Night on Wynn Mountain

Technically, this story isn’t set ON the mountain at Wynn Las Vegas, but inside it. But it’s an allusion to a popular piece of classical music and just sounds better than “INSIDE THE ARTIFICIAL MOUNTAIN AT WYNN LAS VEGAS.”

Ace KLAS-TV reporter Edward Lawrence somehow got inside the Mt. Wynn and, with the help of a photojournalist or two, shot a pretty good story in and around there. Check it out, from KLAS, which bills is website as LasVegasNow:

Driving by Wynn Las Vegas it’s easy to see the mountain Steve Wynn built in front of his hotel. What you have not seen, until now, is what’s inside the mountain.

It makes for a great picture. Tourist Lelia Hirsch exclaims, “Driving by it’s beautiful.” It drowns out the sound of the Las Vegas Strip. It blocks the Las Vegas lights. The mountain also hides a secret. It’s hollow.

Workers get in and out of the mountain through a tunnel under the main lake in front of Wynn Las Vegas. There’s a workshop and freight elevator which rises onto the mountain. Wynn Las Vegas Executive Director of Horticulture, Jim Gibbons says, “This mountain can stay here 100 years. It’s build on solid concrete with pockets built into it to hold the plants.”

Gibbons designed the mountain selecting every tree and plant on it. He says the hardest part is constantly topping himself. Gibbons helped lay out the San Diego wild animal park. He also developed the rainforest in the Mirage, the plants at Treasure Island, and came up with the atrium idea for the Bellagio.

When asked if he plans to retire? He responds, “No. I don’t need to. I’m retired doing this.” The mountain will be his legacy. Gibbons says Wynn built it with the plants in mind. He adds it has perfect drainage, perfect soil in the planters, and the trees love it.

LasVegasNOW.com | News for Las Vegas, Nevada – Wynn’s Mountain on the Las Vegas Strip

Click through and keep reading, because there’s some interesting stuff in there–both in the story and in the mountain. Actually, I’m a little surprised that no one’s thought of squeezing a high roller suite or two in there.

I’ve got to think that it would be almost impossibly cool to pay your check at one of the restaurants, get up from the table, jump into a little raft, and paddle over to a secret door in the mountain. It’s also a primo spot for a secret base–if you need a secret base. I don’t think Steve Wynn does–I’ve been in his office, and it’s pretty nice.

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