Farewell To The Legendary Mirage Hotel and Casino- The First MegaResort On The Strip

It was a hot summer Vegas night and people were lining up along the railing on Las
Vegas Boulevard outside The Mirage to witness the final eruption of the volcano before
the hotel and casino closed after 34 years. Street performers lined the streets playing
music to entertain spectators waiting to take in this momentous occasion in Las Vegas
history. At 9:58pm, the sounds of frogs could be heard. At 10pm on the dot, the
eruptions began in a spectacular final display.

Las Vegas is a city of change. Casinos and hotels come down and new ones are
erected in its place. However, with the recent closing of The Tropicana hotel and casino
in April, The Mirage’s closing only months later appears to be adding to the sentiment of
Vegas locals and tourists alike. Upon heading into the casino after the volcano show,
the glittering lights and sounds which are reminiscent of Vegas casinos was absent. Slot
machines which held progressive jackpots of over a million dollars days before now
blacked out. The conservatory only lit by the exterior neon nights which shone through
its glass dome.

Over the years, The Mirage has been home to legendary shows from Siegfried and Roy
to Cirque due Soleil’s The Beatles “Love”. After a run of 18 years, “Love” had its last
show on July 6th, 2024. The only vibrancy remaining within the casino were the show’s
displays. People were seen snapping photos with every “Love” feature they could in an
obvious display of the magnitude of the show’s presence.

As I continued to walk through, the magnitude of the finality of The Mirage was
significant. The hotel’s front desk desolate. The enormous fishtank wall behind it
curtained off. A lone bartender stood behind the bar with a row of empty seats in front of
him. People trying to take any part of the historical landmark with them they could.
While the majority settled for photos, many were witnessed taking plants.
If you are in the Las Vegas area, while the doors are closed, and the volcano won’t
erupt anymore, you can still see the volcano and water feature before demolition
begins.

“There are places I’ll remember,
All my life though some have changed,
Some forever not for better,
Some have gone and some remain,
All these places have their moments,
With lovers and friends, I still can recall,
Some are dead and some are living,
In my life I’ve loved them all.”
-“In my life” The Beatles

Photos by Mary Bodimer for ZrockR Magazine 2024 – All Rights Reserved.