The last cards have been dealt as the iconic Mirage closes its doors on the Las Vegas Strip
The Mirage's signature volcano has erupted for the last time
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A final blast from The Mirage's signature volcano marked the passage Wednesday of an aging Las Vegas resort that wowed crowds when it opened in 1989 and went on to revolutionize the casino resort industry and reshape Las Vegas as a tourist destination.
"What would The Mirage be without one last volcano eruption?" asked Joe Lupo, property president of The Mirage, as he ended a closing ceremony that drew hundreds of onlookers, including many of the 127 employees who’ve been at the 3,044-room resort from the beginning.
“It’s sad to see it go,” Jessica Hock, a Las Vegas resident who said her mother worked at The Mirage when it first opened, told the Las Vegas Sun during a Sunday night visit ahead of Wednesday's ceremony. She said she'd miss many things about the resort, including its lush tropical forest beneath the domed glass atrium and a faint piña colada scent in the air.
Jim Allen, head of the property's new owner, Florida-based Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, said Wednesday that work would “literally start tomorrow” to raze the volcano that rumbled and gushed nightly for nearly 35 years.
