Veldon simpson biography for kids photos

Veldon Simpson historical records.

The resort features a medieval castle theme and is named after King Arthur's mythical Excalibur sword. Property features include a 92, sq ft casino, a story hotel with 3, rooms, and various restaurants. The castle theme was conceived by company founder William Bennett, and the resort was designed by Veldon Simpson. Bennett and the design team traveled to castles throughout Europe for inspiration.

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Construction began in October , and the resort opened on June 19, It was the largest hotel in the world until the opening of the nearby MGM Grand in The Excalibur has hosted numerous shows, including Thunder from Down Under, which opened in and is the longest-running male revue in Las Vegas. Tournament of Kings, a medieval-themed show featuring sword fights and jousting, is the longest-running dinner show on the Strip.

The Excalibur occupies approximately 50 acres, located along the Las Vegas Strip at the southwest corner of the Tropicana — Las Vegas Boulevard intersection. The property was once the proposed site of the Xanadu, a 1,room resort announced in The Xanadu was never built, as its developers could not secure a deal with the county on the sewer infrastructure such a large project would have required.

Circus Circus Enterprises purchased the vacant site in May , and announced plans a month later to build a castle-themed resort on the land. The company held an international contest to determine the name of the new resort. More than , entries were made, and the winning name, "Excalibur", was selected from more than 33, names. It is named after King Arthur's mythical Excalibur sword.