Viva Vintage Vegas Neon!
The neon sign from the Liberace Museum—framed by the genie’s lamp from the Aladdin Hotel and a space-age Stardust Hotel sign—at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas.
Bask In the Glow of the City’s Spectacular Neon Past
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As you walk into “boneyard” at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas, the Hard Rock Cafe’s iconic 82-foot-high Gibson guitar sign greets you—with the Flamingo Hotel’s pink neon confection just beyond. The giant letters from an old Stardust sign are lined up nearby, bulbs blazing bright. A few feet away, Liberace’s cursive neon signature glows out of the darkness. And further on—Wow!—the massive neon sign from the historic Moulin Rouge Hotel dazzles—a magnificently restored relic of vintage Las Vegas.
The Neon Boneyard is the museum's outdoor exhibit space of more than 250 salvaged signs—28 of which have been restored and re-illuminated. Follow the gravel path and you’ll experience the history of Las Vegas through signs dating back to the 1930s, through the golden age of the ‘60s and ‘70s, up to the present.
“Andy Anderson,” the mascot for Anderson Dairy, created in 1956. A neon delight!
Old Signs, New Life: From Storied Hotels to Local Shops
“Boneyard” is an apt name for the final resting place of these signs. The term traditionally refers to a scrapyard or junkyard where unused and unwanted equipment is stored, often awaiting disposal or repurposing. When casinos close, properties are imploded, or tastes change, the signage often ends up here, in The Neon Museum’s boneyard.
What makes The Neon Museum so special is its mission to bring these awesome artifacts back to life. Each year, the museum restores one or more signs—at a cost of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars a piece—and puts them on display.
Some of the signs are from legendary hotels and casinos like the Sahara, Flamingo, Stardust, and Golden Nugget, while others come from local businesses, which are an unexpected treat. I was completely smitten by the red neon milkman “Andy Anderson,” the mascot for Anderson Dairy, delivering bottles of milk—and the dancing “happy shirt” from Steiner Cleaners.
Pieces of vintage Vegas. Look beyond the neon showstoppers to take in these fantastic artifacts throughout the boneyard. They are haunting and beautiful at night.
Bright Lights and Battered Relics
You can wander the boneyard at your own pace—and I highly recommend doing so at night, when the place is aglow and abuzz from all the neon. You can easily take everything in in under an hour, but I took my time, captivated by this jumble of Vegas history.
All the signs are displayed along a path that loops through the boneyard, where the pristine refurbished signs beam amid a dense hodgepodge of fantastic unrestored signs, portions of signs, loose letters, and other artifacts—often leaning against one another or hiding behind other signs.
At night, the refurbished signs are beacons amidst row upon row of weathered, broken-down relics. I found myself drawn to the battered old signs with their dented, rusted metal frames, peeling paint, loose wires, missing and broken bulbs, and bulbs dangling from sockets. They are beautiful and bittersweet in their faded glory.
I became equally fascinated by the artistry and technology of the illuminated signs: handblown glass tubes bent into graceful curves, filled with neon gas and electrified to emit light! The Hard Rock sign alone has three-quarter miles of neon tubing. In design and execution, many of these signs are marvels.
The blue light in the Yucca Motel sign is from argon gas in the tubes, not neon. Different gases and mixtures of gas yield different colors.
Vegas History, Seen Through Its Signs
One of the highlights of my visit is how much I learned here. After all, a sign is not just a sign—it’s a fragment of history. These signs tell the story of Las Vegas.
I had no idea, for instance, just how racially segregated Vegas was in its early days. The most impressive sign in the boneyard is from the Moulin Rouge, the first integrated hotel-casino in the country. The venue had a short life in 1955 but holds immense significance in Vegas and civil rights history.
As happy as this museum made me, it's sad to see all these signs and realize what’s been lost. The playful, artful, whimsical Vegas is largely gone, replaced with far less inspired buildings, signs, and design. I looked at these old signs and pictured them in countless movies and TV shows I’ve seen. They are an indelible part of our collective memory.
Massive signs at rest in the boneyard. The scale of some of these signs is remarkable.
800 Signs and Counting: Preserving a Priceless Heritage
The Neon Museum is located just past the touristy and seedy Fremont District, which is worth a quick stop for its own neon signage. However, the museum plans to move to a larger site in the downtown Arts District within a few years. There will still be an expansive outdoor exhibit space, but on the venue’s rooftop.
I understand why this move is necessary, as the museum’s collection of over 800 signs and its popularity demand more space. I just hope the new location can preserve the magic and charm of the current one.
I loved driving way past the Strip at night, toward what seemed like the edge of town, and walking the dusty gravel path in what truly felt like a neon scrapyard with an “abandoned carnival” vibe to it. Everything about it just felt so right.
That said, wherever these signs reside, I am grateful. Long may the neon buzz and the bright lights blaze at this unique museum. Long may these precious relics of Vegas live on to light up our imagination.
The oldest operational sign at The Neon Museum, c. 1940.
Neon Museum Tips and Tidbits
Reserve tickets in advance. The museum has limited capacity and time slots often sell out.
Tickets are $35 per adult, with discounts for seniors, students, etc. I’ve read complaints from folks about the price. I had no issue paying this much to support this outstanding non-profit museum.
For an additional $15, you can add a 45-minute guided tour to your admission. There is text throughout the boneyard with details about certain signs and docents stationed throughout the space will answer any question you have, with great enthusiasm. But the tour really digs into the stories and technology behind the signs. I’ll definitely join one next time, I found the subject matter so fascinating.
Nighttime is magical with all the neon. But a day trip would be wonderful as well, to see the signs in bright light and full detail.
The Neon Museum
770 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
All photographs by Richard Silberman
Visit my Neon Video Gallery here
Extraordinary in every way: giant letters in fabulous fonts, sensational designs from a glorious past, magic and memory, kitsch and class. I love this place!