The Neon Museum’s “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” sign – loaned to the City of Las Vegas – has officially been relit in the Las Vegas Medical District on W. Charleston Boulevard following a ceremony with Councilman Brian Knudsen and The Neon Museum’s executive director Aaron Berger. As part of the evolution of the Medical District and The Neon Museum’s preservation efforts throughout the city, the sign was restored after a months-long restoration process by YESCO and is now on display for the public to see.
“We’re thrilled to bring the Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy Sign to life, illuminating the Las Vegas Medical District with a powerful symbol of compassion and community spirit,” said Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Brian Knudsen. “This lighting honors our city’s history while embracing its future, creating a beacon that inspires unity and celebrates our vibrant city. We can’t thank The Neon Museum enough for their partnership and work on making this happen.”
Dating back to the late 1950s, the Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy sign was originally located on what is now Las Vegas Boulevard, which was previously 5th Street – a segment of Highway 91 linking Las Vegas to Los Angeles. The sign was installed at the former Allen Post’s Union 76 gas station, situated at 3758 S. Las Vegas Blvd. near the Desert Rose Motel and the Lone Palm Motel – locations now occupied by Park MGM and New York-New York Hotel & Casino, respectively.
During Kenneth Lehman’s ownership of the gas station, he continued the legacy of the “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” and the “Ask Us Anything” slogans on the building and was quoted saying “You can’t put it on a sign and not do it.” In 2001, upon closing of the station, the sign was donated to The Neon Museum.
Aaron Berger, Executive Director of The Neon Museum, said, “The Neon Museum is grateful to Councilman Knudsen and the City of Las Vegas for bringing this historic sign out of storage and intentionally placed in a highly visible space – free for all to enjoy. We love having this piece in particular in the Las Vegas Medical District which gives history a completely new context. It’s a wonderful addition to our landscape.”
The sign has multiple layers of designs spanning over five decades of operation. The original sign from the 1950s-1960s contained hand-painted lettering of the sayings “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” and “Ask Us Anything” outlined in white skeletal neon. S&H Green Stamps is on the header of the sign, which was a reward system created by Sperry & Hutchinson company starting in 1896 that allowed customers to save up stamps rewarded from purchases to get merchandise from their catalog and redemption centers.
The late 1960s-early 1970s owner Jay Manning also is featured on the header of the sign. Vinyl lettering was added in the 1990s and by the 2000s, the sign began to advertise “Mechanic on Duty” and “Snacks, Cold Drinks, and Film,” along with the original slogan of “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy.”
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. In 2021, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition bestowed to museums in the United States. 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!” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and arts preservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
