The Mirage

For the band, see The Mirage (band).

The Mirage
Address	3400 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Opening date	November 22, 1989
Theme	French Polynesia
No. of rooms	3,044
Total gaming space	100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2)
Permanent shows	Terry Fator LOVE
Signature attractions	The Volcano Dolphin Habitat The Secret Garden
Casino type	Land-Based
Owner	MGM Resorts International
Previous names	Sans Souci (1955) Castaways (1963) New Castaways (1967)
Website	www.themirage.com

The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.

The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island. The marquee in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.

History

The Mirage was built by developer Steve Wynn and designed by Joel Bergman. It opened in November 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 previous to that, the Red Rooster Nite Club.

The Mirage was the most expensive hotel-casino in history, with a construction cost of US$630 million. The hotel's distinctive gold windows get their color from actual gold dust used in the tinting process. It was reported that the resort would have to bring in a million dollars a day to pay off a 7-year construction loan. But in fact The Mirage did so well, the loan was paid off in just 18 months.

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

Its construction is also considered very 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 70s, 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. When it opened, The Mirage was the first casino to use security cameras full time on all table games.^[1]

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 closing of the popular attraction in 2003, after Roy Horn was injured by one of the white tigers used in the show, affected The Mirage for a while.

The Mirage's front attraction, the Volcano, erupts regularly at night

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.^[2]

In 2004, Danny Gans took over the main 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 Light Group Las Vegas.

Gans left The Mirage in 2009 to star in a show at the Encore Las Vegas.^[3] 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 bouquette of flowers presented in the Love theater. In 2010, the estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil announced a deal to develop Michael Jackson shows. The Las Vegas permanent show, also in partnership with MGM Resorts International, is expected to open in late 2012.^[4]

Film history

• The poker room at The Mirage was the dream destination of Matt Damon's character in the movie Rounders.
• The movie Vegas Vacation was filmed mainly at The Mirage.
• The Mirage is parodied in at least four video games: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as 'The Visage', Need For Speed: Carbon as 'The Mirror', Fallout: New Vegas as 'The Ultra-Luxe' and Hitman: Blood Money as 'The Shamal'.
• The Mirage was one of the three casinos that Danny Ocean and his crew robbed in the 2001 version of the film Ocean's Eleven.
• A scene from Steve Martin's Sgt. Bilko was shot at The Mirage.
• The movie Pure Country featuring George Strait features scenes from The Mirage.
• The show Criss Angel: Mindfreak sometimes takes place here.
• Cher's 1991 CBS special Cher Extravaganza: Live at the Mirage was taped during stops of the singer 1990 Heart of Stone Tour.
• In 2012, The Mirage crumbled into pieces just after the Giant Antonov left Vegas.

Attractions

A white tiger in the Mirage habitat.

Notable features include:

• Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
• An artificial volcano along the Strip that "erupts" nightly from 7pm–midnight on the hour. After sister property Bellagio opened, the design firm WET, the company that created the Fountains of Bellagio attraction, improved the technology behind the volcano effect to make it more spectacular in 1996. To avoid the smell of uncombusted natural gas odorant, the mercaptan is stripped from the natural gas and a pina colada fragrance is added to the natural gas stream. The Volcano closed for a second and more elaborate renovation in February 2008 and reopened on December 8, 2008. A new soundtrack complete with the sounds of actual volcanoes erupting has been included for an even more enhanced experience.
• An atrium at the hotel entrance features a large number of palm trees, water features, and other "rainforest" flora.
• The 53-foot-long (16 m), 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) aquarium behind the registration desk, recently renovated by top aquarium designers from around the world, is home to nearly 1000 specimens.
• Love, a Cirque du Soleil theatrical production involving remixes of the Beatles.
• Terry Fator is a current showcase after winning America's Got Talent.
• "Bare", a poolside lounge in which guests can traverse topless. While men are welcome, this attraction is mainly promoted for women since they are allowed in the lounge for $10–$20 as opposed to the charge for men of $20–$40. This is a rare experience for women since in most public places women must have some sort of covering over their breasts. One must be 21 years or older to enter.^[5]

Sporting events

• 1990-10-25 Evander Holyfield vs. Buster Douglas
• 1996-05-18 Félix Trinidad vs. Freddie Pendleton

See also

• List of largest hotels in the world

References

1. ^ Arnold M. Knightly (February 25, 2007), Blink and you'll miss him, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Page 1E.
2. ^ Norm Clarke (2003-06-17). "`Mystere' worker recalls uncertain times during show's birth". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Jun-17-Tue-2003/news/21544998.html. Retrieved 2008-06-28. 
3. ^ Danny Gans to star in the new Encore theatre in 2009
4. ^ The Estate Of Michael Jackson And Cirque Du Soleil To Develop Michael Jackson Shows
5. ^ Bare website

External links

• Mirage.com - official website
• Bare at the Mirage
• Jet - Mirage Nightclub

Coordinates: 36°07′16″N 115°10′31″W / 36.12111°N 115.17528°W / 36.12111; -115.17528