The Mirage

The Mirage is a 3,000-room Polynesian-themed hotel and casino owned and operated by MGM Resorts International, located on 3400 South Las Vegas Boulevard on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Opening back in 1989, the Mirage is home to it's infamous volcano, the atrium located in the middle of the casino, the dolphin habitat, and Cirque du Soleil's LOVE.

Originally being owned by Steve Wynn, the Mirage is what was considered to be the first heavily themed casino, and is what created the family-friendly era of Las Vegas back in the 1990s, with the openings of hotels and casinos such as Paris, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and the Venetian.

The Mirage has it's own free tram that connects from the hotel and casino to the nearby Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

## History

### **Before the Mirage**

First occupying the Mirage was a tiny motel that went from the 1930s to the 1950s. It was later replaced with the Sans Souci Hotel 1950s. In 1962, the hotel became the Polynesian-themed Castaways Hotel and Casino. In 1967, Howard Hughes bought the hotel for $3 million as part of a buying spree on many Las Vegas properties.

### **Construction**

In 1987, entrepreneur Steve Wynn purchased the Castaways Hotel and Casino from the Howard Tools Company and was quickly demolished later that year.

After demolishing the hotel, Wynn announced that he would be building a massive Polynesian-themed resort and casino known as the Golden Nugget, named after the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino Steve Wynn owned on Downtown Fremont Street at the time. He later renamed it to "The Mirage" and purchased the name from the La Mirage Hotel and Casino and the Mirage Motel, which was renamed to the Glass Pool Inn and Key Largo after the purchase for $250,000. A presentation model of the upcoming resort could be seen within the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, another hotel and casino that Steve Wynn owned at the time.

During construction, Bud's Liquor & Gifts, which was a liquor and gift shop, closed and was demolished in 1988 to make way for the hotel and casino.

### **Opening and Early Years**

Designed by architect Jeol Bergman and interior designer Roger Thomas at a cost of $630 million, the Mirage was originally scheduled to open in December of 1989. It opened earlier on November 22, 1989. Until the Excalibur, the Mirage was the largest hotel in the world at 3,044 rooms. During opening, the Mirage held 6,400 employees, along with 2,300 slot machines, 115 table games, 40,000 shrubs, and 1,000 palm trees.

In February of 1990, the Mirage began showcasing Siegfried and Roy in the 1,500-set showroom. At the time, it was Las Vegas's most popular entertainment show until 2003, when Siegfried and Roy's white tiger, Mantecore, attacked Roy Horn, sending him to the hospital and ultimately ending the decade-long show.

In 2008, the Mirage renovated it's miniature volcano and added more special effects to it.

## Legacy

The Mirage, being one of the first heavily themed hotel and casinos in the Las Vegas Valley since Caesars Palace in 1979, began a period in Las Vegas's history known as the "family-friendly era" where previously mob-run hotels and casinos were replaced by heavily themed resorts that catered mostly to families and children. This included the Excalibur in 1990, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, and Luxor in 1993, New York-New York in 1997, the Bellagio, and the Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris in 1999.

A smaller inspiration for hotel and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip were the Mirage's Y-shaped wings, used on hotels built after the resort, including the Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, and the Venetian. Despite the Westgate being the first to use this layout, the Mirage would make it easier for elevator placement, room placement, and its overall design.