Final Curtain Call: The Mirage Prepares for Grand Farewell!

For 34 years, The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has welcomed guests worldwide to enjoy its world-class entertainment, beautiful tropical landscapes, and iconic volcano. But on July 17, the casino/hotel will close its doors forever.

If you ever wanted to experience The Mirage or visit for one last time, it's now or never!

For anyone who's visited Las Vegas in the past three decades, you know The Mirage and you know it well. Even if you've never stepped foot inside, you know it stands tall mid-Strip next to Caesar's Palace and offers a free volcano show multiple times every night. And that volcano show pulls in spectators and lots of them! People line up on the sidewalk to get the chance to see the flames and feel the heat close up.

But on July 17, that will no longer be something anyone can do while visiting "Sin City." The tropical oasis in the middle of the desert-themed hotel and casino will be closing down to make room for a new resort to take its spot on the Strip - Hard Rock Hotel - projected to open in spring 2027.

After The Mirage closes to guests, the hotel will be demolished and Hard Rock will begin building its 700-foot guitar-shaped hotel.

The $620 million Mirage opened in 1989 with more than 3,000 rooms and a tropical theme.

Known for his nightly volcano eruptions, The Mirage was home to the iconic duo, Siegfried & Roy and their tiger show from 1990 through 2003. The show ended in 2003 after one of Roy Horn's tigers mauled him on stage, nearly killing him. Horn died in 2020 from COVID complications and his partner Siegfried Fischbacher died in 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

In addition to the tiger show, The Mirage was also home to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. The facility opened in 1990 and closed in 2022, relocating the remaining dolphins to a sea sanctuary in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

More recently, the iconic resort has become home to Beatles "Love" Cirque du Soleil show, which will go dark for the final time on July 6.

Last year, Casino.org named The Mirage as the "luckiest casino" in Las Vegas. Analysts reviewed 15 popular casinos looking for the luckiest and determined that The Mirage has the most frequent payouts and happiest gamblers.

The Mirage announced the sad news of its closing on Instagram in mid-May.

"After 34 amazing years, The Mirage Hotel & Casino will be ceasing operations on July 17, 2024," they shared in an Instagram post.

"Over the next two months we will bid farewell to this iconic and historic property and then we will commence an incredible transformation. 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."

They also shared, "Hard Rock will pay approximately $80 million in severance packages for eligible union and non-union employees remaining with the property through cessation of operations."

Many former guests and fans of the hotel/casino shared their thoughts in the comment section.

"So sad. We’ve been staying at the Mirage for over 20 years. We’ll be there for our last hurrah this weekend at the most beautiful pool on the strip!" one person wrote.

Another added, "This is probably the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of my wife and I going to Vegas. We’ve stayed at many of the resorts and none of them compared to the mirage. Very relaxing ambiance, the atrium, the pool. The stunning volcano. This is just horrible."

And the somber messages didn't end there.

"I'm devastated!! RIP beautiful Mirage," one fan wrote. Another said, "Terrible news. Just had a wonderful stay there two weeks ago and wondered if it would be our last. Great memories there for us. The Mirage is so unique!"

The Mirage issued a formal statement about the upcoming changes on their website.

"Hard Rock International (HRI) announced its plans to cease operations of The Mirage Hotel & Casino as of July 17, 2024, to begin the transformation of the property into the highly anticipated Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas," the statement reads. "The last day of hotel occupancy will be July 14, 2024."

In the frequently asked questions section, the hotel shared information about the current shows at the resort.

"The Mirage has been a proud home to The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Shin Lim: LIMITLESS and Center Stage Comedy. The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil’s last show will be on July 6, 2024. As the property closes for renovations, all other resident shows at The Mirage will be closed effective July 14, 2024," they wrote.

I recently just moved back to Las Vegas after nearly 30 years on the East Coast. I went to high school in Vegas in the late 80s and early 90s and remember The Mirage being one of the coolest places on the Strip.

While I've been back to visit Vegas multiple times over the years, I never stayed at The Mirage or even went inside during those visits. So I decided to take a little trip down memory lane and walk around the soon-to-be-closed hotel/casino.

From the sidewalk into the building, the feeling of nostalgia hit. I remember walking around here as a teen hoping to run into Seigfried & Roy or catch a glimpse of one of their rare white tigers. (It never happened, by the way.)

My memory may not be totally clear so I can't honestly say if much has changed since the last time I was inside the building, but the feeling was the same. They did such an amazing job of making it feel like a tropical oasis in the middle of the hot desert, and I would bet that anyone who's ever visited would agree.

The volcano show is a favorite for so many people. I didn't get to see it while there because of the timing, but plan to go back in the next week or so before it ends just so I can experience it one last time.

If you're planning to be in Vegas between now and July 17, I highly suggest you swing by to check it out. Whether you've been there in the past or not, it's an iconic piece of Vegas history and you don't want to miss out on your last opportunity to experience it before it becomes something totally new.

Have a story about The Mirage? Email me at mv@theblast.com.