MGM Springfield, Springfield, MA, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

MGM Springfield is a resort casino complex in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, opened in 2018 as the first resort casino in the state. It sits in the South End, on land that was part of the city's rebuilding effort after the 2011 tornado, and it has become one of the most visible new landmarks in the city centre.

The story behind it

Massachusetts legalised resort casinos in 2011, and Springfield was one of the places competing for a licence. MGM Resorts International won the western Massachusetts licence and built its project in the South End, in an area the city wanted to revive. The tornado that crossed Springfield in 2011 had made renewal a pressing question for the whole city.

The complex opened in 2018. It is more than a gaming floor: it brings a hotel, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues into a part of downtown that had seen little new construction for years. That is why locals often talk about it as a piece of city planning as much as a casino.

What to look for

• Notice how the new buildings meet the surrounding downtown streets, and compare the modern fronts with the older brick buildings nearby.
• Walk the open areas around the entrances, which were designed as a public part of the complex rather than a closed box.
• Look at the hotel tower and how it stands out on the Springfield skyline from several blocks away.
• Look at the restaurant and shop frontages at street level, which show how the project tries to connect with the city around it.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 60 minutes if you only want to look around the public areas, and longer if you plan to eat or see a show.
• You must be 21 or older to enter the gaming floor, so check the rules before bringing a younger group.
• Evening is a good time to see the exterior lit up, while daytime is better for noticing the surrounding architecture.
• Other downtown sights are within reach on foot, so combine your visit with a stroll through the centre. Check current opening hours for individual venues.

See it on a quest

The easiest way to see MGM Springfield alongside the streets around it is to play Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Springfield, MA. You reach the complex on foot as one stop of a longer route through the city, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of what you are looking at. It is a self-guided mystery, so you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.