Evel Knievel

About

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel, born in Butte, Montana, in 1938, attempted more than 300 stunts over his career. His defining moment came in Las Vegas. He and Caesars Palace founder Jay Sarno, whose resort had opened the year before, arranged for Knievel to jump the hotel's front fountains on New Year's Eve 1967, a stunt designed as much for publicity as for spectacle.

On December 31, 1967, Knievel attempted a jump of about 140 feet, the longest of his career. He landed badly, crashing at around 90 mph and tumbling head over heels. HISTORY reports that he crushed his pelvis and broke his left hip, right ankle, hands and wrists, and other accounts say he was in a coma for nearly a month. But Sarno's son, Jay Sarno Jr., said in 2025 that Knievel was never admitted to intensive care, and that his father spread stories of a near-fatal injury to win headlines.

Either way, the crash made him a star. HISTORY notes that television and promoters came calling afterwards, leading to stunts such as his 1974 Snake River Canyon rocket jump. Jumping the Caesars fountain became a goal for later stunt riders; Travis Pastrana cleared it in HISTORY's "Evel Live!" broadcast with a 149-foot jump. Knievel died in Clearwater, Florida, in 2007 at 69.

In 2026 his legacy got a permanent home in Las Vegas. The Evel Knievel Experience, which traces its roots to a museum that opened in Topeka, Kansas, in 2017, moved to the downtown Arts District. His eldest son, Kelly Knievel, a Las Vegas resident, said at the opening that his father loved the city and had always wanted to move here.

What to expect

The Evel Knievel Experience, at 1001 S. First St. in the downtown Las Vegas Arts District, opened in late June 2026. It covers more than 30,000 square feet over two floors, with his jumpsuits and motorcycles, the Skycycle X-2 rocket from the Snake River Canyon jump, his Caesars Palace jump helmet, and "Big Red", the restored Mack truck and trailer he toured with. Extras include a 4D virtual-reality jump over 16 cars.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that the museum opens daily at 10 a.m. with last entry at 8 p.m., on-site parking costs $4 an hour, and most visits take 60 to 90 minutes. Check the museum's website for current hours and prices.

More people who shaped Las Vegas

• Bugsy Siegel
• Howard Hughes
• Steve Wynn
• Kirk Kerkorian
• Elvis Presley

Las Vegas history

• Las Vegas history, era by era

Good to know

• The extent of his injuries is disputed: some accounts say he was in a coma for nearly a month, while Jay Sarno Jr. says reports he was near death were exaggerated for publicity.
• Sarno Jr. recalled that Knievel returned to Caesars Palace for dinner about three weeks after the crash, walking with a cane.
• The Las Vegas museum began as the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas, which opened on May 26, 2017, and announced its move to Las Vegas in May 2024.
• Children 5 and under get in free, with discounts for ages 6-12, groups, local residents and military, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Questions about Evel Knievel