Excalibur’s Turrets and the MGM Grand Sign Along Las Vegas Boulevard

The MGM Grand opened in 1993 on the site of the former MGM Grand Hotel that had burned in 1980, rebuilt under Kirk Kerkorian with a design by Veldon Simpson. At roughly 6.85 million square feet, it held the title of the world's largest hotel at opening, with over 5,000 rooms across its towers. The resort's casino floor spans more than 170,000 square feet, and the property has operated under MGM Resorts International since the 1990s. In the foreground, the turreted rooftop belongs to the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, a medieval-themed resort that opened in 1990, also developed by Kerkorian's Circus Circus Enterprises. Las Vegas Boulevard, known as the Strip, runs between the two properties and carries the bulk of pedestrian and vehicle traffic along this stretch of casinos.

Taken April 2008