Before viral videos made daredevil stunts easy to share, Evel Knievel was putting himself and his motorcycle in front of crowds to see just how far he could push a jump. One night in Las Vegas would become especially hard to forget.
Knievel came to Caesars Palace on New Year’s Eve in 1967 to land a motorcycle jump over its famous fountains, but his early stunt ended in a crash with serious injuries. As the cameras captured what happened, the footage introduced Evel Knievel to a much larger audience nationwide.
The jump became one of the best-known moments of Knievel’s career, but there is more to the story than the crash itself. The helmet he wore that night survived, and today it’s back in Las Vegas, where visitors can see it for themselves at the Evel Knievel Experience.
Why Caesars Palace Was Different
Evel Knievel had already spent years jumping motorcycles over cars and other obstacles before arriving at Caesars Palace, but the fountains gave him something bigger to chase. At roughly 121 feet, this would be his longest jump yet, in a city where spectacle was already part of the scenery.
For Knievel, pulling it off meant putting his name in front of people who had never seen one of his jumps before. Of course, first he had to get across the fountains and come back down safely. On New Year’s Eve in 1967, that second part proved to be a problem.
What happened at Caesars Palace became a major piece of Knievel’s story, one that visitors can now revisit through the real artifacts and exhibits at the Evel Knievel Experience. The jump may have happened decades ago, but its place in Knievel’s Las Vegas history is still easy to see today.
What Happened When Knievel Took the Jump
Knievel rode his Triumph Bonneville toward the takeoff ramp and launched himself over the Caesars Palace fountains. He cleared the water, but the landing went wrong. His rear tire caught the landing ramp, the handlebars were ripped from his hands, and Knievel went tumbling across the pavement toward the neighboring Dunes parking lot.
A few details from that day:
- Date: December 31, 1967
- Distance: Roughly 121 feet across the Caesars Palace fountains
- Motorcycle: Triumph Bonneville
- What went wrong: The rear tire caught the landing ramp, throwing Knievel from the motorcycle
The crash was brutal. Evel Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and several other serious injuries, turning what was supposed to be a triumphant landing into the moment that would ultimately make him famous. Accounts associated with Evel Knievel have long said he spent 29 days in a coma.
When the Crash Became the Story
A film crew had captured the entire attempt. When the footage reached a wider audience, people couldn’t look away. It wasn’t the clean victory Knievel had planned, but that became part of the story: he had taken an enormous risk in front of the cameras, and the spectacular crash made the stunt impossible to forget.
The footage helped propel Knievel into the national spotlight. What began as an ambitious Las Vegas motorcycle jump became a defining moment in his career, and the stunt set the stage for bigger jumps and a level of fame that was only getting started.
See It for Yourself: The Helmet That Survived the Jump
The helmet Knievel wore that night is now on display at the Evel Knievel Experience in Las Vegas. It’s a strange thing to stand in front of, a single piece of gear that was there for one of the most defining moments of his career and survived the crash that helped make him famous.
Nearby exhibits widen the lens, exploring the injuries Knievel sustained across his career and the physical price behind his fearlessness and showmanship. After seeing what happened during the jump, the helmet makes that history feel much more immediate.
More than half a century later, the footage still shows the world what happened that night. At the Evel Knievel Experience, the helmet gives visitors something the footage can’t: a chance to stand face-to-face with a surviving piece of the story.
FAQ
What happened when Evel Knievel jumped Caesars Palace?
On December 31, 1967, Knievel attempted to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He cleared the water but crashed on the landing, suffering serious injuries. Footage of the crash later reached a national audience and helped make him a household name.
How far did Evel Knievel jump at Caesars Palace?
Knievel attempted a roughly 121-foot jump across the Caesars Palace fountains, his longest attempted jump at the time. He cleared the fountains but failed to complete the landing successfully.
Was Evel Knievel badly hurt in the Caesars Palace crash?
Yes. Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis and several other serious injuries and spent weeks recovering in the hospital. Some accounts have claimed he spent 29 days in a coma, although that detail has since been disputed.
Where can I see Evel Knievel’s real Caesars Palace helmet?
The actual helmet Knievel wore during the 1967 Caesars Palace jump is on display at the Evel Knievel Experience in Las Vegas. Visitors can see it alongside other memorabilia and exhibits exploring Knievel’s career.
What motorcycle did Evel Knievel ride at Caesars Palace?
Knievel rode a Triumph T120TT Bonneville during the 1967 Caesars Palace jump. He later became closely associated with Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but a Triumph carried him through the stunt that helped make him famous.
Is the helmet at the Evel Knievel Experience the real one from the jump?
Yes. The Evel Knievel Experience identifies the helmet on display as the one Knievel wore during his Caesars Palace jump, not simply a helmet representing that period of his career.
Come Face to Face With the Legend
The actual helmet Knievel wore during his historic Caesars Palace jump is on display at the Evel Knievel Experience, along with memorabilia and exhibits spanning his remarkable career.
Visit us in the Las Vegas Arts District and see a surviving piece of the stunt that helped turn Evel Knievel into an American icon.
