About Us
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM
The Neon Museum Mission
The Neon Museum illuminates the cultural essence of Las Vegas by sharing iconic signage, diverse collections, and stories that define its vibrant past, present, and future.
The Neon Museum Core Values
Create a sense of belonging for everyone. Promote scholarship through our work and collaboration. Offer fun engagement for everyone that reflects the spirit of Las Vegas. Demonstrate excellence.
About The Neon Museum
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in 2021, the highest national honor for museums in the United States.
Among its many other accolades, it has been ranked in Travel + Leisure’s 27 Best Museums in the United States, No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” Nevada’s “Best Museum” by MSN, one of the Best Pop Culture Museums in the United States by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor.
On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum has an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot,” which uses projection mapping technology to animate more than 40 non- operational signs; and its Visitors’ Center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby, a historic building from 1961 listed on the State and City register of Historic Buildings.
The Museum’s collection also includes 16 restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas, as well as one sign installed as public art in Summerlin.
Public education, outreach, research, and historic preservation represents a selection of the Museum’s ongoing projects. For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit neonmuseum.org.
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BONEYARD
The term “boneyard” refers to an area where items no longer in use are stored, generally to be prepared for disposal or repurposed. One-fourth of The Neon Museum’s collection is on loan from the Young Electric Sign Company’s (YESCO) boneyard, which housed many of Las Vegas’ decommissioned signs. Today, all the rescued signs displayed in the Museum’s outdoor exhibition area – The Neon Boneyard – are curated deliberately so that through guided tours provided by museum interpreters, visitors can enjoy the artistry of the signs while discovering the history behind them.
HISTORY
The Neon Museum was established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1996 to collect and exhibit neon signs, the art form synonymous with Las Vegas. Dedicated individuals from the private sector and corporate and government entities worked collaboratively to promote the preservation of these national treasures as significant pieces of artistic and historical importance. Each of the more than 250 signs in The Neon Museum’s collection offers a unique story about the personalities who created it, what inspired it, where and when it was made and the role it played in Las Vegas’ distinctive history. In addition, The Neon Museum Collection chronicles changes and trends in sign design and technology through pieces ranging from the 1930s to the present day.
LA CONCHA VISITORS’ CENTER
On Oct. 27, 2012, The Neon Museum’s Visitors’ Center opened inside the historic La Concha Motel lobby, the distinctive shell-shaped building designed by acclaimed architect Paul Revere Williams, FAIA. Williams was the first Black architect to become a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923, and in 1957 he was inducted as the AIA’s first Black fellow. The curvilinear La Concha Motel lobby is a striking example of Googie architecture, a style of Mid-Century modern design characterized by Atomic and Space Age shapes and motifs. Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South (next to the Riviera Hotel), the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved in 2006 to its current location to serve as the Museum’s Visitors’ Center. References to many of the lobby’s original interior design elements have been included–with the mosaic lobby sign by Ben Mayer that is original to the 1961 construction. The base of the original La Concha Motel roadside neon sign was restored and illuminated as part of the Museum’s restoration efforts.
RESTORED SIGNS IN THE NEON BONEYARD
The Museum’s official opening in October 2012 marked the first-time electrified signs were included as part of The Neon Boneyard’s permanent collection. The Museum currently holds 250 signs and exhibits 28 electrified signs in the Neon Boneyard – all are best viewed on a night tour. Within the last three years, the Museum has restored six signs in the Neon Boneyard including:
- Lido de Paris: In 2023, the Lido de Paris sign was restored and re-illuminated by The Neon Museum and now has a permanent home in the Neon Boneyard across from the neon sign for the Stardust, the original home to the Lido.
- Palms Casino Resort: The Neon Museum illuminated an iconic Palms Casino Resort sign, which first debuted in November 2001. Made possible by a grant from The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, a new panel describing the history, presence, and impact of Nevada’s first peoples was also added.
- Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Resort: A Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Resort sign from 1978 that has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010 was brought back to its glory in early 2024. Made possible thanks to a collaboration between The Neon Museum and Tropicana to preserve the legacy of the iconic property after its April 2 closure, this marked the first time the sign had been re-illuminated since becoming part of the collection.
- Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino: In May 2024, the Museum restored and relit three iconic neon pieces from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Merging the 1976 roadside pylon sign originally installed on E. Flamingo Road and two feather plumes, the new installation in the Neon Boneyard stands 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide.
- Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel & Casino: In October 2024, the 24-foot-long fuchsia “Debbie” sign was brought back to life in the Neon Boneyard for the first time in nearly three decades. The restoration was made possible thanks to an application of the YESCO Conservation Fund as well as through donors including Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher and his wife Catherine Fisher, the Debbie Reynolds Estate and others.
OTHER RECENTLY ADDED SIGNS
- Super Bowl LVIII: The Neon Museum acquired the LVIII sign in early 2025 after its debut on Fremont and Fourth Street during Super Bowl LVIII week. Designed by the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee and created by bluemedia, the sign blends sports excitement with the city’s flair, inspired by Betty Willis’ iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Now part of the Museum’s permanent collection, its addition was made possible through a partnership between the LVCVA and the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee.
TIM BURTON SIGNS
Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum sculptural and digital installations were displayed in The Neon Museum from Oct. 15, 2019, through April 12, 2020. The Neon Museum acquired 4 pieces and 40 prints from the Exhibition. These pieces are a part of the Neon Museum’s growing Fine Art Collection.
Following the closure of the exhibition, two of Burton’s signs remain on ongoing display:
- Lost Vegas Sign Tower, 2019, steel, neon tubing, light bulbs and acrylic paint – An homage to the Dunes Hotel pylon sign, this 40-foot-tall tower was aged and weathered purposefully to resemble a fading edifice past its prime. It symbolizes the city’s lost past that was both endearingly highlighted by the exhibition and carefully preserved by the Museum’s mission.
- Neon Grid Wall, 2019, steel, aluminum, neon tubing and light bulbs – The neon seahorses with the boy in the center represent Burton’s childhood memories of the pool at the Dunes Hotel, which featured a fountain with three seahorse Both the Spiral-Eyed Girl “Area 51 Motel” neon (at left) and the alien showgirl (at right) reference Southern Nevada’s association with extraterrestrials in popular culture.
“BRILLIANT! JACKPOT” AN IMMERSIVE AUDIOVISUAL EXPERIENCE
A 360-degree audiovisual immersion experience that uses technology to reanimate 40 monumental examples of The Neon Museum’s iconic vintage signs, Brilliant! Jackpot” debuted to the public Feb. 1, 2018. The largest augmented reality experience of its kind was created by experiential designer Craig Winslow using projection mapping to illuminate and re-electrify unrestored and non-working signs.
The experience transports guests directly into Las Vegas’ history, where static signs come to life while accompanied by music from some of the entertainment industry’s most storied performers. “Brilliant! Jackpot” uses eight projectors emitting a total of 80,000 lumens of light, 24 3D-sound speakers and was created using a combination of flat photography, drone video and 3D photogrammetry as references to recreate each sign, bulb by bulb and tube by tube in Adobe Illustrator.
The show underwent its most significant update to date in December 2021 and now plays a selection of 54 songs spread across various timelines. The music is so iconic that many songs from the 54-song playlist are available via Spotify on The Neon Museum’s playlist. The expanded playlist also emphasizes diversity with 56 percent of the music performed by women, LGBTQ+ artists and musicians of color.
LAS VEGAS LUMINARIES MURAL
As part of a comprehensive reimagination of the North Gallery in December 2021, a mural on the area’s south wall pays tribute to the diverse communities and lesser-known individuals who helped shape and have significantly impacted Las Vegas cultural history.
Designed and installed by the Las Vegas-based artist couple Nanda Sharif-pour and Ali Fathollahi, the Las Vegas Luminaries mural measures an expansive 808 sq. ft and features a diverse, dedicated and sometimes overlooked cast of icons including pioneering showgirls, heartthrob headliners, champions of civil rights, dazzling designers and more. The mural also gives a nod to those keeping the longstanding craft of neon bending alive to ensure our city continues to glow. As a public educational tool, the mural is available for public viewing for free 24/7 and includes a QR code for visitors to get more information on the 11 icons of Las Vegas’ cultural history and underrepresented communities depicted.
NORTH GALLERY
Home to the immersive audiovisual show, Brilliant! Jackpot and the Las Vegas Luminaries mural on its exterior wall, the North Gallery includes various other educational elements and 115 signs. Brilliant! Jackpot’s creator, Craig Winslow, virtually greets guests on a 65-inch monitor to explain how he uses a process he calls augmented restoration to digitally trace every sign, bulb by bulb, tube by tube, to bring them back to life. The artwork is then projected back onto the signs creating 360 degrees of light and sound transporting guests back into vintage Las Vegas.
Guests also learn about the science of neon signs via a docent-led demonstration of a neon tester on a sign to see if the gas tubes are fully intact. The current from the device sends a charge to the gas still trapped inside the glass unit of a sign to re-illuminate it.
Upon exiting the North Gallery, guests can learn more about the signs in the show through educational panels showcasing the history behind the signs within Brilliant! Jackpot. The wall also provides a unique photo opportunity as people can “see” through the wall into the North Gallery presenting a visual representation of the show.
LAS VEGAS SIGNS PROJECT
In 2009, the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Washington Avenue became one of only three urban streets in the United States to be named a Federal Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Las Vegas Signs Project, a partnership between The Neon Museum and the City of Las Vegas, aims to install restored signs from the Museum’s collection to reintroduce neon into the heart of downtown Las Vegas. The Neon Museum has also partnered with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) by installing the 5th Street Liquor sign at Garces Street and Casino Center Boulevard, in front of the Downtown Transportation Center; and the Landmark Hotel sign was installed on Paradise Road near the site of the imploded casino.
In 1996, the Caballero on a Palomino sign from the Hacienda Hotel (also known as the Horse and Rider) was the first sign restored and installed as public art as part of the Fremont Street sign gallery at the corner of Fremont St. and Las Vegas Blvd. Today, it joins 14 other restored neon signs currently on display as part of the Las Vegas Signs project, which include: the Silver Slipper, the Bow & Arrow Motel and Binion’s Horseshoe, installed in 2009 near the La Concha Visitors’ Center at the McWilliams Avenue intersection; and the Society Cleaners, the Lucky Cuss Hotel and the Normandie Hotel were added in 2012 at the Ogden Street intersection. In 2023, The Domino Motel, Clark Inn Motel, Golden Inn Motel and Lone Palm Motel signs were added to the Scenic Byway. The City of Las Vegas also has three historic signs from its collection displayed alongside pieces from The Neon Museum.
As part of its public art initiative, the Museum loaned the recently restored Union 76 Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy sign to the City of Las Vegas, which was placed within the Las Vegas Medical District on W. Charleston.
SIGN ACQUISITIONS
In recognition of their historic and artistic value to the Las Vegas community, local businesses, private donors and various organizations have generously donated a portion of the signs in The Neon Museum’s collection, which includes over 800 individual pieces from more than 200 properties. With the generous support of the Molasky Family, The Neon Museum added the Barbara Molasky Acquisition Fund to purchase historical artifacts, signage, and ephemera, and allows us to grow our fine art collection. 25 percent of the collection is on loan from the historic sign design company YESCO, who is also a frequent partner and collaborator of The Museum’s.
The Museum also maintains a growing roster of venues that they collaborate with to save signs from properties closing or being demolished. In addition, The Neon Museum supports and collaborates with local businesses taking measures to preserve, rather than replace, vintage neon signage.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Over the years, the Neon Boneyard has become one of the most popular destinations for photography and filming in Las Vegas. From movies and TV shows to music videos, from commercial and artistic photography to wedding and personal shoots, The Neon Museum’s collection has appeared in thousands of images across the globe. Revenue generated from commercial and professional shoots assists The Neon Museum in our ongoing efforts to preserve, display and expand the collection. For this reason, commercial photography and photo use are both strictly controlled.
During public tours, guests are welcome to take photographs for personal enjoyment with cellphones or tablets only, but commercial photography is not permitted. No photography equipment except for a camera is permitted on public tours. The Neon Boneyard and North Gallery are available for specially scheduled photo and video shoots by individuals, professionals, and organizations. Usage fees apply and vary according to the type and scale of shoot, size of participating crew, staffing requirements, and proposed image use and distribution. Click here for information or to schedule a photo shoot online.
EVENT SPACE
The North Gallery, which measures 3,100 square feet and is home to the immersive audiovisual spectacle, “Brilliant! Jackpot,” is also available for event bookings. The Neon Museum maintains a roster of preferred vendors including caterers, photographers and special event planners to assist guests in organizing and executing their functions. While tours of The Neon Boneyard are not included as part of the Museum’s standard events package, abbreviated tours may be added to events for additional fees.
EDUCATION
The Neon Museum is committed to developing and executing programming that reaches multiple audiences and allows the public to expand their knowledge of the artistry, technology and rich history of signage in Las Vegas. It houses education collections for hands-on activities and teaching.
ARCHIVES & RESEARCH
The Neon Museum is open to researchers, both virtually or in-person, to view archival and ephemeral materials within its collections. Items available to researchers include archival collections including historic photographs, manuscripts, Oral Histories and other research materials. Research appointments can be coordinated by emailing collections@neonmuseum.org.
STEAM LEARNING
STEAM learning is an education strategy that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to encourage inquiry, discussion, problem-solving and self-discovery. In support of this, The Neon Museum offers a friendly family STEAM event every month. Each two-hour Saturday session focuses on a different topic offering fun make-and-take activities, hands-on learning, scavenger hunts and demonstrations designed to engage children of all ages in learning relevant skills for today’s world, better preparing them for a productive and successful future.
SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS
Education programming at The Neon Museum includes NVACS standards-aligned tours and hands-on learning activities in the Neon Boneyard for students in grades 3 through 12. There are three different focuses for field trips, which educators choose when confirming their booking. This includes Social Studies/Social Justice, Visual Arts, and Science/Engineering. A grant from the Marlon Foundation has made it possible for The Neon Museum to offer free field trips to Clark County School District Title 1 schools, which includes reimbursement for transport to the Museum as well as admission. This makes these educational offerings available to low-income and / or underrepresented communities more accessible providing important learning opportunities outside of the classroom environment that are more focused on self-discovery and exploration.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, southern Nevada has seen a significant increase in homeschooling. The Museum has adapted the school program to be able to offer these educational opportunities available for homeschool groups. In total, the Museum will have welcomed more than 1000 students in the ’22 – ‘23 school years.
DUCK DUCK SHED
The Neon Museum launched its inaugural Duck Duck Shed: Celebrating Las Vegas Architecture, Design, and Culture event to an international audience in 2022. After a successful return in 2023, the event will take over the city again this spring with 4 Days of Las Vegas Architecture, Design and Culture.
The event celebrates Las Vegas’ distinctive architecture from the past to the present. Past event highlights have included once-in-a-lifetime tours of Jungle Palace, the historic estate of Siegfried & Roy, a private home that has never been granted public access; a special exhibition diving into legendary actress Debbie Reynolds’ impact on the Las Vegas entertainment scene; a behind-the-scenes, on-stage experience with Cirque du Soleil’s ‘O’; the first-look at Postcard from Earth, the immersive film created, produced and directed by Oscar-winner Darren Aronofsky at Sphere on The Strip; walking tours; panel discussions with industry experts; and much more.
17 of the 30 programs (57 percent) offered reached capacity, which exceeded the expectations for the first year, as did the draw from audiences worldwide. Over 50 percent of ticketholders were from outside southern Nevada. Duck Duck Shed welcomed over 3,400 attendees including those from The Netherlands, England, Canada, and Australia, as well as 27 US states. This remarkable response answers the question of whether there is an appetite for learning more about Las Vegas’ incomparable, ever-evolving skyline as well as its efforts towards historic preservation.
THE NEON MUSEUM BY THE NUMBERS
Over 800 signs in The Neon Museum Collection from over 200 properties:
- 250 signs in the Neon Boneyard;
- 115 signs in the North Gallery;
- 16 signs on display as Public Art throughout Las Vegas.
- 20+ contemporary art objects, including Tim Burton pieces;
- 40 renderings and hundreds of technical drawings;
- 100 research books;
- Over 2,000 photographs, documents and other archival materials including manuscripts and Oral Histories.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
- Accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM)
- 5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor
- Nevada’s “Best Museum – MSN
- Experts Choice Award in 2022 and 2023 – Tripexpert
- Vegas’ Finest Arts and Entertainment: Best Museum – VEGAS Magazine
- Received Overall Recognition in:
- “27 Best Museums in the United States” – Travel + Leisure
- “Best things to do in Las Vegas” – Conde Nast Traveler
- “The 10 Weirdest Museums in Las Vegas” – Fodor’s Travel
- “10 Must-See Las Vegas Attractions That Have Nothing to Do with Gambling” – Reader’s Digest
- “Best Pop Culture Museums in the United States” – USA Today’s com
- “10 of the best galleries and museums in Las Vegas” – The Guardian
- “Best Museums in Las Vegas” – Paste Magazine
- “7 wacky museums in Las Vegas you need to check out” – Matador Network
- “24 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Las Vegas, NV – Planetware
- “Best Museums in Las Vegas to see Sin City in a different light” –Time Out
- “Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” – com
- “Top Ten Attractions in Las Vegas” – TripSavvy
- “10 Best Museums you’ll want to visit in Las Vegas” – TripAdvisor
- “The Best 10 Museums In Las Vegas, NV” – Yelp
- “10 Unique Museums near Las Vegas” – com
- “Best Things To Do in Las Vegas” – S. News and World Report
- “5 Unique Las Vegas Museums” – S. News and World Report
- “The Best 9 Offbeat Museums to Visit in Las Vegas” – New York Magazine
- “20 Actually Cool Things to Do in Las Vegas This Summer” – Thrillist
- “Best (and Weirdest) Museums in Las Vegas – Thrillist
- “Top 10 Most Interesting Museums in Las Vegas” – org
- “Top 13 must-see museums in Las Vegas” – The Tour Guy Travel Blog
- “25 BEST Things to do in Las Vegas” – Family Destination Guide
- “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” – com
- “10 Coolest Museums in the U.S.” – The Discoverer Travel Blog
- “17 BEST Museums in Las Vegas” – Hotel Jules
- “Museums In Las Vegas: 10 Places to Enjoy History & Art In The City of Luck” – Travel Triangle
- “6 Museums to see Sin City’s Best Art” – Holidify
- “9 Vegas Landmarks that are perfect for traveling buffs” – The Travel
- “20 BEST Things to do in Las Vegas” – com
- “Must-see Museums in Las Vegas” – Viator
- “4 Quirky Museums to Visit in Las Vegas” – One Travel
- “15 Best Museums in Nevada” – com
- “Las Vegas’s top 5 museums to visit now” – Hoodline
- “10 Incredible Design Galleries and Museums in Las Vegas” – Top Hundred
- “The Top 10 Museums to Visit in Las Vegas” – Culture Trip
- Ranked number one in “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” – Las Vegas Weekly
- “60 things every Las Vegan should do” – KNPR
- “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” – com
- “10 Best Las Vegas Attractions You Won’t Want to Miss” – Las Vegas Jaunt
- Received Recognition for Weddings in Las Vegas in:
- “36 Unique Places to Get Married in Las Vegas” – BuzzFeed
- “Weird weddings: the 10 strangest places to get married in Las Vegas – Thrillist
- “5 Unforgettable Las Vegas Wedding Venues that will go beyond your wildest dreams” – Loverly
- “10 Wild and crazy ways to get married in Vegas” – com
- “9 Unforgettable Las Vegas Wedding Venues” – Visit Las Vegas
TRADEMARKS
The Neon Museum – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Reclaim. Restore. Remember. – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha Visitors Center – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha – mark consists of a drawing of a mid-century modern style rooftop which is centered over the stylized words La Concha.
Neon Boneyard – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Times of Signs – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha – mark consists of a drawing of a mid-century modern style rooftop which is centered over the stylized words La Concha.
The Neon Museum – mark consists of a mid-century modern style rooftop featuring three apses which is centered over the stylized word THE which is centered over the stylized word NEON which is centered over the stylized word MUSEUM and where the words NEON and MUSEUM are right and left justified
Follow The Signs – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Brilliant! – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.
Brilliant! – mark consisting of the word BRILLIANT! in a stylized form which consists of a solid background featuring parallel lines which follow the curves and/or linear configurations of the cursive letters in the word BRILLIANT!.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Neon Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer that complies with the laws and regulations set forth under EEOC. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to help perform the duties and tasks of this position.
DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION
The Neon Museum is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Embracing the diversity of our community, and our workforce, is an important part of our values as an organization, as is striving to ensure equity and inclusion in all our practices.
Support the Museum
Every donation to The Neon Museum helps support our mission of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the iconic Las Vegas signs.
Become a Member
A membership to The Neon Museum includes free admission, invitations to member-only events, early access, and more!
Corporate Support
Through the generosity of our donors, The Neon Museum is able to expand our mission to tell our stories of Las Vegas.
Annual Report
Meeting the Need
If there was a common thread to the last fiscal year at The Neon Museum, it was “meeting the need.”