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Vegas Retold
Illustration of MGM Grand’s stepped green towers above its gold lion statue, cream entrance, palms and Strip intersection.

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MGM Grand Las Vegas

Opened December 18, 1993

MGM Grand Las Vegas opened on December 18, 1993, returning Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM name to the Strip on a different site from his original resort. The first MGM Grand, opened in 1973, had become Bally’s and is now Horseshoe. The green South Strip hotel is a separate property; the 1980 fire belongs to the earlier MGM’s history.

Start with its history

Editorial illustration of MGM Grand’s emerald towers, gold lion and Strip entrance, based on a user-supplied photograph.

The history of MGM Grand Las Vegas.

A brief history of MGM Grand Las Vegas

Green MGM Grand hotel towers and their rooftop name in 2018, with a separate Showcase parking garage in front.

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MGM Grand’s green towers on April 22, 2018, behind the separate Showcase parking structure.

MGM Grand Las Vegas opened on December 18, 1993, returning Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM name to the Strip on a different site from his original resort. The first MGM Grand, opened in 1973, had become Bally’s and is now Horseshoe. The green South Strip hotel is a separate property; the 1980 fire belongs to the earlier MGM’s history.

The earlier Marina site

The new project brought together the former Marina hotel site and the Tropicana Country Club grounds behind it. Marina had closed in November 1990. At the October 1991 groundbreaking, contemporary reporting described a large hotel and movie-oriented theme park, with the existing Marina building to be renovated into the complex. Later hotel accounts confirm that part of the earlier structure was incorporated. This was a much larger new resort with some older fabric retained.

A changing movie theme

The resort’s early identity joined movie fantasy to casino scale. Emerald City theming and a large lion entrance formed part of its first incarnation. Within a few years, MGM began reshaping that presentation. The company’s 1998 annual report records the removal of Emerald City and the old lion entrance, with a remodeled entertainment casino, a new entry and a bronze lion replacing those features.

Conventions and recreation

The same redevelopment changed how the grounds were used. A conference center opened in April 1998 and a new pool complex followed in July. The annual report connects those projects with the removal of some theme-park assets. It is a record of a resort shifting its balance among gaming, entertainment, conventions and recreation, rather than remaining fixed in its opening-day form.

Renewing the rooms

Rooms have also been repeatedly renewed. MGM’s January 2025 announcement identifies a completed 2022 renovation of Studio Tower and announces another major main-tower remodel. The announced December 2025 deadline was a forecast; it should not be confused with evidence of the precise day all work finished.

MGM Grand and its historical photograph

The operator’s 2026 fact sheet continues to identify MGM Grand as an operating hotel-casino at 3799 South Las Vegas Boulevard, with the Grand Garden Arena and KÀ among its entertainment facilities. The historical photograph shows its green towers in April 2018. Showcase’s parking structure stands in the foreground: that neighboring structure is not another MGM hotel tower.

Read the full history
Sources and context

  1. The operating MGM Grand in 2026

    Operator fact sheet, page 1: December 18, 1993 opening, 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, MGM Resorts operation, casino and bronze lion. Later pages list Grand Garden Arena and KÀ. Checked October 20, 2026; performer schedules, prices and comparative superlatives are not adopted as current promises.

  2. Two different MGM Grand properties

    UNLV MGM Mirage collection historical background, printed page 4: original 1973 MGM Grand, 1986 sale and Bally’s name, separate MGM Grand opened in 1993. Not a building relocation or the site of the 1980 fire.

  3. The 1991 groundbreaking and retained Marina building

    UPI, October 7, 1991: contemporaneous groundbreaking report and plan to renovate the existing 14-story Marina into the new complex. Indexed article body read; direct reader returned 403. Its incidental date of the original MGM fire is incorrect and is not adopted. Planned works are corroborated as actual reuse by the Wiley account.

  4. Closure before the new project

    UPI, March 5, 1991: Marina Hotel and Tropicana Country Club had both closed the preceding November. Indexed article body read; direct reader unavailable. Supports November 1990, not a closure in 1993; future completion forecasts are not treated as actual opening dates.

  5. The earlier hotel incorporated into MGM Grand

    Published Wiley Las Vegas hotel guide excerpt, PDF page 75 / printed page 106: part of the old MGM Marina structure incorporated into the new MGM Grand, with renovated rooms. Historical account, not a current assessment of rooms or attractions.

  6. The 1996–98 transformation

    MGM Grand 1998 annual report, PDF page 20: 1996 Master Plan, new entry/bronze lion and Entertainment Casino by first quarter 1998, April conference center and July pool opening. Note 16, PDF pages 46–47: removal of old lion entrance/Emerald City and some theme park assets. Future 1999 opening forecasts are not treated as completed events.

  7. Completed Studio Tower work and a later announced remodel

    MGM release January 17, 2025: Studio Tower room renovation completed in 2022; main-tower work announced with a December 2025 target. The target is not proof of its actual completion day.

  8. The current MGM building area

    OSM way 116770006, 36.10271,-115.16985, rechecked October 20, 2026. Representative mapped building area, not Marina’s historical hotel point or an entrance.

  9. The MGM towers and neighboring parking structure in 2018

    Creator’s own-work Commons photograph, exact original, capture date and CC BY-SA 4.0 checked October 20, 2026. The foreground Showcase parking structure is separate from MGM Grand.

The original 1973 MGM Grand is today’s Horseshoe, a different property and site.

Part of Marina’s hotel was retained in the 1993 development; this was not a rename of the whole Marina into an otherwise unchanged resort.

Announced construction deadlines are not treated as verified actual completion dates.

The historical photograph dates from April 22, 2018. The foreground Showcase garage is a separate neighboring structure.

This site through time

Replaced Marina Hotel and Casino

1993

Marina, briefly called MGM Marina, closed in November 1990. The MGM Grand development replaced its independent resort operation and also used the neighboring Tropicana Country Club grounds, opening in December 1993. Part of Marina’s hotel structure was renovated and incorporated into the new complex. This was a larger successor resort with partial building reuse, rather than a simple rename or complete demolition of every earlier building.

Historical source — Wiley Las Vegas hotel guide excerpt, PDF page 75 / printed page 106, confirms that part of MGM Marina was incorporated into MGM Grand. UPI’s March 5, 1991 report places closure in November 1990; its October 7, 1991 groundbreaking report describes the planned renovation of the retained hotel. MGM’s 2026 fact sheet gives December 18, 1993 as the new resort’s opening. Both property histories list the source links and limits of the available evidence.

  • The new development occupied a larger site than Marina alone. Partial retention is not the same as a complete demolition or a rename of the entire resort.
  • The relationship is dated to the successor’s 1993 opening year; closure and construction occurred earlier.
  • Marina is separate from San Remo/Hooters/OYO, and this MGM Grand is separate from the original 1973 MGM, now Horseshoe.

Take the stories for a walk.

Two ways to explore MGM Grand Las Vegas

Illustration of the historic Flamingo entrance, pink roadside pylon, low hotel frontage and tall palms.

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Strip Mob Walk

Themed tour 46 discoveries Audio narration

Compare all tours including MGM Grand Las Vegas

Free audio samples are available here. See each tour for current app and Pass options.

A few things worth noticing.

Individual stops at MGM Grand Las Vegas. Open a detail to see where it belongs.

The Lion’s Mouth

Pass required
MGM Grand exterior bronze lion, February 2020.

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MGM Grand exterior bronze lion, February 2020.

The full stop is part of the Vegas Retold Pass. See the tour for current access options.

Find this stop in the tour

The Giant Lion

Pass required
MGM Grand exterior bronze lion, February 2020.

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MGM Grand exterior bronze lion, February 2020.

The full stop is part of the Vegas Retold Pass. See the tour for current access options.

Find this stop in the tour

Tupac’s Last Night

Pass required
MGM Grand Garden Arena interior with seats arranged around an event floor.

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MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2008; venue context, not the 1996 fight or the lobby assault.

The full stop is part of the Vegas Retold Pass. See the tour for current access options.

Find this stop in the tour
Explore all 9 stops

Find the place.

MGM Grand Las Vegas

The map identifies the property area. It does not identify an entrance or a walking route.

View the site on a map

Find your stop

Follow current signs and venue restrictions. Individual stops carry their own location and access notes.

See stop access information

Follow the evidence.

Sources, image credits and the limits of what we know.

Historical sources9 documents and records

  1. The operating MGM Grand in 2026

    Operator fact sheet, page 1: December 18, 1993 opening, 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, MGM Resorts operation, casino and bronze lion. Later pages list Grand Garden Arena and KÀ. Checked October 20, 2026; performer schedules, prices and comparative superlatives are not adopted as current promises.

  2. Two different MGM Grand properties

    UNLV MGM Mirage collection historical background, printed page 4: original 1973 MGM Grand, 1986 sale and Bally’s name, separate MGM Grand opened in 1993. Not a building relocation or the site of the 1980 fire.

  3. The 1991 groundbreaking and retained Marina building

    UPI, October 7, 1991: contemporaneous groundbreaking report and plan to renovate the existing 14-story Marina into the new complex. Indexed article body read; direct reader returned 403. Its incidental date of the original MGM fire is incorrect and is not adopted. Planned works are corroborated as actual reuse by the Wiley account.

  4. Closure before the new project

    UPI, March 5, 1991: Marina Hotel and Tropicana Country Club had both closed the preceding November. Indexed article body read; direct reader unavailable. Supports November 1990, not a closure in 1993; future completion forecasts are not treated as actual opening dates.

  5. The earlier hotel incorporated into MGM Grand

    Published Wiley Las Vegas hotel guide excerpt, PDF page 75 / printed page 106: part of the old MGM Marina structure incorporated into the new MGM Grand, with renovated rooms. Historical account, not a current assessment of rooms or attractions.

  6. The 1996–98 transformation

    MGM Grand 1998 annual report, PDF page 20: 1996 Master Plan, new entry/bronze lion and Entertainment Casino by first quarter 1998, April conference center and July pool opening. Note 16, PDF pages 46–47: removal of old lion entrance/Emerald City and some theme park assets. Future 1999 opening forecasts are not treated as completed events.

  7. Completed Studio Tower work and a later announced remodel

    MGM release January 17, 2025: Studio Tower room renovation completed in 2022; main-tower work announced with a December 2025 target. The target is not proof of its actual completion day.

  8. The current MGM building area

    OSM way 116770006, 36.10271,-115.16985, rechecked October 20, 2026. Representative mapped building area, not Marina’s historical hotel point or an entrance.

  9. The MGM towers and neighboring parking structure in 2018

    Creator’s own-work Commons photograph, exact original, capture date and CC BY-SA 4.0 checked October 20, 2026. The foreground Showcase parking structure is separate from MGM Grand.

What remains uncertain4 notes on context and interpretation
  • The original 1973 MGM Grand is today’s Horseshoe, a different property and site.
  • Part of Marina’s hotel was retained in the 1993 development; this was not a rename of the whole Marina into an otherwise unchanged resort.
  • Announced construction deadlines are not treated as verified actual completion dates.
  • The historical photograph dates from April 22, 2018. The foreground Showcase garage is a separate neighboring structure.
Image credits6 images with source information

Editorial illustration of MGM Grand’s emerald towers, gold lion and Strip entrance, based on a user-supplied photograph.

AI-generated illustration / Vegas Retold, based on a user-supplied photograph.

Source reference: Piers-supplied MGM Grand photograph; original photographer, date and copyright status unknown. Intended-use locator: https://vegasretold.com/casinos/mgm-grand-las-vegas

AI style-transfer illustration generated October 20, 2026; architecture, traffic and foliage simplified from the supplied photograph. This is not an archival photograph.

Generated illustration published at Piers’s explicit instruction. Original source photographer, capture date and copyright status are unknown; no third-party permission or public-domain status is asserted.

Image source ↗

MGM Grand’s green towers on April 22, 2018, behind the separate Showcase parking structure.

Alexander Migl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Source reference: Creator’s own-work Commons photograph, exact original, capture date and CC BY-SA 4.0 checked October 20, 2026. The foreground Showcase parking structure is separate from MGM Grand.

Depicted date: 2018-04-22

License

Original source photograph retained without editorial alteration. Responsive displays may resize and crop the presentation.

Retain creator, source, license link and changes notice. Adaptations require the same or compatible license; descriptive editorial use, no endorsement implied.

Image source ↗

Illustration of MGM Grand’s exterior bronze lion, based on Noah Wulf’s February 2020 photograph.

AI photo adaptation after Noah Wulf / Wikimedia Commons

Image source ↗

AI illustration of the historic Flamingo entrance and palms, adapted from the user-supplied postcard.

AI-generated illustration / Vegas Retold; adapted from user-supplied reference, original photographer unknown

Image source ↗

MGM Grand exterior bronze lion, February 2020.

Noah Wulf / Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 3.0

Image source ↗

MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2008; venue context, not the 1996 fight or the lobby assault.

Slargent / Wikimedia Commons; CC BY 1.0

Image source ↗
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