On June 19, 1990, after 20 months of construction, the $290 million Excalibur opened with its two 28-story towers totalling 4,032 rooms. Ribbon cutting ceremonies were conducted with the assistance of Jack D. and Betty Houston of Knoxville, Tennessee, winners of an international "Name The Castle" contest. Trumpeters, fireworks, and a release of 15,000 red, white and blue balloons announced to all of Las Vegas that the Excalibur was ready to join the resort competition. An estimated 30,000 guests visited the castle-themed resort within the first few hours of operation.

According to legend, Excalibur was a magical sword embedded in stone. During a period of unrest and disunity in post-Roman Britain, it was proclaimed that whomever could pull the sword from the stone would be crowned King of England. After knights of highest renown failed in their attempts to free the sword, Arthur, a mere squire, succeeded. King Arthur's reign gave birth to the tales of Camelot. The Knights of the Round Table and the Arthurian legend form the basis for much of the resort's plush decor.

Excalibur was the dream of Circus Circus President William Bennett utilizing the talents of architect Veldon Simpson.

"This resort integrated aspects of theater, festival and casino to provide our customers with a singular entertainment experience." - William Bennett

The Excalibur is a fairy-tale chateau brilliantly out of all proportion to its surroundings. The General Contractor was Marnell Corrao Associates of Las Vegas and the Structural Engineer was Tom Pappas of Santa Barbara, California. The Interior Designer was Yates-Silverman of Los Angeles, California.

"As it turned out, Excalibur didn't look like any of the other (castles). Mr. Bennett wanted a castle unique to itself, so it has colors not harmonious to a castle. It's a Las Vegas castle." - Veldon Simpson, architect

The castle was taken from the Neuschwanstein in Bavaria which also inspired Walt Disney's designers in creating Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland and later Walt Disney World. The Neuschwanstein, built between 1869 and 1881, is not a real castle, but a fantasy castle built for the "Mad" King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Never meant as a serious fortress, Neuschwanstein had a lightness that real castles could not afford.

Excalibur consists of portcullis gates, stone walls, a moat, courtyards, dungeons, and strolling townspeople in medieval dress. Seen from the south end of the Strip, the overscale turrets are a tour de force in the use of scale to defeat distance.

Scale can exaggerate the elements of a building that gives clues indicating how big it is. Standard doors are 6'8" high, windows are proportioned to allow an average person to see through them from eye level. The Excalibur takes the turrets and portcullises of a typical castle and increases their size so much that they can be read clearly from far away. The red, blue and gold turrets are sized so they are not to be dwarfed by the 28-story towers flanking them, a 1/16th inch model helped to proportion the towers during design.

"The structural steel frame facade, built around the most modern and efficient technology known at this time has been used. Although the Excalibur has been built strictly to code, some of the methods used have been unique due to its massive size." - Fred White, Vice President of construction for general contractor Marnell Corrao Associates, Inc.

"In order to accomplish the intricate castle design, it was necessary to incorporate state-of-the-art building techniques and materials. The hotel towers were designed in load bearing masonry due to considerations for quality construction, sound transmission between guest rooms, durability and maintenance. The castle design required newer techniques such a drivit, fiberglass moldings, biofiltration for the moats and structural techniques that allowed giant cranes to fly te cones into place (made in three to five sections) for the spires that tower 265 feet above the casino floor below." - Veldon Simpson, A.I.A., Las Vegas

Inside the Excalibur are chandeliers which are four-square and medieval. The circular courts are surrounded by a fake stone wall topped with battlements; above them a sky blue mural effectively bring the outdoors indoors. The neon ornament capping slots machines and video poker banks - neon knights, swords, and horses make the interior into a carnival midway. In the center of the Excalibur casino is a staircase that leads up to the shops and restaurants. At the main entry, stairs lead down to a game arcade.

On the southwest corner an entire second entry court with a lobby serves only package-tour buses. Rimmed by turrets and scaled to the turning radius of a bus, the entry is fully integrated into the hotel in both function and theme.

The construction of Excalibur was no easy task. It took 3.2 million concrete blocks, 2.5 million concrete slabs, 25,000 yards of grout, 7,200 yards of mortar mix, over 100,000 square feet of concrete stucco stone, over 13 million pounds of structural steel, 4 miles of on-site underground piping for utilities, 8-1/2 acres of roofing, 1,640 tons of roof ballast gravel, 172 acres of drywall, 761 miles of drywall studs, and 32,226 gallons of paint. The two pools hold a combined total of over 357,000 gallons of water.

If that isn't enough, to create the interior of Excalibur it took 82-1/2 acres of wall covering, 248,000 square feet of carpet, 110,000 yards of window fabric, 55,000 yards of bedspread fabric, 8,000 corridor and entry lights, 7,000 beds and bedspreads, 6,000 telephones, 5,000 night stand tables, 3,000 restaurant seats, and 30,000 lineal feet or 5-3/4 miles of Corion vanity tops (the largest single order in manufacturer's history).

The average of monthly food used by Excalibur is 1.2 million alcohol beverages, 390,000 pastries, 330,000 bread rolls, 44,100 Cornish game hens, 36,000 heads of lettuce, 15,000 pounds of hamburger meat, 5,400 gallons of Pepsi, and 4,200 pounds of prime rib.

The casino is located on 100,000 square feet of area. The casino includes 2,475 slot, video poker, and video keno machines, including 1,200 new slot machines. Slots range from $25.00 to $.05. There are also 59 Blackjack tables: five hand-held, single-deck tables; five hand-held double-deck tables; and 49 shoe-dealt tables; seven Roulette wheels; four Craps tables with double odds; three Pai Gow poker tables; two Caribbean Stud poker tables; two Let-It-Ride Tournament tables; Mini-Baccarat table; Big Six Wheel; and Casino War. There are 11 poker tables featuring 7-Card Stud and Texas Hold 'Em. The Keno lounge holds 105 seats, and the 150 seat race and sports book has big screen television monitors featuring live action (interactive wagering by Sportxction is also available).

The Exalibur had the title of holding the world's largest fully animated interior Keno board.

Restaurants include Camelot, Sir Galahad's, Lance-A-Lotta Pasta, Sherwood Forest Cafe, and RoundTable Buffet. Also included are two wedding chapels where couples can choose to be married in medieval attire instead of traditional and the Minstrel's Lounge which features a dance floor with two live bands playing nightly.

There is free entertainment at Excalibur by way of a giant, scaly, fire-breathing dragon that lurks in the castle moat seeking domination. Every evening, visitors can stand on the Castle's drawbridge and watch as the giant dragon creeps into the moat below, charging the Castle. Suddenly Merlin appears, defending the Castle by shooting a series of fire balls at the scaly beast, commanding him to cease the assaults. The dragon slinks away, under the drawbridge, to try again in the next hour. (Shows start at 6:00pm to midnight nightly, depending on weather conditions of course).

The 51-foot monster was created by robotic animation wizards in Valencia, California. Before the dragon was constructed, various designs were drawn to determine exactly what features would make the beast look as fierce and mighty as possible. Once the designs were complete, the animators created prototypes out of clay and foam, which later became the final molds for the beast.

The animators were able to recapture the finest details of this mythical creature with hand-painted murky-green scales, glowing yellow eyeballs, and a blood-red smile that truly makes this monster an intimidating competitor for Merlin the Magician, who is also a robotic animation.

"It took nine months to construct this beast. We really wanted to make this dragon look lifelike." - Scott Kessel, Animation Supervisor

Designed for easy maintenance and movement, the dragon is constructed with silicone, stainless steel and fiberglass. The neck is made of rubber, which can be unzipped and removed for easy access. This allows engineers to easily remove any objects that the dragon might accidentally swallow, such as a tourist's stray camera.

The fight sequence in Excalibur's moat between the Merlin and the dragon is programmed into a computer that tells the beast exactly how to battle his enemy, and some very tricky maneuvering is executed to safely allow the dragon to move from underneath the bridge and into battle.

The Fountain Fantasy - 1991.

When it opened, patrons entered via the people mover and found themselves surrounded by a soaring, 40 foot atrium with towering rock walls. The centerpiece of the atrium was a magjestic fountain that raised 33 feet from the Fantasy Faire below.

Sequoia Creative, Inc., of Sun Valley, CA, created the fountain. It featured graceful dome-shaped, glass-like waterfalls with colorful puffs of smoke injected under the water to create a reflective, misty effect. Five sculptured dolphins, just above the 30 foot base, spewed jets of water from their mouths, forming a sparkling skirt of water flow around the base pool. The second level water dish was surrounded by stone frogs, each spouting a small arch of water into the upper bowl.

The top of the fountain was the most dramatic. Six lion heads were enveloped in another arch of glistening, smooth waters. Smoke began to fill the upper water dome, causing the lions to nearly disappear behind viividly-clouds of mist. The water shield suddenly broke, expelling the misty clouds and once again revealing the hand-sculptured lions.

The 925 seat multi-tiered theatre allowed for comfortable seating while enjoying a banquet feast served by the diner's own serf or wench. The opening show was King Arthur's Tournament with a cast of 50 in addition to the specially trained Andulsian horses imported from Europe.

Showscan Film Corporation of Culver City, CA, installed the two 48-seat Magic Motion Machines. The machines featured unique filmed "rides" that combined patented Showscan technology for "Experimental Entertainment" with hydraulically-actuated seats synchronized to the on-screen action.

Showscan's DMS was far more than just a film image; the Intamin seats had an incredible range of movement, and the Dolby Five-Channel SR Sound System makes the experience larger than life. It utilized 70mm film photographed and projected at 60 frames per second, compared with the standard of 35mm film, shot and projected at 24 frames per second.

From dawn till dusk, seven days a week, weather permitting, there are at least two security guards mounted on any of the five Quarter horses that Excalibur houses in stables in the rear parking lot. Guests were protected by security on horseback patrolling the grounds.

"I make sure that those selected as mounted security use only proper riding techniques at all times, giving the beautiful animals the best care available." - Terry Harris, Assistant Security Supervisor

"Self portrait taken in 1990 when I was the Director of Photographic Services at the Excalibur. I was shooting a helicopter hovering in front of the hotel off the roof of the then "Marina" hotel which became integrated into the new MGM. Anyway, I had one frame of film left in the camera, and used the self-time to take this shot." - Mike Christ

In 1992, King Arthur's Arena showcased King Arthur's Tournament, and The Wonderful World of Horses. The Minstrel's Lounge showcased Gentlemen and Their Lady, Gary & Sandy, Earl Turner, and Sonny Turner.

Also in 1992, Excalibur displayed the Batmobile which was used in the movies Batman, and Batman Returns. The creation was a fully functioning automobile equipped with a specially constructed Chevy Corvette engine. The car was 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and weighed 3,000 pounds. A state-of-the-art interior featured a complete weapons sytem and wall-to-wall aircraft instrumention and controls. The paint was a combination of 70 coats of black, hand-rubbed acrylic lacquer.

In 1993, Robert Long from Ecorse, Michigan, a retired steel-mill worker, won $2,293,640 at one of Excalibur's $1 progressive machines.

In 1994, Excalibur showcased King Arthur's Tournament. Wild Bills Saloon & Steakhouse showcased Paradise Motel, Don Holiman, Country Knights, and Jumpin' Boots. Minstrel's Theatre showcased Sooper Dogs, and Tony Tillman.

In 1995, Excalibur's Executive Chef Lucio Arancibia was named 1995 Chef of the Year by the Las Vegas Chapter of the Fraternity of Executive Chefs. Arancibia headed a food department that served an average of 7.9 million meals a year.

In 1995, Excalibur showcased King Arthur's Tournament, and A Symphony in White starring the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions. Wild Bills Saloon and Steakhouse showcased Country Knights, and Jumpin' Boots, Randy Anderson, Randy Copas & Lonesome Hearts, and Electric Cowboy Band. Minstrel's Theatre Lounge showcased Far East, and Next Movement.

In 1996, King Arthur's Arena showcased King Arthur's Tournament, An Evening In Vienna, and Symphony in White.

In 1997, Excalibur added 12,000-plus square-foot facilities which occupies the entire third level of the resort and can be broken down into as many as eight smaller rooms as needed. A full-service catering kitchen surrounds the facilities, and a large catering menu and staff are available and can be tailored to any group - large or small. Excalibur also offers a planning staff.

During this year King Arthur's Arena showcased King Arthur's Tournament, and An Evening in Vienna starring the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions.

Wild Bills Saloon & Steakhouse and Minstrel's Theatre Lounge showcased dance music nightly. Court Jesters Stage showcased strolling entertainers.

In October of 1998, Excalibur was awarded "Best Hotel Slots" by the readers of Las Vegas Style magazine.

"I am delighted that visitors to Las Vegas have recognized us as the best in town, and I want to thank our employees for making our customers feel at home." - John Martin Meyer - Slot Director

Free entertainment is performed by the King's Best. Located on the second level of the resort is the Court Jesters Stage, where acts including musicians, jugglers, magicians, and puppeteers are performing each day.

"We wanted to provide our guests with multiple entertainment options. We have the very successful jousting dinner show 'Tournament of Kings' for a theatrical experience, as well as a lounge where people can listen and dance to popular music. The Court Jesters Stage provides a venue where guests can experience what entertainment may have been like in King Arthur's day free of charge.

"For a true taste of medieval entertainment, we have acts who play period instrument and music, such as mandolin, flute, harp, and guitar. But we also have singers who sing contemporary songs, and magicians who perform feats that medieval magicians never would have imagined." - Bob Anderson - Entertainment Supervisor and Company Manager

The "Tournament of Kings" show replaced "King Arthur's Tournament" which was the original show when Excalibur opened in the King Arthur's Arena that has undergone a $1.2 million renovation. This new $1 million production is a dinner show and features new sets, lavish costumes, and theatrical ousting and sword fighting. The show is the story of when Arthur gathers his fellow kings of Europe for a no-holds-barred competition to honor his son Christopher.

The original concept for this show was the dream of the late Peter Jackson. Tournament has been produced by Jackson's son Patrick of Royal Productions, Inc., with Associate Producer Sandi Ross and Director Philip Shelburne. The script is by Doug Baker. Just in case you're wondering about the actors who play in this show some of them are Dave Swan as King Arthur, Anthony Hansen as Christopher, Paul Fidler as Mordred, and Vern Ursenbach as Jester. The costumes were created by Emmy-nominated French designer Michel Fresnay. The music score is composed by Scot Rammer and arranged by Joseph Blaum.

Another new attraction is the World Championship Wrestling "Nitro Grill" located on the second level replacing Wild Bills Saloon and Steakhouse. Nitro brings a multi-media mix of live wrestling presentations, live music, shopping, and dining. WCW celebrity appearances, both scheduled and impromptu, is the highlight with at least one wrestler appearing each week.

Guests can experience both live wrestling presentation and special pay-per-view WCW events, enriched by a surround sound system.

Dec. 1998
Donated by Heidi & Emiliano Palustre

In 1999 it was reported that the average of monthly figures for people going to Excalibur resulted in 751,388 diners (combined for all restaurants and snack bars), 232,500 retail shoppers, 732,142 visitors to Fantasy Faire (skill games and rides), 136,032 guests booking hotel rooms, and 85,013 slot players.

In 1999, Excalibur decided it was time to update the resort, not just the shows. Each room had been completely refurbished with new beds, interiors and furnishing.

The pools were then heated for people to swim in even in chilly weather. Also remodeled was the RoundTable Buffet area.

In 1999 Circus Circus Enterprises, Inc., changed its name to Mandalay Resort Group.

During this year, King Arthur's Arena showcased Tournament of Kings. The Minstrel's Theatre Lounge showcased live entertainment. Nitro Grill showcased live music, shopping, and appearances by WWC celebrities.

For New Years Eve the Tournament of Kings was shown at 10:30pm. Tickets were $75.00 and included dinner, champagne and party favors. The 6:00 and 8:30pm shows remained the same.

On May 16, 2000, a two-alarm fire at the resort left guests waiting outside on the sidewalk, while others stood around the resort's four elevator lobbies waiting to return to their rooms, but the majority of patron went on gambling.

Photo by K.M. Cannon

Clark County Fire Department spokesman Steve La-Sky said two floors in Tower Number One were evacuated after they filled with smoke from a fire that started in the hotel's basement trash chute. Firefighters extinguished the 4:00pm blaze in less than 10 minutes, but an additional three hours were needed to finish clearing smoke from the hotel. The fire caused about $7,500 worth of damage from firefighters knocking down a basement wall to reach the flames.

Because no one was injured in the fire, which appeared to be accidental, investigators will not sift through the large pile of burned garbage in the bottom of the chute to find the fire's source of ignition - Steve La-Sky

"I listened for an announcement about what was going on, but I couldn't hear anything over the sound of slot machines. I figure I'm close to an exit if anything is happening." Arlene Kelly, 60-year-old first-time visitor from Tucson, Ariz., who continued playing nickel slots while emergency lights flashed and fire alarms sounded throughout Excalibur's casino.

On September 17, 2001, Mandalay Bay Group Donated $1 million to aid the families of fallen police officers and firefighters who died during the September 11th attacks. The donation was made in conjunction with efforts led by Clark County Sheriff Jerry Keller and Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments. The funds will be distributed to appropriate organizations at the direction of Sheriff Keller.

"Our hearts go out to every victim of this unspeakable tragedy, but especially to those who answered the call of those in need. If we can in some small way assist those who walk bravely and willingly into harm's way, we do so without hesitation." - Bill Richardson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Mandalay Bay Group

On September 30, 2001, Excalibur closed the $2 million restaurant Nitro Grill less than 16 months after its opening.

Excalibur was a winner in the 2001 What's On Visitor's Choice Awards for Best Kid's Production Show with Tournament of Kings, and Best Keno.

On Sunday, September 23, 2001, Catch a Rising Star show at the resort donated all proceeds from its show to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Tickets were $16.95.

In 2001, King Arthur's Arena showcased Tournament of Kings. Catch a Rising Star showcased Jackie Flynn & Rich Brown (4/23-29), and Ken Rogerson & Ron Kenny (4/22).

In 2002, the resort listed their lounges as Court Jester's Stage, Minstrel's Theater Lounge, and Regale & The Steakhouse at Camelot.

In April 2002, Mandalay Resort Group announced they were bowing out of the American Gaming Association (AGA) when it membership expires in July of 2002 (they had been a member since 1995.) It is rumored that a company the size of Mandalay Bay usually pays in the neighborhood of $500,000 a year in dues. Industry watchers said the move reflected a growing feeling that giants MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment Inc., have gained undue influence over the AGA's agenda.

"I view it as a setback for the industry because it's hard to have a unified voice if there's dissention among the leading companies, but industry conditions are very competitive, and relationships in some cases have gotten more strained over the years. Creating an organization like the AGA has been a political balance from day one." - Jason Ader, Bear Stearms Gaming Analyst

In May 2002 - Casino operators reached contract agreements with the union representing waitresses and housekeepers, virtually eliminating the prospect of a strike. The latest agreements between the Culinary Workers Union and the casinos were reached with Mandalay Resort Group, MGM Mirage, Park Place, Aztar Corp., and Harrah's. The new agreements cover about three-quarters of the 40,000 cooks, waitresses and housekeepers the union represents in Las Vegas. Under the new tentative contracts, workers will receive anaverage of $3.24 in increased hourly wages and benefits over the new contract's five-year life. Much of that will go to pay for higher health insurance costs, which workers will continue to receive free of charge.

On December 22, 2002, William Bennett passed away at Desert Springs Hospital following a lengthy illness.

On March 21, 2003, the largest slot machine jackpot in gaming history, $39,713,982.25, was won on a Megabucks machine at the resort. The winner was a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles. He had been visiting family members in Las Vegas and keeping track of college basketball's "March Madness" with some friends. His uncle had told him about the Megabucks total and suggested that he play it. He said he'd played about $100 on the machine when he turned his head away from it for an instant. When he looked at the machine again, the winning symbols had lined up. The unmarried winner's birth date contained three sevens and an 11, so this big win may have been in the cards for him.

"This MegaJackpot(TM) is nearly $5 million more than the previous world record slot jackpot amount of $34.9 million. This one goes into The Guinness Book of Records." - John Sears, Vice President of MegaJackpots for IGT

The $34.9 million jackpot, now the second-largest ever, was hit more than three years ago at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas on Jan. 26, 2000. In its 17-year history, Megabucks has produced 58 major winners, whose combined winnings total more than $425 million. Megabucks is a 3-coin dollar progressive slot machine that was launched in Nevada casinos in March 1986. The Nevada progressive system connects 691 slot machines in 160 Nevada casinos to a top jackpot that builds from a base amount of $7 million. The top jackpot is paid in annual installments, upon verification of the win.

"I'm still stunned; it doesn't seem real yet, but both of my parents are still working, so some of this money will be used to fund their retirement." - The winner

In 2003, King Arthur's Arena will be showcasing Tournament of Kings dinner show. Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club will be showcasing nightly entertainment. Merlin's Theater will be showcasing Thunder From Down Under (dark Thursdays).