The Mirage Volcano Site - Where the Megaresorts Began

A stop on Las Vegas Strip Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Walk north along the west side of the Boulevard and you reach a construction site that once held one of the Strip's most famous free shows. The Mirage opened here on November 22, 1989. Steve Wynn's $630 million resort was the most expensive hotel-casino in the world, and it is often called the first megaresort: its success set off the 1990s building boom that brought Bellagio, the Venetian and Paris.

Out front, a man-made volcano erupted every evening with fire and rumbles for anyone strolling by, while Siegfried and Roy's white tigers made the Mirage famous inside.

The Mirage closed on July 17, 2024, and the volcano was torn out. Hard Rock is now building a new resort here, with a hotel tower shaped like a giant guitar, expected to open in late 2027. So look up: that tower rising over the fence is the next chapter of the same story. Las Vegas rarely keeps a landmark when it can build a bigger one.

Getting here: Leave the Forum Shops by the Strip entrance and walk north along Las Vegas Boulevard to the fenced construction site next to Caesars.

Did you know?: In 2008 WET, the firm behind the Bellagio fountains, redesigned the volcano for about $25 million.

Photo op: From the sidewalk, frame the guitar-shaped tower against the sky - a shot that will look very different once the resort opens.

More on Wikipedia: The Mirage · Steve Wynn · Siegfried & Roy

Stops on this tour

  1. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign - The Photo Everyone Takes
  2. Fountains of Bellagio - A Lake in the Desert
  3. Bellagio Conservatory - A Garden That Changes Its Clothes
  4. Paris Las Vegas - Half an Eiffel Tower
  5. Flamingo - Where the Mob Moved In
  6. High Roller - A Half-Hour Lap Above the Strip
  7. Forum Shops at Caesars - Shopping in Ancient Rome
  8. The Mirage Volcano Site - Where the Megaresorts Began
  9. The Venetian - Gondolas on the Strip
  10. Sphere - The Strip's Giant Glowing Ball
  11. Neon Museum - Where Old Signs Go to Rest
  12. Fremont Street Experience - Where Las Vegas Began