The Mirage opened with several non-traditional attractions for a Las Vegas casino, including animal habitats for dolphins and tigers, and an indoor tropical forest display.

The property will receive a complete renovation and expansion which will include a new guitar-shaped hotel tower, taking the place of the volcano attraction.

[8] Casino owner Steve Wynn had considered building a resort on the Strip to be known as Victoria Bay, but the project was canceled in 1981, due to high costs.

[9] Three years later, he thought about building a resort in downtown Las Vegas, on 50 acres of railroad land that would later become the site of the Clark County Government Center.

[22] With an ultimate cost of $630 million,[26] the Mirage was the world's most expensive hotel-casino ever built, until the opening of Trump Taj Mahal a few months later in Atlantic City.

[28][29][30] Financier Michael Milken, an executive of the company, helped fund the project by selling $525 million worth of mortgage bonds.

Despite the company's objections, Wynn refused to allow media tours and the release of early images, wanting to keep the resort a surprise for the opening.

[38][39] Financial analysts and gaming executives were skeptical of the Mirage, which needed to make an unprecedented $1 million per day to cover its expenses.

CEO William Hornbuckle, who helped oversee the Mirage's opening, said the resort "just fell pretty far down in the spectrum of how much in capital we'd allocate to it in any given period of time in the near future.

[107] Signage from the Mirage was donated to the city's Neon Museum for preservation,[108] including a 30-foot-long arch along the Strip that marked the resort's south entry.

[122][123] One former employee in particular would become the primary focus of a state investigation, which found that he had lied to his supervisors about mailing the reports, concealing the fact that he was actually months behind on the work.

[15] Wynn's team did extensive studies of several local resorts – Bally's, the Las Vegas Hilton, the Flamingo, and the adjacent Caesars Palace – and sought to combine their best features into one property.

[131] Describing his vision, Wynn said, "Think of the harsh Southern Nevada desert, and then you see a waterfall, something out of the South Pacific or the island of Kauai.

[15] The Mirage popularized the Y-shape design, which was later copied by Las Vegas' Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, and Mandalay Bay resorts.

[153][152] Revolution, an $11 million nightclub themed after the Beatles, was added in 2006, to accompany the resort's opening of the Beatles-themed show Love by Cirque du Soleil.

[128][142] Natural gas pipes, 8 inches (200 mm) in width, are used in conjunction with a recirculating system to give the appearance that the lagoon is on fire.

[131][34] They added a texture to the rock formations to produce micro bubbles in the water, fulfilling Wynn's desire to have whitewater in the attraction, as it allowed for adequate lighting.

[173] On November 13, 1996, the Mirage opened the Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy, an outdoor attraction showcasing six types of animals which were featured in the magicians' show at the resort.

[182][183][184] Siegfried & Roy also ran a breeding program for big cats, particularly white lions and tigers, which resided at the Secret Garden.

A first-floor hallway near the resort's southern entrance featured a glass wall, allowing guests to watch the tigers in an enclosure.

[184][191][194][195] In 2009, Born Free USA and the World Society for the Protection of Animals accused the Mirage of using its dolphin habitat for entertainment and profit rather than education.

Hard Rock International subsequently determined that the attraction would not be part of its future plans for the resort, with the animals relocated to new homes.

[243] The Mirage showcased boxing matches in its early years, competing against the Las Vegas Hilton and the adjacent Caesars Palace.

[262] Other entertainers at the Mirage have included Paul Anka,[263] Dennis Miller,[264] Lewis Black,[265][266][267] George Lopez,[268] Bill Burr,[269] and Matt Goss.

[291] MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said, "If that animal intended to harm Roy, it would have lasted two seconds, and there would have been no need for a hospital".

[282][294] For six months, the resort's roadside sign on the Las Vegas Strip continued to advertise Siegfried & Roy's show as a tribute.

[291] The entry road leading onto the property was named Siegfried and Roy Drive in 2020, honoring the duo and their impact on the resort's success.

In August 2004, their former theater was gutted to make way for a $100 million venue, which would accommodate a Cirque du Soleil show based on the Beatles, in partnership with Apple Corps.

[313] Wynn allowed portions of the Mirage to be closed for production of the 1997 film Vegas Vacation,[314] which features the resort prominently,[315] including its pool area,[316] and its Siegfried & Roy show.

[319] The Mirage is also one of three Las Vegas casinos robbed in the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven,[320] and is featured in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, under the name "The Visage".