The Mirage

This article is about the hotel. For other uses, see The Mirage (disambiguation).
The Mirage Resort and Casino
Location Las Vegas Strip, Paradise, Nevada
Address 3400 Las Vegas Blvd South
Opening date November 22, 1989 (November 22, 1989)
Theme Polynesia
Number of rooms 3,044
Total gaming space 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2)
Permanent shows Terry Fator
The Beatles: LOVE
Signature attractions The Volcano
Dolphin Habitat
The Secret Garden
Notable restaurants Japonais
STACK
Fin
TOM COLICCHIO'S HERITAGE STEAK
Portofino
Samba Brazilian Steakhouse
Owner MGM Resorts International
Architect Joel Bergman
Coordinates 36°07′16″N 115°10′31″W / 36.12111°N 115.17528°W / 36.12111; -115.17528Coordinates: 36°07′16″N 115°10′31″W / 36.12111°N 115.17528°W / 36.12111; -115.17528
Website mirage.com

The Mirage is a 3,044 room Polynesian-themed resort and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The resort was built by developer Steve Wynn and is currently owned and operated by MGM Resorts International.

The original marquee sign in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world. The resort is connected by a free tram to the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino neighboring the hotel's property to the north.

History

Construction

Built environment: The Mirage seen from The Venetian, 2008, showcasing the Beatles-themed Love show.

The Mirage was built by developer Steve Wynn and designed by Joel Bergman. It opened on November 22, 1989 and was the first resort that was built with the money of Wall Street through the use of junk bonds. It was built on the site formerly occupied by the Castaways and prior to that, the Red Rooster Nite Club. In 1980, Steve Wynn, a family friend, asked Roger Thomas to join a team designing the first major ground-up resort in Las Vegas in 25 years, a hotel and casino more sophisticated than others in the city. This would become The Mirage resort and hotel, which opened in 1989.

The Mirage was the most expensive hotel-casino in history, with a construction cost of US $630 million.[1] The hotel's distinctive gold windows get their color from actual gold dust used in the tinting process.

Its construction is also considered noteworthy in that Wynn had set a new standard for Vegas resorts, and is widely considered to be the father of today's Las Vegas. Prior to The Mirage's opening, the city was experiencing a decline in tourism that began in the 1970s, especially around the time that the state of New Jersey legalized gambling and tourists (in particular those on the East Coast) began to frequent the casinos of Atlantic City. Also, this was a time when Las Vegas was no longer considered a fashionable destination, so a new, high-profile, project was necessary to jump-start the ailing industry. To avoid confusion, Wynn purchased the rights to the Mirage name from two other local businesses, the La Mirage Casino and the Mirage Motel.[2][3] When it opened, The Mirage was the first casino to use security cameras full-time on all table games.[4]

Early years

A white tiger in the Mirage habitat.

From 1990 through 2003, The Mirage was the venue for the Siegfried & Roy show. The two headliners combined magic and the use of wild animals. The show closed in 2003 after performer Roy Horn was bitten and injured by one of the white tigers used in the show.

In 1993, The Mirage hosted an extended run of the Cirque du Soleil show Nouvelle Expérience in a tent in The Mirage parking lot. It was during this time that Steve Wynn decided to invite Cirque to create Mystère for the soon-to-be-built Treasure Island resort next door. Finally returning to where they began in Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has a permanent production at The Mirage, LOVE.[5]

In 2004, Danny Gans took over the marquee becoming the resort's main entertainment attraction. In December 2006, the Beatles-themed REVOLUTION ultra-lounge opened. It was the first time Cirque du Soleil was involved in the development of a nightlife venue, operated by The Light Group.

Recent years

Gans left The Mirage in February 2009 to star in a show at the Encore Las Vegas.[6] In 2009, ventriloquist and 2007 America's Got Talent winner Terry Fator began a 5-year run at the hotel. Also in 2009, The Mirage was featured on The Amazing Race 15, where one team member had to bungee the other into the air to grab a bouquet of flowers presented in the Love theater.

In November 2012 The Mirage casino became the second Las Vegas casino to offer Geoff Hall's Blackjack variant Free Bet Blackjack, after the Golden Nugget Casino.[7] In 2014, The Mirage was featured in The Amazing Race 24, where teams had to replace the lightbulbs in the letter 'I' in 'Mirage'.

In 2015 MGM Resorts International announced that it would place the Mirage and other properties into a real estate investment trust. MGM would continue to operate The Mirage.[8]

Attractions

LOVE entrance at the Mirage

Notable features include:

The Mirage's front attraction, the Volcano, erupts regularly at night 
Aquarium behind the registration desk 
Cirque du Soleil Show Theatre Mirage Hotel 
The dome over the Mirage atrium 

Sporting events

Appearances in film

See also

[20]

References

  1. Joyce Kim, Jung-Eun. "Sunrise, sunset? Comparing the Las Vegas and Macao gaming markets in 2010". University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  2. "Key Largo Casino had just a small role in Las Vegas history". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 31, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  3. "Wynn credits staff for success". Las Vegas Review-Journal. November 22, 1999. Archived from the original on December 26, 2002.
  4. Arnold M. Knightly (February 25, 2007), Blink and you'll miss him, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Page 1E.
  5. Norm Clarke (June 17, 2003). "`Mystere' worker recalls uncertain times during show's birth". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  6. Danny Gans to star in the new Encore theatre in 2009
  7. ThePOGG (25 November 2012). "ThePOGG Interviews - Geoff Hall - creator of Blackjack Switch".
  8. Stutz, Howard (October 29, 2015). "MGM Resorts to form REIT using 10 properties". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  9. http://mirage.com/attractions/volcano.aspx
  10. "1OAK at The Mirage page". Vegas.com. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
  11. "1OAK at The Mirage page". LasVegas.com. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
  12. "1OAK Website page". 1OAK,com. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
  13. 1 2 "MGM Revolution bio page". MGM. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  14. "Las Vegas Review Journal Beatles Revolution Lounge review page". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  15. "Vegas Revolution Lounge bio page". Vegas.com. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  16. "Gay Bars in Vegas Revolution Lounge review page". Gay Bars Vegas. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  17. Snow, Michelle. "Bare Pool Opens at The Mirage". Las Vegas Travel Guide. April 2, 2007.
  18. "Mirage’s Bare Adult Pool Opens Tomorrow". March 11, 2009. VegasHotelPools.com.
  19. Bare website
  20. Roger, Thomas. "A LAS VEGAS CASINO DESIGN MASTERMIND SHARES HIS SECRETS". http://www.elledecor.com. Elle Decore. External link in |website= (help)
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