Where All the Mirage Relics Will Go

Posted on: July 16, 2024, 12:40h. 

Last updated on: July 16, 2024, 02:55h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

When The Mirage re-emerges from its construction cocoon in three years, it will be a Hard Rock casino resort with virtually no trace of its former self to trigger nostalgia among its visitors. Some of the property’s unique relics have already found new homes. Here are the ones we know about…

The Siegfried & Roy statue served as a shrine for fans to memorialize the deaths of Roy Horn in 2020 from COVID-19, and Siegfried Fischbacher a year later from pancreatic cancer. (Image: themonumentous.com)

Siegfried & Roy Statue

The gold-painted statue of Siegfried & Roy with one of their white tigers is expected to be donated to the Neon Museum, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, though the museum has yet to confirm those plans.

Siegfried & Roy pose with Mantacore, the white tiger who nearly killed Roy. Mantacore died in 2014. (Image: Siegfried & Roy via Facebook)

The sculpture was unveiled just north of The Mirage’s marquee on Oct. 27, 1993, with both its human subjects, and resort founder Steve Wynn, in attendance.

Big Cats

The last surviving white tigers and lions housed at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat were transferred to two animal sanctuaries, the WildCat Ridge Sanctuary in Scotts Mills, Ore., and In-Sync Exotics in Wylie, Texas. That’s according to a statement released from The Mirage in July 2023 that didn’t indicate how many cats were relocated, or what specific types of cats were relocated to each sanctuary.

Whereas big cat and dolphin shows were once seen as an acceptable way to educate the kiddos about wildlife and conservation, public attitudes have changed about the benefits of exploiting animals raised in captivity.

This cutie was one of the last performing dolphins on the Las Vegas Strip. (Image: friendsofanimals.org)

The career-ending attack on Roy Horn by his white tiger, Mantacore, during Siegfried & Roy’s show on Oct. 3, 2003, served as a defining moment for the world to rethink its position.

Dolphins

In February 2023, three dolphins (Karli, Sofi, and Osborne) were relocated to SeaWorld in San Diego.

The last three (Huf-N-Puf, Coco, and Lady Ace) went to Coral World Ocean Park’s sea sanctuary at Water Bay in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands in May 2023.

A 2007 visitor sees a likeness. (Image: mermaidcastle.com)

Brass Mermaids

Plans are to auction off the two mermaid statues greeting guests at the resort’s entrance for the past 35 years.

These statues served as popular social-media photo ops and groping victims — as the sheen rubbed off a certain anatomical area attests.

The auction, which will include a number of other yet-to-be-named Mirage art items, is expected to take place by mid-September.

The Mirage Aquarium before, above, and after being defished. (Images: The Mirage, X/Twitter/@lvpitboss)

Aquarium Fish

The 450 tropical fish swimming around the 20,000-gallon saltwater tank behind the front desk now swim around Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef — presumably, in a separate tank!

They represent 85 different species from around the world, including angelfish, puffer fish, tangs, and other sea critters.

The Mirage aquarium was cleaned two to three times per week by staff who suited up and dived in.