Caesars Palace : The First Themed Casino in Las Vegas
sprawling casino , the beautifully maintained gardens , and the luxurious shopping center known as the Forum .
THE GARDENS
Caesars , like Rome , added and subtracted art over the years . ( McCombie 60 )
Caesars meticulously landscaped gardens lie along Las Vegas Boulevard across from the Flamingo Hotel-Casino . Visitors see evidence of construction as the Palace continually reinvents itself . Builders recently removed two lovely fountains and an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius to make way for a Gordon Ramsey restaurant named Hell ’ s Kitchen . The manicured gardens also feature the Garden of the Gods Oasis with seven different themed swimming pools and sun bathing cabanas . A beautiful statue of Tyche , the Greek goddess of chance , presides over a swim-up blackjack table in one of pools . As visitors walk north along Las Vegas Boulevard , the following art works come into view .
Hippocampi�These creatures possess the upper body of a horse and lower body of a fish . This mythical creature originated in Phoenician and Etruscan times .
Winged Victory of Samothrace�The original statue of Nike , the Greek god of victory , stands on a landing on a staircase in the Louvre museum . Jay Sarno commissioned Italian artisans to craft a replica of this ten-foot statue from a block of Carrara marble . This iconic statue of the 2 nd century masterpiece says “ Caesars ” more than any digital and neon freestanding sign . Framed by an elongated reflecting pool , Nike ushers a warm and powerful invitation to all visitors to enter and enjoy the delights of Caesar Palace . David Schwartz described her as “ a fitting symbol that hope never dies ” ( 271 ).
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