Wee Kirk O' The Heather Wedding Chapel
CLICK TO DONATE
CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SIGN’S RESTORATION
Courtesy Tripadvisor
c. late 1970s
Sheet metal, neon, plexiglass
Gift of Brian Denicolo, The Neon Museum, 0216.001
Las Vegas is claimed as the “Marriage Capitol of the World”. After marriage laws relaxed in the state of Nevada in the 1930s many chapels began to arise around Las Vegas and the term ‘Quickie Wedding’ became a part of the local vernacular. The Wee Kirk O’ the Heather Wedding Chapel adobe structure, built in 1924, was originally used as a house that was later converted into a chapel in 1940. This chapel began to establish itself as a quick spot to get married after obtaining a marriage license from the nearby Marriage License Bureau. It became home to vow renewals for multiple couples that returned after 40, 50 and 60 years of marriage to renew their vows in the special spot where they originally got married. Over the history of the property it also held weddings for multiple generations, including third and fourth generations, of couples to get married where their family members once also wed.
In October of 2020 the building was demolished. At the time of its closure, it was the longest running wedding chapel in Las Vegas. The property’s c.1960s neon spire and the c.1970s roadside sign are the only remaining pieces left to help preserve its history. The roadside sign contains neon flowers which pays homage to the Scottish translation of the chapel’s name, meaning “The Little Chapel of the Lucky Flowers,’. The purple coloring used in the design of the sign and building pay homage to the Scottish purple Heather flower representing luck. Since the emergence of LED usage in signage in Las Vegas, the preservation of historic reader boards has become imminent as they have been disappearing. The Wee Kirk reader board becomes a historic record in its own right, both for technological history and as a primary source containing the message, “America’s Favorite Since 1940”.
This chapel has been deeply fermented into the culture of the Las Vegas community for 80 years, and for the past 96 years community members and tourists alike have passed this adobe structure that became known as the Wee Kirk on their way towards Fremont Street on Las Vegas Blvd. (previously 5th Street). With this building gone there is a gap both physically and in the cultural heartbeat of our town, and The Neon Museum can help fill this gap with the preservation and education of its architectural, historic and cultural significance.
Help us preserve the cultural essence of Las Vegas with your generous gift.
$25,000 will fully restore and relight this sign.
CLICK TO DONATE
We are grateful for every donation that helps bring these iconic signs back to life. Contributions of $5,000 or more will be honored with a personalized donor recognition package. All donations will be recorded in our documented archives. Once this sign is restored, it will be proudly returned to the Neon Boneyard, where we will host a re-lighting event to celebrate its restoration. We truly appreciate your support and thank you for helping us preserve the stories of Las Vegas.