A Journey Through Vintage Las Vegas at The Neon Museum, Las Vegas
Visiting the Neon Museum in Las Vegas—affectionately known as the “Neon Boneyard”—is like stepping into a time capsule that illuminates the city’s vibrant past. This outdoor museum serves as a sanctuary for over 250 retired neon signs, each a relic from the city’s storied history of glitz, glamour, and perpetual reinvention.
The Neon Museum and its preservation efforts had a long journey before becoming the institution it is now. Initial attempts to preserve Las Vegas’s neon signs began in the late 1980s, driven by local arts organizations and city officials. However, these efforts faced challenges due to limited resources and logistical hurdles. The museum began by reinstalling old signage in downtown Las Vegas to attract visitors to the area. The museum officially opened to the public on October 27, 2012, after relocating and restoring the lobby of the former La Concha Motel to serve as its visitor center.
The shell-shaped La Concha Motel lobby—a mid-century modern masterpiece designed by architect Paul R. Williams—now serves as the gift shop and entrance to the museum. The Boneyard itself is a sprawling collection of signs from legendary establishments like the Stardust, Moulin Rouge, and the Hard Rock Café. Each sign tells a story—not just of the businesses they once advertised, but of the eras they represent. Some signs have been meticulously restored to their former brilliance, while others stand as weathered monuments to the past, their faded colors and broken bulbs evoking a sense of poignant beauty.
For retro enthusiasts, the most important part of the Neon Museum is their deep commitment to preservation and education.
Through initiatives like the Oral History Project, the museum captures personal stories and memories associated with the signs, ensuring that the human narratives behind the neon are not lost to time. Additionally, the museum’s restoration efforts are meticulous, involving historical research, neon glass bending, and electrical work to return signs to their original glory.
- Sign Collection: The museum’s collection includes over 200 signs from historic Las Vegas establishments, such as the Stardust, Riviera, and Moulin Rouge. These signs are displayed outdoors on a 2.27-acre site.
- Restoration Projects: The museum undertakes restoration projects to preserve and illuminate historic signs. For instance, the iconic Silver Slipper sign was restored and installed on Las Vegas Boulevard in 2009.
- Brilliant! Exhibit: The museum introduced ‘Brilliant!’ in 2018, a 30-minute show that uses projection mapping and music to reanimate non-functional signs.
A visit to the Neon Museum is more than a walk among old signs; it’s an exploration of Las Vegas’s cultural and artistic heritage. It offers a reflective counterpoint to the city’s ever-changing skyline, reminding us that while Las Vegas continually reinvents itself, its history still glows brightly in the desert night.
Note: For the most current information on exhibits, tours, and events, please visit the Neon Museum’s official website.
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I used AI tools like ChatGPT to help research and edit this article — but every story, detail, and memory shared here is curated and reviewed by a human who loves vintage travel! All photographs in this post were taken by me.
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