The MGM has featured restaurants from several prominent chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, Michael Mina, and Joël Robuchon.

Fred Harvey had previously opened other Marina-branded hotels in the U.S.[4] Meanwhile, the adjacent Golf Club Motel later operated as the Mariner, before being demolished in 1986 to become a parking lot for the larger Marina.

[16] Landlord Southwest Securities also filed a writ of attachment, seeking $393,000 in back rent from the resort's operators.

[23][24] The project was part of ongoing efforts to make Las Vegas a family friendly tourist destination.

[25] An earlier MGM Grand had been opened by Kerkorian in 1973, at the center of the Las Vegas Strip;[26][27] it was rebranded as Bally's in 1986.

[28] The present MGM is located near the southern end of the Strip, at the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection.

[8][34] A groundbreaking ceremony for the MGM Grand, heavily inspired by the resort's Wizard of Oz theme, was held on October 7, 1991.

[37][38] Casino executive Clifford S. Perlman was named to oversee the resort and theme park,[39] the latter known as MGM Grand Adventures.

The MGM Grand and its theme park occupied 112 acres (45 ha),[40] and cost a total of $1 billion to build.

[41] The MGM Grand opened to the public on the morning of December 18, 1993, following a private VIP party for 3,000 guests the night before.

He attended the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson boxing match at the resort, and subsequently got into a fight with gang member Orlando Anderson in the hotel lobby, before being shot later that night just off the Strip.

[54][55] Terrence Lanni, the chairman of MGM Grand, Inc., said he wanted customers to "feel like guests coming to a premiere of one of the world's greatest movies.

[57] As the resort marked its 10th anniversary, additional renovation work was underway to help it compete against the nearby Mandalay Bay.

[69][70] The MGM contains 5,044 rooms; its hotel towers rise up to 30 stories,[71] while the original western wing remains a 14-story structure.

[57][45][77] The entry featured a seven-story dome with a ceiling that switched between day and night; and a 15-minute magic show known as The Wizard's Secret, which incorporated a hydraulic moving floor.

[79][72][80] The hotel's exterior consists of green glass panels, originally meant to evoke Emerald City.

[81][70] Blair Kamin, architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune, considered the movie and Wizard of Oz themes poorly integrated, and wrote that the resort exterior "resembles a bland suburban office building with a cartoonish lion's face stuck on the front."

Kamin also was critical of the property's size, calling it "so overwhelming and, occasionally, so confusing, that they hand out a map of the hotel-casino at the front door.

The Nevada Legislature agreed to change state law, allowing the operation of private gaming salons for players with at least $500,000 to spend and willing to bet $500 minimums.

Because of its design, Asian gamblers reportedly perceived the facade as if they were entering through the lion's mouth, which is considered bad luck in Chinese culture.

It weighs 50 tons, and at 45 feet (14 m) tall, on a 25-foot pedestal,[106] is the largest bronze statue in the U.S.[107] It was designed by Snellen Johnson,[108][109] and created through his Arizona company American Art.

[138][139][140] Three years later, Mina and chef Ayesha Curry partnered to open International Smoke, featuring cuisine from around the world, including barbecue.

[147][148] During the 1990s, the casino included the Betty Boop Bar, which featured an animatronic of comedian Foster Brooks that recreated his drunken humor.

[151] The Las Vegas location closed in February 2012,[149] and much of its interior decor sat in an MGM parking garage for the next three years, before being purchased by two local collectors.

[41] The theme park, MGM Grand Adventures, opened on 33 acres (13 ha) located northeast of the resort.

The $9 million enclosure measured 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) and featured several glass walls for viewing, as well as a see-through tunnel.

[174] The 1996–1998 renovation added a retail and restaurant area known as the Studio Walk, featuring a Hollywood sound stage theme.

Visitors would tour the exhibit, analyzing faux crime scenes and evidence to solve murder cases.

It was headlined by several different entertainers during its run, including Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, Tommy Tune, and Rick Springfield.

[199] In 2001, the resort launched La Femme, a topless show that recreated the Parisian cabaret known as Crazy Horse.