The Mirage volcano will soon no longer be active after it erupted frequently on the Las Vegas Strip for more than three decades.
The volcano will not have a role in Hard Rock International's eventual rebrand after it buys the property from MGM Resorts International.
The timing of the last eruption of the volcano is uncertain, and neither Hard Rock nor MGM would confirm when it will be dismantled. A guitar-shaped room tower is expected to rise.
The volcano opened with the resort in 1989. The three-acre South Seas landscape is disrupted by rumbles many times each night. Water and other features mimic the flow of lava.
The intense heat from the flames is felt by guests and pedestrians. More than 150 Fireshooters, developed by WET Design, propel fireballs choreographed to a music composition by Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussain.
The inviting mood for the party inside the hotel-casino is set by the sweet smell of pina colada, which is different from the rotten-egg smell.
The volcano was the first free spectacle and paved the way for several others, including the pirate battle at Treasure Island and the light show at the Bellagio fountains.
It was a sign of the move toward non gambling amenities.
According to Michael Green, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the volcano was the idea of Elaine Wynn. She was married to Steve Wynn, the developer of the Mirage casino, who believed that the volcano was a way to set the Mirage apart.
Green said that it symbolizes both a bygone era and a current era. It shows the theming of the Strip from the Mirage rain forest to New York-New York and Paris.
The first two hotels on the Strip, El Rancho Vegas and the Hotel Last Frontier, had Western themes. The influence of Jay Sarno and his partners has been cited by Wynn.
Las Vegas continues to move away from a transparent themed approach with its newest resorts, and it relies on free attractions and loss leaders such as buffets and poker rooms to draw crowds.
The value of those crowds has changed, according to Scott Roeben, a long-time Vegas blogger.
It is no longer about trying to draw the broadest possible audience. Quality customers with disposable income are what it is about. Customers can avail themselves of the revenue-generating aspects of a casino-resort.
The Mirage has a 20,000-gallon saltwater aquarium behind the registration desk, as well as an 80 foot tall atrium with palms and flora. The features that are unlikely to be retained are the ones that have not been announced by Hard Rock.
Almost 5,000 people have signed a petition to save the volcano.
There has been some weeping and gnashing of teeth about the planned demolition of the volcano, but overall people who understand how Las Vegas works haven't been the ones doing the gnashing.
Although he calls the volcano "cheesy and outdated," he admits he loves Vegas.
The Mirage's volcano continues to erupt from 8 until 11 pm.
The heat it gives off when you're watching from the sidewalk is the most important thing.
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