When your time comes on the Las Vegas Strip, the end tends to be spectacular, albeit not always in a happy way.
As a performer, you hope to get a final run of shows where big-name guest stars see you off and fans get to say a teary goodbye. That happens sometimes, but the most famous Las Vegas show ending was when Roy Horn of the famed Siegfried & Roy magic duo was mauled on stage at The Mirage by one of the pair's white tigers.
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That attack did not kill Horn, but it brought his performing days to an end in spectacular, albeit unfortunate fashion. Not every iconic Las Vegas performer gets a formal send-off, but many long-running shows and residencies know their final date so they get to say a proper goodbye.
Farewells in Las Vegas are not just for people and shows. Tourists and locals alike become attached to resort casinos, attractions, restaurants, and even retailers.
When a casino or a major attraction closes, it's often a major event where people get a chance to say goodbye and, in many cases, the actual end is a highly visual implosion. Right now, two major Las Vegas Strip icons are entering their last days -- although neither has an official last day on the books yet -- but both the Mirage Volcano and The Tropicana have moved very close to the end.
Image source: Shutterstock
A's Stadium Means the End of the Tropicana
When Bally's Corp. (BALY) -) boughtthe gaming rights to the second-oldest casino on the Las Vegas Strip from Penn National Gaming (PENN) -) late last year, it was clear that Tropicana's days were numbered. At the time, Bally's President George Papanier pledged to use the property as his company's "west coast flagship."
The casino boss, however, was non-committal about the actual Tropicana buildings. He acknowledged that the A's were interested in the site, and said that Bally's planned to take 18-24 months to evaluate the market.
It was very clear, even before the A's committed to the site, that Tropicana, second in Strip seniority to Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) -) Flamingo, was nearing the finish line. The A's deal to build a stadium on the Tropicana's site sealed the deal, and now the end has gotten very close.
That's something Bally's Chairperson Soo Kim acknowledged in an email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on July 20.
“I am still waiting for them to get through their stadium design process,” Kim told the paper. “But I think it’s all coming together.”
Bally's has not decided whether The Tropicana will be imploded all at once or brought down in segments allowing some of it to stay open as stadium construction begins.
The Mirage Volcano Nears the End
Since Hard Rock International (HRI) bought The Mirage from MGM Resorts International (MGM) -) in December 2022, a clock has been ticking for the famed Mirage Volcano. That iconic, free attraction has been a huge draw for the resort casino but the new owner wants to build its trademark Guitar Hotel where the Volcano currently sits.
There were strong efforts to force HRI to keep the volcano.
"From day one the Volcano has been delighting The Mirage's visitors to what is an increasingly rare and totally awesome free Vegas attraction and highly emotional experience. Moreover, it's located on the most visible piece of land on the Las Vegas Strip! Frankly, it should be a historical landmark," the creator of a Change.org petition shared.
That petition failed to change the mind of county officials who have approved plans for HRI's Guitar Hotel. The Mirage itself will be completely overhauled, but it will not be imploded or torn down.
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