After operating for more than 30 years, the instantly recognizable volcano that is the Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip will shortly be closing.
On July 17, the 3,000-room resort will close for a three-year restoration that will remove all traces of the Mirage and its tropical theme.
When casino tycoon Steve Wynn opened the Mirage in 1989, it marked the beginning of an era for the Strip’s upscale resorts. As the first resort with a sidewalk attraction—a volcano—the Mirage inspired the Bellagio and Venetian to follow suit with its own dancing fountains and canals.
“We look forward to the beginning of an exciting journey into a new era as Hard Rock Las Vegas will ignite the Strip with entertainment, innovation and world-class hospitality,” the Mirage said on its Facebook account, which has been flooded with memories in the comments.
Apart from the volcano, the Mirage was also home to other iconic Las Vegas attractions including the Cirque du Soleil production set to Beatles music and Siegfried and Roy’s White Tigers show.
The volcano will be razed to make way for new rooms, and the resort will reopen as Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027. It will have a towering 700-foot-tall hotel in the shape of a guitar, similar to its Florida counterpart.
In 2000, MGM Resorts purchased the Mirage from Wynn, and in 2022, Hard Rock International purchased it for a sum above $1 billion. Hard Rock owned the now-vacant Virgin Hotel off the Strip, thus this is the second time the company will be in Las Vegas.
Starting in July, more than 3,000 Mirage workers will be let off. The Hard Rock announced that it will provide severance pay exceeding $80 million. The impacted workers will get $2,000 for each year of employment with the chance to return when the hotel reopens, according to a statement from the Culinary Workers Union, which represents almost half of the Mirage’s workforce.
Reservations made by Mirage guests after July 14 will be cancelled and refunded. In addition, casino chips must be utilized at the Mirage before that date; however, they can be redeemed at Treasure Island, which is nearby, for a further 120 days after the resort closes.
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