*New York (CNN) — The Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, and its instantly recognizable volcano, is soon shutting down after more than three decades in business.
The 3,000-room resort will cease operations on July 17 as it undergoes a three-year renovation that wipes away any markings of the Mirage and its tropical theme.
Opened in 1989 by casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Mirage ushered in a era of luxe resorts for the Strip and was the first resort to have a sidewalk attraction with its volcano, prompting the Bellagio and Venetian to imitate the Mirage with its dancing fountains and canals, respectively.
“We look forward to the beginning of an exciting journey into a new era as Hard Rock Las Vegas will ignite the Strip with entertainment, innovation and world-class hospitality,” the Mirage said on its Facebook account, which has been flooded with memories in the comments.
In addition to the volcano, the Mirage was also home to other quintessential Las Vegas features like the Siegfried and Roy’s white tigers show and a Cirque du Soleil show set to Beatles music.
The resort will reopen in 2027 as Hard Rock Las Vegas, with a soaring 700-foot-tall hotel tower in the shape of a guitar, similar to its Florida property, with the volcano being destroyed to make space for new rooms.
MGM Resorts bought the Mirage from Wynn in 2000 and sold it in 2022 for more than $1 billion to Hard Rock International. It’s the second time Hard Rock will have a presence in Las Vegas, with the brand previously owning the now-Virgin Hotel off the Strip.
More than 3,000 Mirage employees will be laid off beginning in July. The Hard Rock said it will pay more than $80 million in severance. The Culinary Workers Union, which represents about half of the Mirage’s employees, said in a statement that affected workers will get $2,000 for each year of employment with the option of returning when the hotel reopens.
Mirage guests that have reservations beyond July 14 will be canceled and refunds issued. As for casino chips, they also need to be used by that date at the Mirage but can be redeemed at neighboring Treasure Island for another 120 days following the resort’s closing.
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