The restored Cleopatra figurehead that once adorned Caesars Palace’s iconic floating barge lounge is now on display at the Las Vegas resort. The statue is part of a 60th-anniversary memorabilia exhibit in the Appian Way shopping arcade, as first reported by Vital Vegas.

Cleopatra is now featured in the exhibit commemorating the opening of Caesars Palace in 1966, along with other artifacts like a vintage cocktail waitress uniform, Cleopatra costume, Tom Jones show program, Grand Prix posters, and a classic slot machine.

The statue is displayed on a red-striped pedestal flanked by golden sphinxes.

Barging In

Cleopatra’s Barge debuted in 1970, replacing Nero’s Nook lounge in what is now the Nobu Hotel tower. The lounge, designed as a replica of the vessel linked to Cleopatra and Mark Antony, featured a gold-painted figurehead that extended into a walkway. Guests used to touch the statue for luck, becoming a Vegas tradition.

Vital Vegas listed the statue as one of the top items to rub for good luck in Las Vegas, along with other Caesars Palace attractions.

The barge did not actually float but was on a fixed platform offering a mild rocking motion. Both the barge and the original statue are now history.

Final Bow

Cleopatra’s Barge hosted performances by various artists until Wayne Newton’s residency in 2019, marking its final act before closing permanently in March 2020. Adele made a cameo on the barge in 2022, just before launching her residency at the Colosseum.

The Cleopatra statue was later relocated to storage in 2023 as the space was renovated into Caspian’s Caviar and Cocktails. Caesars Palace hopes to make the new exhibit a permanent fixture.