The Las Vegas Strip

Once a desolate stretch of road along Highway 91, the original route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, “The Strip” is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) section of Las Vegas Boulevard whose combined casinos, resorts, restaurants, hotels and hot spots give off a collective glow so bright it can be seen from outer space.

Sahara (1952-2011) SLS (2014-2019) Sahara Las Vegas (2019-Present)
Sahara, c. 1952-1953. Las Vegas News Bureau

The Sahara opened in 1952 with 240 rooms housed in four modest two-story buildings situated around an Olympic sized swimming pool. The hotel and casino featured an African desert-Moroccan styled theme with camel statues and oasis scenes painted onto interior murals, it was nicknamed the “Jewel of the Desert.”

The Sahara is particularly remembered for its lounge shows, with many famous stars performing in their famed “Congo Room.” Early headliners included Louis Prima and Keely Smith. The Beatles stayed at the Sahara when they played Las Vegas’ convention center in 1964 and had slot machines brought to their room instead of visiting casinos to protect themselves from excitable fans of the “Fab Four.”

Sahara closed in 2011 and the SLS opened in its place in 2014. The name was changed back to Sahara in 2019. The large Sahara sign on display in the Boneyard is from the 1990s and would have been installed over the porte cochère (automobile entrance) along Paradise Ave. Other letters from the Sahara can be found throughout the collection.

Part of the Anthony Bondi Collection, 2015

La Concha Motel (1961-2004)
_{La Concha Motel, 1980. Las Vegas News Bureau}

The La Concha Motel opened in 1961 as a striking example of mid-century modern design. The swooping shell shape of the building (La Concha means shell in Spanish) was made up of a series of parabolic curves that gave the space-age structure its iconic look. The designer of this motel was none other than Paul Revere Williams, the first Black architect admitted to the American Institute of Architects and noted “architect to the stars.” The shell theme was continued into the sign as each letter of M-O-T-E-L was adorned with a glowing red scalloped neon seashell.

La Concha closed in 2004 and the historic motel lobby and portions of the signage were relocated to the site of the Neon Museum to serve as the lobby and visitors center.

Photographed as part of the UNLV Special Collections and Archives

Stardust Resort and Casino (1958-2006) | Resorts World (2021-Present)

_{Stardust Resort and Casino, 1975. Las Vegas News Bureau}

The space race of the late 1950s launched the American imagination into the far reaches of the galaxy. The Stardust Casino opened in 1958 with theming that mirrored the skyward visions of visitors to Las Vegas. The Stardust took signage to new heights in 1968 with the building of their unparalleled 188-foot-tall mega-pylon, featuring an atomic cloud, animated neon four-pointed stars and a design that took home multiple awards and accolades.

The Stardust was also home to the Lido de Paris, a French-style dance and variety revue instrumental in creating the glamorous image of the Las Vegas showgirl we know today. The “Lido” ran from 1958-1991, dazzling audiences with more than 22,000 performances. The show also played a big part in launching the career of famed magic duo Siegfried and Roy, they premiered their act at the Stardust’s Lido in 1968. The Stardust replaced the sign’s trademark angular atomic typeface with the more generic Helvetica typeface in 1991. Both sets of letters are part of the collection at The Neon Museum.

The historic property closed in 2006 and segments from the sign’s cloud and stars made their way to the Boneyard. The site is now home to Resorts World as of 2021.

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