The Mirage Closing In July, First Megaresort In Las Vegas

The tigers hitched a ride, the dolphins swam away, the Volcano went dormant and The Beatles fell out of LOVE. Now, the end is near for The Mirage Hotel & Casino. The Las Vegas icon announced The Mirage closing date will be on July 17th to make way for the Hard Rock Hotel. More on that later.

In a statement released to employees today, The Mirage president Joe Lupo broke the news that the end was near for the property. The Mirage closing date is fast approaching.

"I send this today understanding the significant impact on each of you," Lupo said. "We deeply appreciate the commitment and passion each of you has shown throughout your time at The Mirage. We also extend our best wishes as you consider your future endeavors."

The Mirage closing will affect the employment of over 3,000 employees who could be considered for other Seminole Hard Rock properties, none of which are located in Las Vegas presently.

Thankfully that new Culinary Union contract will have members receiving $2000 for every year of service. In total, the company is expected to spend around $80 million in severance.

When you think of present day Las Vegas, the story starts with The Mirage. For all of Steve Wynn's faults, he had a vision for the future. Before the swashbuckling of Treasure Island, the grandeur of the Bellagio, or the golden towers of the Wynn and Encore, there was The Mirage.

When it opened in 1989, it began the era of the megaresort. Sprawling, massive, and way more than gaming. Hosting Siegfried and Roy for 13 years, displaying an awe-inspiring exploding volcano on its front porch. The Mirage did it different before the rest of the city did it better.

It will, itself, become a mirage as an icon in Las Vegas' storied history.

The end of The Mirage makes way for the massive transformation of the property to the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Well, to put it more exact (according to @LasVegasLocally On X/Twitter), it will make way for the "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas" which rolls off the tongue with incredible ease.

When all is said and done in mid 2027, the new property will feature a 5,000 seat theater, over two dozen restaurants, and a massive 660 foot tall guitar-shaped hotel tower that will take the place of the volcano. That is a full 110 feet taller than the High Roller Observation Wheel.

Oh my God, it's The Mirage. And now it is closed. Was it... Sabotage?

Man, does Las Vegas love an implosion. When a casino "goes down" on the Strip, it is an absolute spectacle. People gather late at night to watch things go boom. With the Tropicana set to close in April, a lot of people are getting ready to plan for their next implosion party. (Don't buy the balloons yet, the property hasn't determined how they'll do it).

But considering we've got TNT on the brain, let's come up with a list of the the properties that we think might be the next to go on the Las Vegas Strip. But before that...

Over the years, a bunch of properties have had their date with a detonator. While some of them have been pedestrian, others have absolutely brought the fire.

When the Stardust went down in 2007, it was a spectacle. A late-night 2am fireworks display followed by a pyrotechnics countdown on the building itself. This could very well be the high-water mark of Las Vegas implosions.

When the Hacienda went down in 1996, it was part of a New Years Eve celebration. The building went down right at midnight... east coast time. That way viewers on Fox could countdown to Michael Buffer delivering a play on his trademark phrase "let's get ready to crumble!"

The Landmark went down a year earlier in 1995 and probably takes the cake as the most fun building to sheer in half and crash to the ground. The property was once owned by billionaire Howard Hughes, who also owned KLAS-TV, and a bunch of land in the west side of the valley that has since become Summerlin. The guy was "peed in jars" levels of crazy... but they the property was pretty cool! And that blast of dirt at the end was apocalyptic.

Now that we've gotten a taste of the good ol' days, let's look to the future. If not the Tropicana... then who should be next to go?

There are some that believe if a property has a street named after it, it should be protected at all costs. The Sahara opened in 1952 and hosted many of the greats. Back in 2011, the property changed hands and eventually became the SLS Las Vegas. The rebrand was decent and the remodel was jaw dropping... but it didn't make many waves in the city. Eventually the legendary Sahara name came roaring back, and the property has been the beneficiary of many concert events across the street at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. We like what they've done with the property. But at the very least the parking garage has got to go.

This won't happen anytime soon, although it should. The clown property has seen better days but recently owner Phil Ruffin has put some cash into fixing the property's iconic neon sign. Is it pretty? No. But is the property paid for and an ATM for Ruffin? Yes. The property is sitting on over 100 acres of land - about 14 more than Resorts World! That is a lot of land to do a lot of things on. But the one thing Circus Circus has going for it that Resorts World and Fontainebleau do not? Low expectations and costs.

Say it with us... "blow it up!" The property is the home to Denny's, White Castle, and likely the worst accommodations on the Las Vegas Strip. It is actually quite shocking that this could be nestled near The Venetian. Sure, people need discount options but this is centrally located land. There is speculation that the owners have bigger plans for the property. The only thing that might stop this from being an implosion is the proximity to Harrah's. Unless...

First, we need to save Donny Osmond. Then, send the property packing. It has been open since 1972 and now has become a bit of a forgotten child between and across from several iconic landmarks. Of all the properties we think could be erased on this list, Harrah's and Casino Royale may take the cake. There is only so much you can update. We think if you were to keep Carnival Court and blow up the rest, many wouldn't notice.

Just talking about blowing up the Flamingo hurts. Yes, it is dated. Yes it is centrally located and if it were something of Resorts World or Fontainebleau's caliber with that location they'd be a juggernaut. But... this is the Flamingo. It has a street. Is the building ugly? Sure. Is the neon incredible? You bet. Just the history alone, you can't. Even Barbary Coast got a second (and third and fourth) life. Nevermind. We take this back.

Don't think you got out of this unscathed, MGM Resorts. The time has come for Excalibur. Of all the properties, we might feel the most strongly about this one. The property has been the "ugh fine, it's cheap" option for quite a while now. But there is so much space that is going unused and the theming is so weak at this point that there is no better time than now to let it rip. A new baseball stadium (supposedly) being opened across the street. The Knights. The Raiders. All walking distance. Tournament Of Kings? Thunder From Down Under? Australian Bee Gees? Please walk a safe distance away. We will find homes for you. Building? Ya gotta go.

The Las Vegas Strip technically ends at Sahara. But if you consider The Strat part of the Strip, first, sorry you're wrong. But second, sure, we'll give you a taste. The Strat has done some pretty great stuff lately to improve the property and their rooms. Plus the new Atomic Golf opening soon looks like it will be fun. But... we all saw that Landmark implosion. Admit it. It was cool. Imagine The Strat going down? That could be incredible! Plus, let's face it, it would be hilarious watching half the valley get lost after losing the one landmark they use to get a grasp on where they are in the city.