A golden Cleopatra statue that once stood at Cleopatra’s Barge is back on display at Caesars Palace, headlining a new exhibit for the resort’s 60th year on the Las Vegas Strip.
After years out of sight, a piece of Las Vegas Strip history is back in the spotlight. Caesars Palace has restored its golden Cleopatra figurehead, the statue that once greeted guests at the famous Cleopatra’s Barge lounge. Now it stands at the center of a new memorabilia exhibit for the resort’s 60th anniversary.
Visitors will find the statue in the Appian Way shopping arcade. It stands on a red-striped pedestal, flanked by golden sphinxes. Casino.org reports the exhibit is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and anchors the anniversary celebration. The display gives guests a rare look at artifacts from the property’s early days and decades of entertainment. The Cleopatra figurehead had been in storage since late 2023, after the old barge lounge was turned into Caspian’s Caviar and Cocktails. The statue was restored and returned in September 2026.
Inside the 60th anniversary exhibit
The Cleopatra figurehead is surrounded by memorabilia that traces Caesars Palace’s story since it opened in 1966. According to Casino.org, the display features a 1966 cocktail waitress uniform, a Cleopatra costume and headdresses from the grand opening, a Tom Jones show program from 1971, Caesars Palace Grand Prix posters, and a vintage high-stakes slot machine. Each piece marks a different era in the resort’s entertainment and hospitality history.
The Cleopatra statue’s journey stands out. It was first installed as part of Cleopatra’s Barge, a lounge that opened in September 1970. The figurehead became a symbol of the venue’s unique vibe. The lounge was built around a replica barge set in a shallow lagoon, designed to gently rock as guests watched live shows. Over time, the statue became a good-luck charm. Guests rubbed it for luck so often that staff had to repaint the worn spots. Vital Vegas notes that "lucky rubbing" became a tradition, making the statue a true part of Las Vegas lore.
Cleopatra’s Barge and its legacy
Cleopatra’s Barge ran for fifty years. It hosted acts like Dionne Warwick, Blues Traveler, Matt Goss, and CeeLo Green. Wayne Newton was the last headliner, closing out the lounge with his “Up Close & Personal” residency in March 2020. After that, the space became Caspian’s Caviar and Cocktails. The Cleopatra statue went into storage in late 2023, as Casino.org confirmed.
The lounge’s influence lingered even after it closed. In 2022, Adele posted a photo from the empty venue’s deck before starting her residency at the Colosseum. The Cleopatra figurehead stayed out of sight until its recent restoration and return for the anniversary exhibit. Vital Vegas was first to post about the new display, noting that Caesars Palace "created a new space with lots of memorabilia" for the 60th anniversary and that Cleopatra returned "sans barge."
Artifacts and the visitor experience
For guests and longtime Las Vegas fans, the exhibit offers a real link to the Strip’s entertainment past. The memorabilia is meant to bring back the glamour and spectacle that have defined Caesars Palace for sixty years. The Cleopatra statue, especially, shows the property’s flair for showmanship—a tradition that still shapes the resort’s identity.
Las Vegas has seen a wave of nostalgia-driven attractions lately, from new wax figures at Madame Tussauds to themed restaurants and lounges. As reported earlier, venues across the city are using their own history to connect with both new visitors and loyal fans.
By restoring and displaying the Cleopatra figurehead, Caesars Palace is doing more than marking an anniversary. It is showing its role as a living archive of Las Vegas entertainment. Bringing this artifact out of storage and into the spotlight shows Caesars Palace knows what makes the Strip special: honoring the past while always moving forward. For anyone interested in the real story of Las Vegas hospitality, this exhibit proves that the city’s most lasting attractions are often the ones with the deepest roots.
