The Mirage — casino in Las Vegas

The Mirage opened in 1989 and, by common agreement, began the modern era of Las Vegas. Steve Wynn's project proved that a resort could earn not only from gambling but also from spectacle. The hotel's symbol became the man-made volcano at its entrance, which erupted spectacularly with fire and water to music every evening, drawing crowds of passersby. Inside was a tropical garden under a glass dome, an aquarium behind the front desk and the famous show with white tigers and dolphins by the duo Siegfried and Roy. It was The Mirage that launched the megaresort boom, followed by Bellagio and others. In 2022 the hotel was acquired by Hard Rock International, and in 2024 it closed for a large-scale reconstruction — in its place a guitar-shaped Hard Rock resort is rising. Thus an entire era ended, but it was with this casino that the legend of the glittering Strip we know today began.