Sunset: Circus Las Vegas

Don't clown around. Check Out the greatest shows on earth

This is the city of suspended disbelief--where the desert locale doesn't preclude Venetian canals, and a dozen busted rounds doesn't mean the next hand won't be blackjack. The circus, too, has long been a refuge from reality, so it's fitting that Las Vegas is becoming a kind of circus capital.

Vegas is the only spot where you can catch two shows by the world's premier circus, Cirque du Soleil, which emphasizes not only suspended disbelief, but actual suspension. In the "O" show at Bellagio, acrobats swing on a pirate ship frame 62 feet in the air, then dive into a 1.5-million-gallon pooi. At "Mystere" at Treasure Island, the Alexis Brothers lift each other with their fingertips and toes.

And that's just the tip of the big top. At Circus Circus, you can watch acrobatic and high-wire shows, where first-rate acts transform the faded Carnival Midway. Or consider taking a swing for yourself: Trapeze Experience s Peter Gold teaches beginning and advanced flyers. At the MGM Grand, you can get close-up views of the kings of the circus--a tunnel through MGM's Lion Habitat

gives you a free look at the animals (you might see a big cat's underbelly).

Certainly, no classic circus is complete without clowns, so you'll want to head east to Henderson. Ron Lee's World of Clowns boasts a carousel, a free self guided tour of the animation figure factory, and 600 painted goose eggs-the vehicles on which clowns trademark their funny faces. Other exhibits include costumes complete with goofy shoes, red noses, and-of course-suspenders of disbelief

"O": from $100; Bellagio; (888) 488-7111. "Mystere": from $82.50; Treasure Island; (800) 392-1999. Circus Circus: free; (800) 444-2472. Trapeze Experience: by appointment only; (702) 521-8658. Lion Habitat: free; MGM Grand; (800) 929-1111. Ron Lee's World offClowns: 9-5 daily; 330 Carousel Pkwy., Henderson, NV; (702) 434-1700.