The Neon Museum- Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas and historic preservation are not things that go hand and hand. In a city that constantly reinvents itself, the old makes way for the new. Not entirely unceremoniously; implosions are quite spectacular if you have never witnessed one. And while the majority of historic casinos have met this fate, many of their signs survived, and can be viewed at the Neon Museum.

The museum, which was founded in 1996, consists of a Neon Boneyard as well as a Visitor’s Center housed inside the former lobby of the La Concha Motel. The La Concha, constructed in 1961 (which is practically Colonial for Las Vegas) originally resided next to the recently imploded Riviera on the Las Vegas Boulevard. The lobby, a striking Mid-Century Googie design by renowned architect Paul Revere Williams, was spared the wrecking ball, and moved to its current location in 2006. It has been restored to all its retro glory, and acts as the perfect introduction to the Ghosts of Las Vegas Past that reside at the museum.

In order to view the iconic signs of yesteryear, you must take a guided tour. I can only imagine people attempting to climb on the signs for selfies if left unsupervised. That would absolutely happen. Anyway, both day and evening tours are offered, and I wish I had taken both. If pictures are your purpose, a day tour will yield better images. While the signs are illuminated, the low light challenges all but the best cameras. However, an evening tour under the clear desert sky has its own atmospheric charms.

Many of the signs come from the YESCO company, who has been manufacturing neon signs since the early 1920s. If fact, most iconic Vegas signs are their creations, including Vegas Vic and the somewhat creepy but still standing Circus Circus marque. For years, the company stored decommissioned signs in their “boneyard” but little was done to restore them to their former glory. This original collection makes up the core of the signs located at the Neon Museum today. They are being restored as funding allows, and placed in median strips and around the Fremont Street Experience, which is just about the closest thing Vegas has to a historic district. They actually do have a few historic buildings you should absolutely check out. Start at the Mob Museum; and don’t forget to visit Boulder City.

The Neon Museum is doing a great job of restoring some of Vegas’ most iconic images, and it is well worth a stop when you are in town. It is a bit farther down the Strip than most people venture, but it’s not like cabs are hard to come by in Vegas. Do book in advance, as tour sizes are limited.