In 1997, the MGM Grand began construction on a pool, a spa, and a conference center, taking up 15 acres (6.1 ha) of theme park land.

[1] Separate plans by MGM Grand, Inc. were announced in October 1989 for an MGM-branded theme park in Las Vegas,[2] which began construction two years later.

[24][25][26] At the end of the month, MGM Mirage began putting all of the rides and attractions up for sale, while stating that the park could re-open in 2001 if the equipment could not be sold for an adequate price.

The park would only be open for corporate group business and special events with 50 or more people, with general admission tickets no longer issued.

Keeping the park open for special events was a way to generate income while still considering other options for the land, including the development of timeshares, luxury condominiums, entertainment complexes, or additional casino and hotel space.

[28][29][30] In December 2002, MGM Mirage announced plans to build several condo hotel towers on a portion of the theme park land.

[43][44] MGM Grand Adventures could handle 16,000 people, although capacity was capped at 8,000 to prevent long lines, a common complaint at Disneyland in California.

[52] Riders were strapped into harnesses and lifted up a 220-foot (67 m) launch tower where they then pulled a ripcord, setting into motion a 100-foot free fall upwards of 70 mph (110 km/h).

[53] The park included several theaters and opened with five shows:[38] The 40-percent reduction in acreage during the late 1990s entailed the removal of the Backlot River Tour, Deep Earth Exploration, and Manhattan Theatre.

[49] When the property rebranded as The Park at MGM Grand, it retained the remaining theaters as well as three rides: SkyScreamer, Lightning Bolt, and Parisian Taxis.

[61] Architecture critic Blair Kamin, writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1994, called the park "an uninspired copy of Disneyland" with "unconvincing re-creations of historic streets.

"[62] During the same year, Alex Beam of Forbes wrote, "The nicest thing one can say about MGM's Grand Adventures theme park is that it isn't very crowded, for reasons that will become clear should you visit.

"[63] Meanwhile, Michael A. Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times wrote that MGM "oversold its theme park's quality without devoting to it sufficient imagination and expense."