Elaine Wynn's legacy will live on in Las Vegas
Although Elaine Wynn, co-founder of Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts, died April 14 at the age of 82, her influence will continue to be felt on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond for decades.
Not only did she and her ex-husband, Steve Wynn, usher in the modern era of megaresorts, she was instrumental in encouraging more women in gaming company boardrooms and was a philanthropist who supported many education initiatives and the city's arts culture.
Elaine Wynn
The Wynns' first major project in Las Vegas, in the 1970s, was to transform and expand downtown's Golden Nugget, which had opened in 1946 and had been "a pretty dusty Western casino and small hotel," said Alan Feldman, a casino industry veteran, in an interview with City Cast Las Vegas. Among the many new elements that made it the highest-end property downtown were the Spa Tower and two-story suites, which Feldman said were the first of their kind in the market.
Then came the opening of the Mirage in 1989 with what would become the iconic volcano, said to be Elaine's idea. Other revolutionary amenities attracting guests' attention beyond the casino floor: an 80-foot-tall atrium and rainforest, a 20,000-gallon saltwater aquarium behind the registration desk and Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.
"Steve's vision was really about the property. Elaine's vision was about Las Vegas, and I found that just absolutely dynamic," said Feldman, who worked with the Wynns on the opening. "[Steve] was describing a hotel that didn't exist before. She was describing a city that wasn't here, and the idea that these two things could be interrelated and have impact on one another was really compelling."
Treasure Island (which opened in 1993), featuring a now-defunct lakefront pirate battle, and Bellagio (1998), with its breathtaking conservatory and dynamic fountains, proved to be even bigger templates for their ideas.
Although the Mirage is now closed and being rebranded into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn (2005) and Encore (2008) remain vibrant examples of their vision.
The Elaine P. Wynn and Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports education, community development and the arts, had this to say about her: "Each project reflected her creative sense and impeccable taste. But her most lasting contribution is the people-first culture she always prioritized. Her unwavering empathy for her colleagues and employees is undeniably the magic quality she infused in everything she touched."
The Wynns were married in 1963, divorced in 1986 but married again in 1991. That second marriage also ended in divorce, in 2010. But Elaine Wynn remained on Wynn Resorts' board for a short time following Steve Wynn's departure from the company in 2018 amid reporting of his decadeslong pattern of sexual misconduct with employees.
She continued behind the scenes to preserve the legacy of hospitality she helped create, said Feldman, now director of strategic initiatives for the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She fostered more women in boardrooms and those with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds to bring different perspectives to hospitality and gaming. "Elaine had an incredibly profound impact on that, and that's not going anywhere," Feldman told the podcast.
Also not going anywhere are the effects of her philanthropy. She was the founding chairman of Communities in Schools of Nevada (a dropout prevention organization), she helped raise millions of dollars for UNLV, and she funded the education program at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
"Elaine was instrumental in establishing the Elaine Wynn Studio for Arts Education at the Smith Center," according to a statement provided by the performing arts center. "Through the years, its programs have provided cultural enrichment to hundreds of thousands of young people throughout Southern Nevada, a tribute to Elaine's energy, generosity and tireless dedication to arts literacy."
• Related: These four museums tell the story of Las Vegas
But the legacy of Elaine Wynn that visitors to Las Vegas may anticipate the most is the Las Vegas Museum of Art, what would be the city's first world-class art museum, near the Smith Center. Her landmark gift propelled a collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on the project. Planning and fundraising continue.
A rendering of the proposed Las Vegas Museum of Art, a passion project of Elaine Wynn's. Groundbreaking is expected in 2027. Photo Credit: Kere Architecture
Groundbreaking for the 90,000-square foot, three-story museum, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kere, is expected in 2027.
"She understood that Las Vegas was not just a destination; it was an experience -- an ever-evolving tapestry woven with threads of art, culture and the human spirit," the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation statement said.
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