Cleopatra’s Barge Lounge and Nightclub, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue History

Cleopatra’s Barge was one of the most distinctive lounges in Las Vegas history, an extravagant Egyptian-themed nightclub and entertainment venue located inside Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. Debuting in August 1970 as part of the resort’s first major expansion, the lounge was designed by Albert Parvin & Company and quickly became one of Caesars Palace’s most recognizable attractions. The centerpiece was a full-scale ornamental barge modeled after the legendary pleasure vessel of Cleopatra VII. Surrounded by real water, the vessel featured elaborate Egyptian detailing, decorative oars, gilded columns, and an enormous sculpted figurehead extending from its bow. The barge itself served as both a cocktail lounge and performance space, creating the illusion that guests were partying aboard an ancient royal vessel. For decades, Cleopatra’s Barge offered a uniquely intimate form of Las Vegas nightlife. Live bands, singers, lounge performers, dancing, and cocktails filled the room, while its small scale placed audiences remarkably close to the entertainers. Unlike Caesars Palace’s large showroom productions, the Barge preserved the spontaneous, late-night atmosphere that once defined casino lounge entertainment. The venue continually reinvented itself as Las Vegas tastes changed. Singer Matt Goss performed there for approximately six and a half years, transforming the room into his sophisticated “Gossy Room.” Later productions included The Cocktail Cabaret, while Wayne Newton brought his Up Close and Personal show to Cleopatra’s Barge in 2019. Other performers and contemporary live-music programs helped keep the nearly 50-year-old room relevant well into the modern Strip era. Cleopatra’s Barge stopped operating in 2020 during the COVID-19 shutdowns and never reopened. Caesars confirmed its permanent closure in 2021. The historic barge was ultimately removed in 2024 to make way for Caspian’s Caviar & Cocktails, a new cocktail bar and live-music lounge. For half a century, Cleopatra’s Barge remained an extraordinary survivor from vintage Las Vegas, a wonderfully theatrical combination of lounge, nightclub, stage, and fantasy that embodied Caesars Palace at its most flamboyant.