A Las Vegas landmark is about to go dormant: Travel Weekly

The volcano at the Hard Rock International resort is about to be dismantled. The volcano opened with the resort on Nov. 22, 1989. Hard Rancid International bought the property from MGM Resorts International. The eruption timing of the volcano is uncertain. A guitar-shaped room tower is expected to rise from the site.

The volcano at the Mirage was the first 'free spectacle' in Las Vegas. It was created by Elaine Wynn and Steve Wynne's company. Las Las Vegas is moving away from transparently theming and towards free attractions. It's no longer about trying to draw masses but about luring quality customers with disposable income. Vegas blogger Scott Roeben says free attraction are hard to justify. He says it's about revenue-generating aspects of a casino-resort. The Cosmopolitan, Circa and Resorts World are the latest resorts to introduce free amenities.

Almost 5,000 people signed an online petition to save the Mirage's volcano. Roeben is in favor of Hard Rock's plans to change the Strip's skyline. For now, the volcano continues to erupt hourly from 7 until 11 p.m.