The Mirage, casino resort that changed the Strip, closes; to return as Hard Rock Las Vegas

Steve Wynn’s iconic casino, which changed Las Vegas when it opened, has shut, and will re-emerge as the guitar-shaped Hard Rock Las Vegas

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Casino The Mirage, which changed Las Vegas with its dolphins, volcano and tropical island theme, has shut its doors for good. In its place will come the guitar-shaped Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Associated Press

Published: 7:26pm, 18 Jul 2024

The Mirage is about to vanish from the Las Vegas Strip.

Gambling ended and the doors closed on July 17 at the iconic, tropical-island-themed hotel-casino that opened in 1989 with a fire-spewing volcano outside, and Siegfried & Roy’s lions and dolphins inside.

Frenzied final days have seen standing-room crowds wagering to win US$1.6 million in slot machine progressive jackpot winnings that state regulations say have to be disbursed before the lights go out and a massive transformation of the property begins.

The Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show Love ended its 18-year run earlier this month. With gamblers gone, only memories will remain of former casino mogul Steve Wynn’s hotel that revolutionised the casino resort industry.

The Mirage’s volcano feature erupts for almost the last time on July 16, not long after the casino-resort’s Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show Love closed after an 18-year run. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

“Las Vegas always reinvents itself,” said Michael Green, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor whose father dealt blackjack for decades at casinos, including the now-closed Stardust and Showboat. “The Mirage is no longer state-of-the-art.”