The Neon Museum in Las Vegas: History and Interesting Facts

The Neon Lights Go Dark

The Neon Museum is a vast monument to the signs that once adorned the casinos and hotels of Las Vegas in the past. This museum is for guests of all ages, offering a glimpse into Sin City as few recognize it today.

As soon as the sun sets, Las Vegas lights up with a bright glow — hundreds of thousands of incandescent bulbs grab your attention. Neon is nothing new for Americans: hotels, bars, and casinos have been attracting customers with bright signs for decades. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard north of the Mob Museum, this establishment pays tribute to the light show.

When you visit Nevada, especially Las Vegas, it's almost impossible to avoid the bright neon signs. However, like all things, these signs are not eternal.

The Neon Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the maintenance, preservation, study, and collection of Las Vegas signs for education, history, art, and cultural enrichment. Think of all the casinos that were established, like The Sahara. Its sign could be one of the most iconic in Vegas, ever to adorn the city, or it could end up in the trash or stolen. Thanks to the people at the Neon Museum, this thread of Nevada's history is flawlessly preserved and restored.

Why Visit the Museum?

Nearly 2 acres of outdoor exhibits are home to over 200 old signs. Local historians lead hourly tours, providing detailed stories about iconic landmarks. The tours are divided into daytime and nighttime sessions.

The museum's collection includes nine restored signs installed throughout the city and can be viewed 24/7. Since its founding in 1996, the Neon Museum has also been collecting original signatures, drawings, and photographs, continuously building its research library and archives.

The Neon Museum History

The Neon Museum was founded in 1996, spurred by the loss of the iconic Sands sign. After the Sands Hotel closed in 1995, there was no place to store the massive sign, and it was destroyed. To commemorate its official opening in November 1996, the Neon Museum restored and installed the Hacienda Horse & Rider sign at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. Initially, entry was free, but the museum could only be accessed by appointment.

Paid public admission began only in 2012, replacing the appointment system. The first year's attendance was 60,000 visitors, exceeding the initial estimate of 45,000.

In 2017, the museum acquired land for its first expansion. On its fifth public anniversary, October 28, 2017, the Neon Museum offered free admission to the City Hall building.

The Museum Collection

With over 200 restored neon signs, the Neon Museum's collection is impressive. What better way to preserve Las Vegas's electric past than by restoring vintage neon signs?

• Riviera
  Now permanently closed, the "Riv" operated from April 1955 to May 2015 and was the first high-rise hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace played at the opening, and Dean Martin frequently performed and even owned a stake in the business.
• Lady Luck Hotel
  Built in 1964, the Lady Luck Hotel & Casino became Downtown Grand in 2013. Just before it joined the Neon Museum, the Lady Luck sign appeared in the film "Vegas Vacation."
• Moulin Rouge
  Opened in 1955 as the first integrated hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Moulin Rouge was featured on the cover of LIFE magazine on June 20 of that year. The same woman who designed the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, Betty Willis, also created the Moulin Rouge sign.
• Sassy Sally's
  Over the past 100 years, many establishments have opened on the northwest corner of First and Fremont streets, including Sassy Sally's from 1980-1999. Initially a pharmacy serving locals from 1906-1955, it became the Silver Palace in 1956, the first two-story casino in Las Vegas, and the first to feature escalators. The casino changed names several times before becoming Sassy Sally's.
• Liberace
  Liberace opened his museum on Tropicana Avenue in 1979 to house his extravagant collection of costumes, cars, and antiques, raising funds for a creative arts scholarship program. The restored sign represents a neon version of Liberace's signature. The sign's restoration was featured in the PBS documentary "Restoration Neon."