Steve Wynn explains path toward opening of The Mirage in 1989

Former casino executive Steve Wynn spoke for nearly two hours Thursday at a Neon Museum fundraiser held at the Golden Nugget, recounting the development of The Mirage, the resort that helped transform the Las Vegas Strip when it opened in 1989. Introduced by his daughter Gillian and joined on stage by his wife, Andrea Hissom, and Neon Museum executive director Aaron Berger, Wynn detailed the land acquisition process, the creation of the erupting volcano, and the skepticism the project faced from financial experts.

A key piece of the property belonged to retired actress Grace Hayes, who refused to sell the home she shared with her late husband, screenwriter Robert Hopkins, even to Howard Hughes. Wynn said he eventually persuaded Hayes by taking her to a model of the project and showing her that her house would sit at the site of a waterfall — the feature that became the volcano. "She didn't want to sell a house because she said, 'I'll never sell Hoppy's house,'" Wynn recalled. After she agreed, ground broke on The Mirage in 1986.

Wynn noted that a core team of investors and contractors stayed with him through the construction of The Mirage and his subsequent resorts: Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore Las Vegas. The Mirage's volcano, which spewed flaming natural gas clouds every 20 minutes, drew millions of viewers until the resort closed in July 2024. Berger said the event achieved the museum's goal of capturing first-person perspectives in a public setting, calling it "just as revealing, just as intimate, just as engaging as if it was a one-on-one interview."

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal