The Mirage
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| Number of rooms | 3,044 | |
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| Theme | Hawaiian | |
| Gaming space | 100,000 ft² (9,290.3 m²) | |
| Permanent show(s) | Danny Gans LOVE |
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| Signature attraction(s) | The Volcano White Tiger Habitat Dolphin Habitat The Secret Garden Aquarium Jet REVOLUTION |
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| Notable restaurant(s) | Japonais STACK Fin kokomo's Onda Ristorante & Wine Lounge Samba Brazilian Steakhouse |
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| Owner | MGM Mirage | |
| Date opened | November 22, 1989 | |
| Casino type | Land-Based | |
| Major renovation(s) | 2002, 2005 | |
| Previous name(s) | Sans Souci (1955) Castaways (1963) New Castaways (1967) |
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| Casino website | The Mirage's Website | |
The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino is owned by MGM MIRAGE and the gold exterior color is from the gold used in the windows.
The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island, its sister property immediately to the north. The marquee in front of The Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.[citation needed] Unlike the majority of major resorts on The Strip, The Mirage does not have a wedding chapel.
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[edit] History
The Mirage was built by developer Steve Wynn and opened in November 1989 on the former grounds of the Castaways hotel and casino, and was owned by Wynn's company Mirage Resorts (later MGM Mirage). It was the first resort that was built with the money of Wall Street through the use of junk bonds.
The Mirage was the most expensive hotel/casino in history, with a construction cost of $630 million. 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.
Its construction is also considered very noteworthy in that Mr. 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 70's, especially around the time 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 attacked by one of the white tigers used in the show, impacted the Mirage for a while. Siegfried & Roy's White Tiger Habitat keeps one of the white tigers always on view.
In 1993, the Mirage hosted an extended run of the Cirque du Soleil show Nouvelle Experience in a tent in the Mirage parking lot. It was during this time that Steve Wynn decided to invite Cirque to create Mystere for the soon-to-be-built Treasure Island resort next door. Finally returning to where they began in Las Vegas, Cirque has a permanent production at the Mirage, LOVE. ref
In 2004 Danny Gans took over the main showroom and marquee becoming the resort's main entertainment attraction.
In 2005, The Mirage was slated for a massive remodel that would continue into 2006. Many restaurants were renovated or replaced. In December 2006 the Beatles-themed REVOLUTION ultra-lounge opened. It is the first time Cirque du Soleil was involved in the development of such a venue, although they do not operate it.
[edit] 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 shot and filmed mainly at The Mirage.
- The Mirage appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in the city of Las Venturas, based on Las Vegas. The Mirage in the game is called 'The Visage.'
- The Mirage was one of the three casinos that Danny Ocean and his crew robbed in the film Oceans Eleven.
- A scene from Steve Martin's SGT Bilko was shot at the Mirage.
[edit] Attractions
Notable features include:
- Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
- An artificial volcano along the Strip that "erupts" periodically during the evening. After sister property Bellagio opened, Wet Design, the company that helped create the Fountains of Bellagio attraction, redid the technology behind the volcano effect to make it more spectacular. To mask the smell of the natural gas used for the fire effects, The Mirage pumps out a Piña Colada scent.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 25, 2007, Page 1E, Blink and you'll miss him
| MGM MIRAGE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut: | MGM Grand Under Development. To be co-developed/managed by MGM Mirage and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. | ||
| Illinois: | Grand Victoria | ||
| Mississippi: | |||
| Michigan: | MGM Grand Detroit | ||
| New Jersey: | Borgata | ||
| Nevada: |
Henderson: Railroad Pass |
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| International: | China: MGM Grand Macau | ||
| Annual Revenue: $6.48 billion USD | Employees: 70,000+ | Stock Symbol: NYSE: MGM | Website: www.mgm-mirage.com | |||
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| South end | Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign |  |
| West side | Mandalay Bay · THEhotel at Mandalay Bay · Luxor · Excalibur · New York-New York ·Monte Carlo · Project City Center (2009) · The Cosmopolitan (2009) · Bellagio · Caesars Palace · The Mirage · Treasure Island · New Frontier · Echelon Place (2010) · Slots-A-Fun · Circus Circus · Stratosphere | |
| East side | Tropicana · MGM Grand · Aladdin (Planet Hollywood) · Paris · Bally's · Bill's (formerly Barbary Coast) · Flamingo · O'Sheas · Imperial Palace · Harrah's · Casino Royale · The Venetian · The Palazzo (2007) · Wynn · Riviera · Sahara | |
| Transportation | Las Vegas Monorail · The Deuce | |
