The Mirage

hotel and casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

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July 19, 2026

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The Mirage is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. It opened in 1989 and was developed by Steve Wynn, who used junk bonds for funding. The Mirage was notable for its family-friendly entertainment, including shows by Siegfried and Roy, a fake volcano, and a dolphin habitat, which set a trend for subsequent themed resorts on the Strip.1

The Las Vegas Strip, though closely associated with the city, is technically located in unincorporated Clark county. Its development began in the 1930s with the legalization of gambling in Nevada. Mobster Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo, one of the first hotel-casino complexes, in 1946, spurring further mob-run ventures. By the late 1950s, the Nevada Gaming Commission began to regulate the industry, eventually leading to corporate ownership replacing organized crime.21

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Las Vegas
Cultural life
…of such complexes as the Mirage (opened 1989) and Mandalay Bay (1999), Las Vegas casino architecture departed completely from the forms of the 1950s and ’60s, becoming even more spectacular. These newer buildings tended to favor huge atria and vaulted ceilings, sometimes with glass roofs that allowed daylight to enter.…
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…of such complexes as the Mirage (opened 1989) and Mandalay Bay (1999), Las Vegas casino architecture departed completely from the forms of the 1950s and ’60s, becoming even more spectacular. These newer buildings tended to favor huge atria and vaulted ceilings, sometimes with glass roofs that allowed daylight to enter.…
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Steve Wynn
Early life
Wynn and his wife founded Mirage Resorts in 1976. In 1980 Wynn opened the Atlantic City Golden Nugget, financed by junk bonds sold by investment banker Michael Milken. He and Elaine Wynn divorced in 1986, and Wynn sold Atlantic City Golden Nugget in 1987 for $440 million.
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Wynn and his wife founded Mirage Resorts in 1976. In 1980 Wynn opened the Atlantic City Golden Nugget, financed by junk bonds sold by investment banker Michael Milken. He and Elaine Wynn divorced in 1986, and Wynn sold Atlantic City Golden Nugget in 1987 for $440 million.
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