Published on: October 31, 2025, at 07:21h.
Updated on: October 15, 2025, at 10:58h.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Vegas Myths Busted” is released every Monday, alongside a special edition on Flashback Fridays. Today’s myth from our ongoing series first appeared on July 10, 2023.
Room 123 at Circus Circus casino hotel is said to be haunted by a mother and son, where a tragic double murder-suicide took place.
While many ghost stories of Las Vegas have been avoided, due to their resistance to debunking, this particular tale has drawn attention.
Supernatural myths often remain unchallenged since believers disregard evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
Additionally, some myths are woven around actual tragedies, such as the events of October 1, 2017, or the 1980 MGM fire. Discussing them in a ghostly context can offend the memories of those lost and the families affected.
However, an exception arises with the tale of Circus Circus’s Room 123.
Myth Explored
“Established in 1976 and run by Phil Ruffin, Circus Circus has more than its share of frightful supernatural encounters,” claims vegasforall.com. “Room 123 witnessed a horrific murder-suicide, and both the mother and son are said to roam the nearby corridors.”
This narrative seems inspired more by Stephen King’s “The Shining” and Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” than by facts.
In Stephen King’s 1977 “The Shining,” the most haunted area was Room 217, renamed to 237 in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation.
Parts of Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 work “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” were set in Circus Circus, humorously dubbed “the sixth Reich” by Thompson. Due to their disapproval, Circus Circus opted out of participating in Terry Gilliam’s 1998 film, which was subsequently filmed at the Stardust and Riviera, repurposed as “Bazooko’s Circus.”
Additionally, ghostcitytours.com claims, “Loud screams and pleas from a child can be heard coming from the room, and ‘Help Me’ has mysteriously appeared on bathroom mirrors—echoes of a distressed child trapped before his tragic demise.”
Unsurprisingly, a company that charges $24.99 per person for ghost tours wouldn’t be inclined to dilute their stories, right?
Setting the Record Straight
First off, Circus Circus was not built in 1976; it opened its doors in 1968 without a hotel, which followed in 1972.
Like many Strip hotels, Circus Circus has faced its own share of heartbreaking incidents.
Take, for instance, the case of Sang Boi Nghia and Khoung Ba Le Nguyen, a Vietnamese couple found murdered in their Circus Circus room on June 1, 2018. Julius Totter was arrested for the act.
While there are no documented cases of a mother taking her son’s life, it’s essential to understand that not every incident at a Las Vegas hotel is reported.
Importantly, it can be confirmed that no tragedy has ever occurred in Room 123 of Circus Circus.
In fact, Room 123 does not exist at Circus Circus.
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