Watching the Mirage die

I have seen casinos come and go in Vegas over the past 25 years that I have been visiting. History never seems to stop progress when it comes to Sin City.

While I do not always agree with the change, I can absolutely see why the old must give way to the new. This entry is not for me to lament my former haunts, like the Boardwalk casino, which needed a wreaking ball to fix that fun, albeit shit hole.

This piece is about me watching my once beloved Mirage die a slow death. To the point now, where MGM its second owner, has put the place up for sale to be done with it.

Mirage was, IMO, the gold standard for Vegas resorts. Back when the movie Vegas Vacation first came out, I not only watched it in the theater, but I pretty much burned a hole in my VHS copy viewing it on a loop at home. The Mirage was the reason why I wanted to experience Las Vegas. The fact that someplace like that existed, was somehow magic to me.

White Tigers at the entrance? Beautiful tropical pools? Wall to wall slots, sitting under fun tiki huts? Crazy sauce! I had to see it. And in the summer of 1999, I did just that.

While we couldn't afford to actually stay at such a gem, my Dad and I did stay next door at Treasure Island. That meant an easy walk to Mirage or a fun free tram ride away. And when I finally got there, it did not disappoint! There was my white tiger, pretty much the first thing you saw when you walked in from the strip.

They had their own fancy little enclosure, and I remember waiting my turn to press a cheek up to the glass and watch them play. Now? I think a Starbucks took its place. You can still see some big cats, but it will cost you to tour their Siegfried & Roy secret garden tucked out back.

And for years, we have done just that. Either ponied up the money, or were able to walk in by being Platinum with their players club card. For awhile, Mirage still had plenty to entice us back for a visit.

Slowly, but surely, I was forced to watch the Mirage die a slow death. It is sort of like running into your old high school crush, and telling them how great they look years later. Even though the wrinkles are adding up, and they are a good 100 pounds too heavy now.

My tiki huts were removed. The fun tropical atmosphere was being blacked out. The rows upon rows of slot machines, like the below...

Were now being removed in mass. I mean, just look at my picture below. This is what has become of the Mirage, as of 2021.

Soft and inviting pastels, gave way to poor lighting, and ceilings being painted black. I get that some people like gambling in a dark space, but the Mirage was never meant to be that place. You were supposed to be able to gamble in a tropical paradise. Not wander around empty space in someones basement.

But we would still keep coming back, if for nothing more than the way it used to make us feel. That certain sense of nostalgia, and all the fond memories that came with it. Memories do fade, just like the once inviting coconut scent that would great you upon your arrival there. With each and every visit that would follow over the next decade, Mirage turned us more and more sour on her.

Gone were all my favorite slots, and replaced with, well, nothing! Just gone! No more Instant Spin. No more Mystic lamp. No more anything. It looks as if half the casino is now just open space, and slot machines are an after thought. And what slots do remain, are just the same cookie cutter ones you could play at the airport.

By 2019, even our favorite place to eat in Vegas was now shuttered. Good bye my dear Carnegie Deli. I almost feel bad for all the times I got one of your giant sandwiches to go, just to be able to split it with my GF/Wife without having to pay your stupid "share" fee for eating in. Truly one of the highlights of every trip, was getting an order of fries with my perfect omelette, and being able to eat while staring out into the once sea of slots.

Check Please!

It isn't all horrible, don't get me wrong. I have gambled in less desirable places. But Mirage is no longer special to me. And we never go out of our where to drop by any more. In fact the last time I did, I spent about 10 minutes in the casino, and we couldn't find anyplace in there that we wanted to eat at. Mirage now, is just that. A Mirage. Something that appears real or possible, but is not in fact so.

There is still just enough Steve Wynn left, for me to not write it off completely. There is still a big volcano out front, and I will concede the current incarnation is better than the original.

They do still have the tropical dome, with a timeless waterfall in it, like my below. But even that seems out of place with the the dark club like space that now surrounds it.

As we plan our next trip, we all agree there is nothing left at Mirage to go see. While the Secret Garden is fun, but small. That seems to be the one place that hasn't changed in decades. IE, there is nothing there to see, we haven't seen a dozen times before.

With the old girl up for sale, I can only hope the new owners bring back some of her old charms. Not everything in Vegas needs to look like a 90's office building, filled with shades of gray and black. We already have plenty of that around. Give us Gen Ex's something we want. Bring back a little theming. Its OK to have soft inviting general areas. Not everything needs to be edgy and dark.

Updated 12/13/2021:

Sale is confirmed to Hard Rock. Zero percent chance those pastels and tropical touches will ever return now. At least with Hard Rock, you will get an injection of energy and some cohesive themeing. Once the Seminoles get their hands on the property, the Mirage, as we knew it, will officially be dead. And with the way it sits now, that really isn't a bad thing. It will finally be put out of its misery.