MGM Grand to New York-New York: The Tropicana Avenue Bridge, Tower-by-Tower

MGM Grand and New York-New York sit on opposite sides of Tropicana Avenue, and the bridge between them is one of the shortest casino-to-casino crossings on the Strip. The catch is that MGM Grand is enormous — the 171,500-square-foot casino floor alone takes 3–5 minutes to cross — so where you start inside the property changes the total walk more than the bridge ever does.

The bridge lands at the Studio Tower side of MGM Grand and the east side of New York-New York, near the Statue of Liberty replica and the Hershey's storefront. The bridge itself is on the casino-floor level on both ends — not the upper Big Apple Coaster level on the New York-New York side. Once you know which MGM Grand entrance to use, this is one of the easier walks on the south Strip.

MGM Grand to New York-New York at a Glance

The Fastest Route (Tropicana Avenue Bridge)

This is the route most people should take. It is the only direct pedestrian connection between the two properties, and the bridge itself is short and well-marked once you reach it.

Starting from MGM Grand:

1. From the MGM Grand casino floor, head toward the west side of the property — the Studio Tower elevators are your landmark.
2. Follow signs for “New York-New York” or “Tropicana Bridge.” The signage is near the Studio Tower entrance and at the west-side casino-floor edge.
3. Take the escalator up one flight to the bridge level.
4. Cross the Tropicana Avenue pedestrian bridge. The deck is level and the railings are glass on both sides — you can see Tropicana Avenue traffic below.
5. The bridge lands on the east side of New York-New York. Take the escalator down to the casino-floor level.
6. You step out near the Hershey's Chocolate World storefront and the Statue of Liberty replica. Continue inside to the Wall Street casino floor.

Total time: 5–8 minutes door-to-door at a normal pace. Subtract 1–2 minutes if you start from the Studio Tower elevators (closest to the bridge) or the west-side casino floor. Add 3–5 minutes from a far Grand Tower wing or The Signature.

Where the bridge comes out at New York-New York

The bridge lands on the east side of New York-New York at the casino-floor level, near the Statue of Liberty replica and the Hershey's Chocolate World storefront on the Las Vegas Boulevard frontage. It is on the same level as the Wall Street casino floor — you do not need to use an interior escalator once you are inside.

One thing that confuses first-time visitors: the Big Apple Coaster loading platform is on the upper level above the casino floor. The bridge does not land at the coaster level. If you are heading to the coaster, take the escalators inside New York-New York near the Coney Island Emporium arcade after you arrive on the casino floor.

Tower-by-tower starting points (MGM Grand)

MGM Grand is one of the largest casino properties on the Strip, and the wing your room is in changes the total walk to the bridge by 3–8 minutes. The Grand Tower's four wings each have separate elevator banks that are not interchangeable, so plan based on where you actually start:

• Studio Tower — closest to the bridge. The Studio Tower (formerly West Wing, renovated and renamed in 2022) sits on the west side of MGM Grand directly adjacent to the bridge entrance. Plan on 3–5 minutes total to New York-New York's casino floor.
• Grand Tower — West Wing — almost as fast. West Wing elevators put you on the west side of the casino floor near the bridge approach. 5–6 minutes total.
• Grand Tower — South or North Wing — you cross the casino floor to reach the west side. 6–8 minutes total.
• Grand Tower — East Wing — longest casino-floor walk before you even reach the bridge. 8–10 minutes total.
• The Signature — the three all-suite towers sit east of the main building and connect via an indoor walkway past the convention center. Add 5–8 minutes to walk from The Signature to the main casino floor before you start the route. Total: 10–15 minutes.

If you are unsure which wing your elevator bank serves, check the wing letter on your room key — each Grand Tower wing's key explicitly notes North, South, East, or West. For a full property layout, see our MGM Grand navigation guide.

From the New York-New York Side: Going to MGM Grand

The reverse direction uses the same bridge with the same timing. The relevant nuance is which side of New York-New York you start on, because the NYC streetscape inside the casino runs north-south and the bridge is on the east side.

Starting from New York-New York:

1. From wherever you are on the casino floor, head to the east side of the property — the side facing Las Vegas Boulevard.
2. Use the Statue of Liberty replica or the Hershey's Chocolate World storefront as a landmark. Follow signs for “MGM” or “Tropicana Bridge.”
3. Take the escalator up one flight to the bridge level.
4. Cross the Tropicana Avenue bridge.
5. On the MGM Grand side, take the escalator down. You arrive near the Studio Tower entrance on the west side of the casino floor.
6. The Grand Tower elevators, the Grand Garden Arena, and the rest of the property radiate out from here.

Total time: 5–8 minutes from the New York-New York casino floor to the MGM Grand casino floor. If you are starting from a hotel room in the New York-New York tower (47 stories, one unified building), add 3–5 minutes from the elevator to the bridge depending on your floor and where the casino-floor elevator bank deposits you.

Event-Night Timing: MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena (16,800-seat capacity) sits on the south side of MGM Grand and hosts UFC fight nights, major concerts, and championship boxing. On event nights, foot traffic on this bridge spikes hard: people walking from New York-New York to the arena, plus the post-show flood heading back across.

What to expect on an event night:

• Pre-show (90 minutes before doors). The bridge is busy but moving. Add 5–10 minutes to the total walk if you are heading into MGM Grand.
• Post-show (first 30 minutes after curtain). The worst window. The bridge bottlenecks at the escalators and a one-way standstill is possible. If you are leaving MGM Grand for New York-New York after a show, wait 15–20 minutes inside or use the rideshare zone instead.
• UFC and big-name fights draw the heaviest crowds. Concerts vary by artist but the post-show pattern is the same.
• Conventions at MGM Grand's Conference Center can affect the bridge during morning and lunch peak hours, though the impact is smaller than arena events.

If you have a show ticket and are starting at New York-New York, leave 25–30 minutes before showtime. The walk itself is fast, but security and concession lines inside the arena are the real bottleneck.

Alternative: Strip Sidewalk

You can walk the Strip sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard between the two properties, but it is slower than the bridge and offers no advantage. The intersection at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue uses pedestrian bridges, not street-level crosswalks, so you end up using the same bridge anyway — just with more walking on either side.

One thing to note: the former Tropicana Las Vegas, which used to sit on the southeast corner of this intersection, was imploded in October 2024 to clear the site for the new Las Vegas Athletics ballpark. Some of the Tropicana-side pedestrian bridges that fed that corner are closed during construction. The MGM Grand ↔ New York-New York bridge on the north side of Tropicana Avenue is unaffected and remains open. The MGM Grand ↔ Excalibur bridge on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard is also open.

When to Skip Walking

Most people should just walk it. Consider a rideshare if:

• It is over 105°F. The bridge deck is outdoor with no shade. Summer afternoons on the bridge are brutal.
• You have mobility concerns and the elevator route is unclear. The default bridge approach uses escalators on both sides. Elevator availability at the bridge ends is inconsistent — confirm with the MGM Grand bell desk or New York-New York concierge before relying on it.
• You are leaving an MGM Grand Garden Arena event in the first 30 minutes after curtain. The bridge bottlenecks at the post-show flood. Either wait 15–20 minutes or take a rideshare from the porte cochere.
• You are hauling luggage between properties. The bridge approach involves escalators and a long interior walk through both casino floors. Rideshare drop-off at each property's porte cochere is faster and easier.

An Uber or Lyft between the two properties takes 4–7 minutes (including pickup time) and costs $7–10 depending on demand. Not worth it in nice weather, but reasonable when it is hot, you are short on time, or you are post-show.

What You'll Pass

The walk is short, but a few landmarks help with orientation:

• Statue of Liberty replica (150 ft tall) — stands at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue on the New York-New York side. Visible from the bridge.
• Brooklyn Bridge replica (300 ft) — runs along the Las Vegas Boulevard facade of New York-New York. You walk past it as you exit on the east side.
• Hershey's Chocolate World — the storefront just inside the New York-New York east entrance, adjacent to where the bridge lands.
• Tropicana Avenue construction zone — the former Tropicana Las Vegas site on the southeast corner of this intersection, now being prepared for the Las Vegas Athletics ballpark. Visible from the bridge deck.
• Four-corner bridge complex — you are using one of four bridges at this intersection. The other operational bridges connect to Excalibur (south side of Tropicana, across Las Vegas Boulevard) and the New York-New York ↔ Excalibur span. About 130,000 visitors a day move through this four-corner complex.

Navigating Inside Each Property

The walk between properties is the easy part. The harder part is often the interior of MGM Grand, which is one of the largest casino floors in Las Vegas and has four separate Grand Tower wings plus the Studio Tower and The Signature.

For help navigating inside:

• How to Navigate MGM Grand: four Grand Tower wings, the Studio Tower, The Signature, the Garden Arena, and the convention center
• How to Navigate New York-New York: the five themed neighborhoods, Big Apple Coaster, The Park, and the bridges to MGM Grand and Excalibur

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get from MGM Grand to New York-New York?

Use the elevated pedestrian bridge over Tropicana Avenue on the west side of MGM Grand. From the casino floor, head toward the Studio Tower elevators on the west side of the property and follow signs for New York-New York or the Tropicana Bridge. Take the escalator up to the bridge level, cross Tropicana Avenue on the deck, and the bridge lands on the east side of New York-New York near the casino floor. Total walk is 5–8 minutes door to door from a central MGM Grand starting point.

How long does it take to walk from MGM Grand to New York-New York?

Door-to-door, plan on 5–8 minutes from the MGM Grand casino floor to the New York-New York casino floor using the Tropicana Avenue pedestrian bridge. The bridge crossing itself takes 4–6 minutes. Starting from the Studio Tower elevators on the west side, the walk is closer to 5 minutes. From a far Grand Tower wing or the Signature, plan on 10–12 minutes. Add 5–10 minutes during MGM Grand Garden Arena events when the bridge gets crowded.

Is there a bridge between MGM Grand and New York-New York?

Yes. An elevated pedestrian bridge crosses Tropicana Avenue between the west side of MGM Grand and the east side of New York-New York. It is one of four bridges at the Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue intersection. The bridge is 165 feet long and 16 feet wide with a 17-foot clearance over the street, and was renovated as part of the LVCVA-funded four-corner pedestrian-bridge project completed in 2017. Escalators and stairs are at each end; elevator availability on these bridges is inconsistent.

Can you walk from MGM Grand to New York-New York indoors?

Almost. The walk through MGM Grand to the west-side bridge entrance is indoor and air-conditioned, and the New York-New York landing puts you back inside the casino floor. The bridge deck itself crosses Tropicana Avenue in the open air, so you are outside for the 4–6 minute crossing. There is no fully enclosed indoor route between the two properties.

Where does the bridge from MGM Grand come out at New York-New York?

The Tropicana Avenue bridge lands on the east side of New York-New York at the casino-floor level, near the Statue of Liberty replica and the Hershey's Chocolate World storefront on the Las Vegas Boulevard side. The Big Apple Coaster loading platform is on the upper level and is not where the bridge lands. Step inside, walk past the Hershey's storefront, and you are on the Wall Street casino floor within a minute.

Which MGM Grand entrance is closest to New York-New York?

The west-side exit near the Studio Tower elevators. The Studio Tower (formerly the West Wing, renovated and renamed in 2022) sits on the west side of MGM Grand and is the closest section to the New York-New York bridge. From any of the four Grand Tower wings, walk through the casino floor to the west side; from The Signature, allow extra time because the Signature is on the east side of the property and reaches the casino floor via the convention-center walkway.

Is the MGM Grand to New York-New York walk wheelchair accessible?

The interiors of both MGM Grand and New York-New York are wheelchair- and stroller-accessible. The Tropicana Avenue bridge uses escalators and stairs at each end as the default path; elevator availability at the bridge ends is inconsistent and worth confirming with the bell desk on arrival. If the elevators are not running, the most reliable alternative is a short rideshare between the two properties' porte cocheres, which avoids the bridge entirely. The four-corner intersection at street level has crosswalks but they are not the official pedestrian path between these two properties.

Skip the Guesswork

Casino Compass gives you turn-by-turn directions for the full route, from inside MGM Grand, across the Tropicana Avenue bridge, and into New York-New York to your final destination. Download Casino Compass before your trip and stop wondering which Grand Tower wing you are actually in.

Free • No account needed • iOS 18.0+