Walking down the Las Vegas Strip today feels different. If you haven't been here in a couple of years, you’ll notice a massive, guitar-shaped hole in the skyline—or rather, a guitar-shaped tower rising where the tropical oasis of The Mirage used to stand. For over thirty years, that spot was home to the Siegfried and Roy habitat Las Vegas tourists knew as the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. It wasn’t just a zoo. It was a piece of Vegas history that felt like it would last forever.
Then, the world changed.
Honestly, the closure happened fast. One minute people were feeding dolphins and snapping photos of white tigers, and the next, the gates were locked for good. If you're looking for the Secret Garden today, you won't find it. It's gone. The Mirage closed its doors in 2024 to make way for the new Hard Rock Las Vegas, and with that transition, the era of big cats on the Strip officially ended.
The Day the Magic Stopped
The decision to shut down the Siegfried and Roy habitat Las Vegas wasn't just about a change in hotel ownership, though that was the final nail in the coffin. Hard Rock International took over and basically decided that an animal theme park didn't fit their rock-and-roll brand. Plus, the facility was facing some heavy scrutiny. In 2022, three dolphins—K2, Maverick, and Bella—died within a six-month window. It was tragic. People were upset.
By November 2022, the official word came down: the habitat was closing permanently.
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It was a weird time for Vegas. Siegfried and Roy were the kings of this town. Even after Roy’s famous 2003 on-stage incident with the tiger Mantacore, the duo remained deeply involved with their animals at the habitat. Siegfried was known to wander the gardens, performing impromptu coin tricks for kids and checking on his "cats." When he passed away in 2021, just a year after Roy, the soul of the place kinda went with them.
Where did the white tigers go?
This is what everyone asks. You can’t just put a white lion in a U-Haul and drive away. The relocation process was actually a massive logistical operation that wrapped up in mid-2023.
The big cats didn't go to another casino. They went to sanctuaries.
- In-Sync Exotics in Wylie, Texas, took in several of the cats. We’re talking about Madiba and Timba-Masai (the white lions) and several leopards.
- WildCat Ridge Sanctuary in Oregon became the new home for the remaining tigers, including pairs of siblings like Sengali and Cosmo.
These places are legit. They aren't open to the public in the "tourist attraction" sense, which is a huge shift for animals that spent their lives under neon lights. They have grass now. They have space. It’s a retirement that, quite frankly, they earned after decades of being the face of Las Vegas tourism.
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The Fate of the Mirage Dolphins
The dolphins were a different story. The 2.5-million-gallon tank system was state-of-the-art back in 1990, but by 2023, the world’s view on captive cetaceans had shifted.
The remaining bottlenose dolphins, including fan favorites like Duchess and Huf-N-Puf, were relocated. Most went to Coral World Ocean Park in the U.S. Virgin Islands or SeaWorld San Diego. While some activists pushed for a "sea pen" sanctuary, the animal care teams argued that these specific dolphins, most born in captivity, needed the medical infrastructure that only established facilities could provide.
It’s a complicated debate. You’ve got people who think they should be in the open ocean and experts who say they wouldn’t survive a week out there.
What’s left at the old site?
If you peer through the construction fences at the old Mirage site right now, you won't see much of the lush, tropical foliage that defined the Siegfried and Roy habitat Las Vegas. Much of it has been cleared for the massive Guitar Hotel tower.
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There was a big auction recently. They sold off everything. Statues, signage, even the faux-rock work. It’s all scattered into the hands of private collectors now. The iconic "Siegfried & Roy Way" sign is one of the few reminders left.
Why the habitat still matters to Vegas history
We shouldn't forget what this place did for the city. Before Steve Wynn opened The Mirage in 1989, Vegas was a bit... well, seedy. The Secret Garden helped turn the Strip into a "family-friendly" destination. It was the first time a resort spent millions of dollars on something that wasn't a slot machine or a buffet.
Siegfried and Roy used that platform to talk about conservation. Sure, it was "infotainment," but for millions of people, it was the only time they’d ever see a white tiger in person. They funded the SARMOTI Foundation, which still works to protect endangered species today. That's a legacy that survives even if the buildings are torn down.
What to do if you're visiting now
If you’re heading to Vegas and you’re bummed out that you can’t visit the habitat, you’ve got a few options to get your "old Vegas" fix:
- Visit the Statues: The bronze statue of Siegfried and Roy with a giant cat still stands near the front of the property (for now). It’s a mandatory photo op.
- Head to the Sanctuaries: You can’t just walk into the Texas or Oregon sanctuaries, but you can follow them on social media. They post updates on the cats regularly. Seeing a tiger that used to live in a casino now lounging in a field of tall grass is actually pretty cool.
- Check out the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat: It’s the last of the "old school" free animal attractions on the Strip. No tigers, but the flamingos and pelicans are a nice break from the noise.
The reality is that the Siegfried and Roy habitat Las Vegas was a product of its time. It belonged to an era of big hair, dry ice, and "Masters of the Impossible." As the city moves toward a future of high-tech stadiums and mega-arenas, that quiet, leafy corner of the Mirage will be missed, but the animals are probably better off in the quiet of their new homes.
Your next step: If you want to see how the cats are doing today, look up In-Sync Exotics or WildCat Ridge Sanctuary online. They often share videos of the former Vegas residents during their "enrichment" sessions, and it’s a great way to see the next chapter of their lives.