Lady Liberty Replica and the Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York

New York-New York Hotel & Casino opened on January 3, 1997, built by a partnership between MGM Grand Inc. and Primadonna Resorts at a cost of roughly $460 million. Its twelve towers echo the Manhattan skyline, with facades referencing the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, and the complex rises 47 stories as part of MGM Resorts International's Strip holdings. The Statue of Liberty replica out front stands about 150 feet from base to torch, roughly half the height of the original in New York Harbor. The Big Apple Coaster, which opened with the resort under the name Manhattan Express, features a 144-foot first drop and a 180-degree "heartline twist," a maneuver rarely found on other roller coasters.

Photo taken in April 2008.