Hard Rock International to Donate Various Mirage Hotel and Casino Artifacts to The Neon Museum

Press Release: LAS VEGAS – To honor the legacy of The Mirage Hotel and Casino, Hard Rock International has announced that it will donate several artifacts from the storied property to The Neon Museum. In collaboration with The PENTA Building Group, the general contractor currently scoped for most of the demolition of The Mirage and the majority of the ongoing construction of Hard Rock International Hotel & Casino, and The PENTA CARES Foundation, the preservation of the iconic hotel will live on within the Las Vegas non-profit’s collection, including a beloved gold-painted sculpture depicting legendary magicians Siegfried & Roy, The Mirage’s hotel arch sign and more.

“Hard Rock is very pleased to contribute The Mirage artifacts to The Neon Museum,” said Joe Lupo, President of Mirage Hotel and Casino. “This iconic property that transformed the Las Vegas Strip can be remembered forever and we appreciate them preserving one of our city’s greatest treasures.”

John Cannito, President and CEO of The PENTA Building Group, said, “At PENTA, we’ve had the privilege of building some of the most legendary structures on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond. We are honored to be a part of this project and partner with iconic brands like The Mirage and Hard Rock International. Through our PENTA CARES Foundation, these historic pieces from the world-famous Mirage will be carefully preserved and safely housed at The Neon Museum.”

Preserving Las Vegas History

This joint effort between Hard Rock, PENTA and PENTA CARES and The Neon Museum will allow for the preservation of the property through visual efforts after its recent closure. The Neon Museum will receive the following artifacts:

• A 17-foot-tall sculpture of Siegfried & Roy with a giant white tiger, which was dedicated on October 27, 1993 from then-owner and hotel founder Steve Wynn.
• The 30-foot-tall Mirage hotel entrance arch sign, which has welcomed guests in from Las Vegas Boulevard for the past 34 years.
• The 27-foot-long Mirage neon sign that sat in The Mirage’s Volcano Lagoon. The Volcano entertained visitors four times nightly while the volcano blasted fire, smoke, water and light.

Various additional statues and pieces will be donated to The Neon Museum after the completion of The Mirage’s public art auction in September.

Aaron Berger, Executive Director of The Neon Museum, said, “In July of 2023, The Neon Museum first met with Hard Rock leadership to begin the preservation conversation. Over the course of a year, we worked together to identify the most iconic and historically significant pieces. Due to the generosity and collaborative spirit of Hard Rock and PENTA & PENTA CARES, these tremendous artifacts representing The Mirage and Siegfried & Roy will be protected and live on in the Museum’s collection. Future generations will be able to learn about ‘the oasis in the desert’ and how it changed hospitality design in Las Vegas and the world.”

Elaine Wynn said, “I am thrilled to know pieces of The Mirage will live on in The Neon Museum’s permanent collection. As important as the artifacts are, the stories of those who created the appeal of The Mirage are even more precious. I look forward to the Museum collecting the stories of those who built, designed, and worked at the property. It’s the stories that will give these historical objects life.”

About The Mirage

The Mirage opened its doors on November 22, 1989, and housed special features such as the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. The hotel was decked out in a Polynesian theme and its Volcano fountain was one of the first sidewalk attractions on the Las Vegas Strip. It was known as a venue where tourists could see Sigfried & Roy taming white tigers or a Cirque du Soleil act set to a Beatles song.

Hard Rock took over operations of The Mirage in December of 2022, where it was later released that the property would close on July 17, 2024 to undergo renovations. The updated resort plans to open in 2027.

The Neon Museum is open daily and includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard, filled with some of Las Vegas’ most iconic neon signs; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non- operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.