Excalibur Hotel & Casino

Opened in 1990, this re-creation of a medieval castle with its matching interior was a popular draw in its heyday, especially for families. As bigger, brighter and fancier resorts have opened up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, Excalibur has lost a bit of its luster, but it has managed to stand the test of time for those who are time-honored fans or traveling with kids.

Though it’s a bit rough around the edges, the 100,000-square-foot casino offers several table games and more than 1,700 slot, video poker and video keno machines. Excalibur’s casino truly excels in catering to the new gambler by offering several lessons each day (excluding holidays): poker at 11:00 a.m., roulette at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., blackjack at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., and craps at noon and 8:00 p.m.

The resort’s race and sports book offers wagering on every major collegiate and professional sport including football, hockey, basketball, baseball, mixed martial arts, auto racing, golf and tennis.

If traveling with small children, no visit to Excalibur is complete without a stop in the Fun Dungeon, which has a large variety of carnival midways, prize redemption games, sports games and arcade games. The Tournament of Kings is an interactive dinner show that includes lots of medieval action such as jousting and fireworks.