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KTNV 13 Action News
End of an era: Looking back at The Mirage's impact on the Las Vegas Strip
By Jarah Wright,
23 hours ago
After three decades on the Las Vegas Strip, The Mirage is getting ready to close their doors.
It's to make way for the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.
The Mirage originally opened on Nov. 22, 1989, after two years of construction. At the time, it was the most expensive hotel-casino ever built and clocked in at a cost of $630 million.
Architect behind The Mirage reflects on the property's legacy
The casino was also the first resort to offer a free outdoor attraction — the fan-favorite volcano, which erupts several times a night.
The landscaping inside the domed atrium was later described by Wynn as "permanent botanicals" and set the stage for future attractions like the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens as well as the atriums at the Wynn.
WATCH: Channel 13's archives with Mirage volcano
Channel 13's Mirage volcano archives
The first big event that the newly-opened casino hosted was on Dec. 7, 1989, when Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Roberto Duran in a 12-round unanimous decision for the WBC super middleweight title.
The Mirage hosted several major boxing events in its early years, with fighters like Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, as well as kickboxing events.
Darrin Bush/LVCVA Archive 12/4/93: Kickboxing at the Mirage.
The resort also signed Siegfried & Roy, who performed at the resort for 13 years.
The magical duo got their start in Las Vegas at the Tropicana's Folies Bergere show before eventually moving to The Mirage on February 1, 1990.
"They came to me and started asking questions and saying look, we've got a vision of something new, beyond whatever we've done before. There are very few examples that we humans have of technicolor letters written across the sky, pursuit of excellence without compromise in the world of imagination," Wynn said. "Those two men and the people that they brought together with them gave us that and it's a long, long time before we'll ever have something come our way of that quality and that caliber."
WATCH: Channel 13 looks into our Siegfried & Roy archives
CHANNEL 13 ARCHIVES: Legacy of Siegfried and Roy
Magician Penn Jillette also said Siegfried & Roy had a profound impact on the entertainment landscape in Las Vegas.
"Las Vegas has become the magic capital of the world and I think many people believe it just was that kind of automatically or, if you'll forgive me, magically. But it's not the case," Jillette previously told Channel 13 . "That idea was created by Siegfried & Roy and not easily."
The bronze monument featuring the performers and a tiger was unveiled outside the resort in 2021.
Don Knepp/LVCVA Archive Roy Horn, Nevada Governor Bob Miller, Siegfried Fischbacher, Steve Wynn, Bobby Baldwin and an assistant holding a tiger appear during the grand opening of The Mirage on Nov. 22, 1989.
Big cats belonging to Siegfried & Roy were on display on casino property at The Secret Garden, which opened on Nov. 13, 1996 and joined the $14 million dolphin habitat, which opened on Oct. 19, 1990.
The Secret Garden closed in 2022 and the animals were relocated.
The exotic cats found new homes at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary in Scotts Mills, Oregon and In-Sync Exotics in Wylie, Texas. Three dolphins were relocated to SeaWorld San Diego and three dolphins were moved to Coral World Ocean Park's Sea Sanctuary in St. Thomas.
WATCH: Channel 13's dolphin habitat archives
Channel 13 looks back at dolphin habitat archives
On Nov. 10, 1992, the first Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas debuted behind The Mirage . The show was called Nouvelle Expérience. The show ended on Nov. 21, 1993.
It paved the way for Mystére to open at Treasure Island after Cirque co-founder Guy Laliberté reached an agreement with Wynn. In December, the show celebrated its 30th anniversary.
LVCVA Archive Cirque du Soleil performed in a tent that was set up behind The Mirage
On May 29, 1996, filming began at The Mirage for National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation.
The film featured cameos from Siegfried & Roy and Wayne Newton.
On March 6, 2000, Mirage Resorts was purchased by MGM Grand for $4.4 billion.
From December 2005 to 2008, the resort underwent major renovations. That includes rebuilding the theater where Siegfried & Roy performed and turning it into the new home for Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE.
The show officially opened in June 2006 and recently closed.
While the original plan was to try and keep the casino open during construction, the company ultimately announced it would close for three years and reopen in 2027.
On Wednesday, July 17, the casino will close its doors forever at 11 a.m. after 34 years and eight months of operations.
"We'd like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage," said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. "We'd also like to thank the Unions, community leaders, local and state government organizations and the Gaming Commission for their support and fair negotiations over the past year. Also, we are grateful to MGM for assisting with our transition."
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Darrin Bush/LVCVA Archive 
Don Knepp/LVCVA Archive 
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