MGM Resorts International is betting big—$960 million—on the city of Springfield with the MGM Springfield, a sprawling resort, casino and outdoor plaza stacked with retail and dining experiences, which the hospitality giant is billing as the largest private investment in the history of Western Mass. Here’s the deal on what to expect when the state’s first casino, a 125,000-square-foot entertainment hub, opens its doors on Aug. 24. 

The sprawling open-air plaza is slated to host a full deck of year-round events, including concerts, farmers markets and brew nights hosted by local craft suds-slingers White Lion Brewery.

Indian Motorcycle’s first apparel-only shop finds a home at the property’s street-level retail sprawl. Browse racks and stacks of graphic tees, outerwear, hoodies and sweatshirts from the brand’s 1901 Fashion Collection—named after the year the company was founded in Springfield—to add some road warrior style to your closet.

The five-story resort’s luxury accommodations nod to local literary legends and the city’s past as an 18th-century industrial center. The 250 rooms, from the Main Street King to the 1,600 square-foot presidential suite, balance exposed concrete-planked ceilings with decor sporting quotes by Springfield-born Emily Dickinson and dictionary page artwork in homage to Merriam-Webster, which was founded in Springfield in 1831. The presidential suite also winks to local son Theodor Seuss Geisel—better known as Dr. Seuss—with a whimsical chandelier of top hats.

Aces High

The dining deck is packed with heavy hitters, including James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina (locally of Pabu) who helms Cal Mare, an Amalfi Coast-inspired restaurant that showcases fresh seafood, housemade pastas and a program of Italian aperitifs. The historic Union Building sees new life as the Chandler Steakhouse, where executive chef and Hell’s Kitchen season 14 champ Meghan Gill deals dry-aged Angus steaks that are broiled over mesquite charcoals in the glass-walled kitchen.