designed to withstand years of play, they can occasionally crack, chip, or break after countless hours on the gaming floor.”

“Tokes” are dealer tips, also known as “things people used to give service industry employees before point-of-sale systems created a backlash.”

The placard continues, “These chips also tell another story, one rooted in casino tradition. Have you ever noticed that when a guest tips a dealer, the dealer taps the table before placing the chip into the toke box? This custom dates back to the early days of casino gaming. In the 1930s, casino floors were closely watched by armed guards and pit supervisors. When a guest offered a tip, the dealer would tap the table to draw attention to the transaction, clearly signaling that the chip was a gratuity from the player and not an attempt by the dealer to take chips from the game. Today, the practice remains a symbol of transparency, integrity, and respect for the traditions of the gaming industry. The next time you hear that familiar tap, remember: you’re witnessing a small ritual that has connected casino employees and guests for nearly a century.”

More of this, please! Props to the Caesars Palace exhibit curator who realized, “We’re talking about ourself a lot. Let’s include some interesting casino trivia!”

It’s not the Smithsonian, but it’s a great way to kill some time until your escort arrives.

The exhibit includes employee uniforms, photos, antiques and lots of random items they dusted off and put all in one place. Was anyone clamoring for an artifact from a traditional Kagami Biraki ceremony marking the opening of the first Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace in 2013? No, but it’s still cool. Oh, and it’s sitting on a coffee table that dates back to 1966. Also cool in its own way.

You can touch a sake barrel once touched by up-and-coming actor Robert De Niro (in Italian, “Bob of the dark”). De Niro is a longtime partner in Nobu, along with Nobu Matsuhisa and film producer Meir Teper.

The hope is this collection will be a repository for other finds in the future, and that it will grow and eventually become permanent.

A lot of priceless items were sold off or disposed of when Caesars filed for bankruptcy in 2015, but there’s still a lot of memorabilia in the company’s various storage facilities. Think the warehouse at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but a reference that isn’t 45 years old.

When employees came across classic items in the past, there was really no place for them to go. This exhibit could be that.

We were ready to play this slot machine, but it’s slotless.

No casino exhibit would be complete without a couple of cheesy items, of course.

The “experience” at Caesars includes photos with the faces cut out for photo ops.

Fun fact: There’s no apostrophe in “Caesars Palace” because it’s a bare plural noun being used attributively, not as a possessive noun.  “Caesar’s” is the singular possessive genitive, “Caesars'” is the plural possessive genitive and “Caesars” is the attributive bare plural. Didn’t see that one coming, did you, Vegas nerds?

The Gazillionaire from “Absinthe” donated one of his blazers.

At the entrance to the exhibit, there are statues of Roman soldiers who stood guard at the original entrance to the resort, where Omnia Dayclub sits today.

They need to lose the flowers. It’s undignified.

There’s a scroll declaring George Burns will do a show at Caesars Palace on his 100th birthday.

That item is a tad bittersweet.

George Burns turned 100 on Jan. 20, 1996. He had planned a centennial performance, originally at the London Palladium and later at Caesars Palace, but his health had deteriorated after a 1994 fall, and the performances were canceled. He died on March 9, 1996, about seven weeks after his 100th birthday. Hey, this is a celebration of the anniversary of Caesars Palace, not some gloomy buzzkill! Moving on!

Today’s reminder nobody recovers from old.

The mini-museum at Caesars Palace is located in the space where the poker room was for a minute (it’s now back in its original space, next to the sportsbook).

It’s a few feet from the resort’s other famed statue, the buck-naked replica of David. Also acceptable are “butt-naked” and “butt-ass naked.”

Take a hard turn in the direction of David’s right cheek in the Appian Way Shops.

A placard on the other side of the David statue simply says, “I WAS IN THE POOL!”

As mentioned, the exhibit is free, and as such should be making it onto everyone’s “Best Free Things to Do in Las Vegas” lists soon.

The exhibit is open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. And did we mention it’s free?

Reminder: If you get a photo op with Cleopatra, please be gentle and respectful.

Boop, don’t grope. Also, avoid the nipular area. Keep it classy.

We are a noted expert on this subject because: 1) we have been doing a Las Vegas blog for a long time, 2) we have an extensive knowledge of gambling superstitions, 3) we have achieved a Boop Trifecta. Coloquially, Boopfecta.

No, really.

Ever hear of the Blue Angel statue? Well, it’s famous.

The Blue Angel was removed from its perch in 2017 for a restoration. You guessed it, boop.

We’re confident our Boopfecta will never be replicated.

Ever hear of Vegas Vickie? She was taken down in 2017 as well for a renovation. Fortune favors the bold.

Boop.

People often ask why we’re such a lucky gambler. It’s not by chance.

It’s called a legacy.

At one point the Neon Museum’s Twitter account accused us of sexualizing Vegas Vickie.

Our conclusion: Some of the people at the Neon Museum are knuckleheads and they definitely don’t gamble.

Is rubbing David’s toe sexualizing a statue? It’s rubbing Buddha’s belly sexualizing him? Joe Louis’ boxing glove? Elvis’ ring finger?

We rub lots of things for good luck, only a fraction of which are boobs. Yes, some are butts (thanks, Circa), but that’s beside the point.

You either get Vegas or you don’t.

Fun fact: YESCO actually increased the size of Vegas Vickie’s breasts during her restoration. Did Neon Museum lecture YESCO about sexualizing statues? Of course not.

We know there was a brouhaha about the touching of boobs for luck in Dublin. Las Vegas isn’t Dublin, unless you count “doublin’ down.” We’ll be here all week.

Anyway, we love the new exhibit at Caesars Palace and fingers crossed it will be made permanent.

If you’re in Vegas history mode, here’s a bonus find for you.

If you make your way to Pronto and Peter Luger, nearby you’ll find Frank Sinatra’s piano.

Yes, Sinatra was a jerk, but don’t let that fact get in the way of nostalgia.

The placard says, “This exquisite Steinway concert grand piano was reserved exclusively for Frank Sinatra’s performances at Caesars Palace. During his tenure with the famed resort/casino in the 1970s and 1980s, it was not touched for other artists’ shows. Caesars Palace proudly presents the Sinatra Steinway for your enjoyment, our tribute to a great performer whose sound and style defined Las Vegas entertainment.”

“What’s a Steinway?” our fellow youths ask. “Oh, about 750 pounds,” we answer.

If Sinatra was that touchy about his piano, imagine how protective he was of his organ!

Again, we will be here all week. You’ve been warned.