Neon Signs Project
The Neon Signs Project partners the Neon Museum with the City of Las Vegas to install restored signs from the Museum collection along Las Vegas Blvd, illuminating downtown Las Vegas. In 2009, the stretch of Las Vegas Blvd. between Sahara Ave.and Washington Ave. was designated a National Scenic Byway, one of only three urban Byways in the country. The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The first sign was the Hacienda Horse and Rider, installed in 1997 at Fremont Street. Binion’s Horseshoe, the Bow & Arrow Motel, and the Silver Slipper were erected in 2009.
Silver Slipper Gambling Hall circa 1950s
The Silver Slipper Casino opened in 1950 as the Golden Slipper on the grounds of the Last Frontier along the early Las Vegas Strip. The Last Frontier was the second casino resort built on the Strip 1942, one year after its pioneering neighbor the El Rancho.
The Slipper, designed by Jack Larson and built by Young Electric Sign Company, offers a rare glimpse into the use of sculptural design in sign construction, with similar examples long since lost or destroyed. The shimmering shoe remains an icon of a magical era of highly decorative and innovative sign design on the Las Vegas strip.
Bow & Arrow Motel circa 1950s
The Bow & Arrow Motel was originally located in downtown Las Vegas on Wyoming Avenue. Many motels were built during the 1950s, and the simple shapes incorporated into the form of the Bow & Arrow sign exemplify trends of the period. The sign features a uniquely animated element of a chasing neon bow and arrow.
The sign is believed to be designed by celebrated female designer Betty Willis, and was fabricated by Yesco. The Allied Arts Council donated the Bow & Arrow Motel sign to The Neon Museum in 2001 .
Binion’s Horseshoe circa 1960s
Benny Binion’s Horseshoe was originally located at 128 Fremont Street. Benny Binion opened his Horseshoe Hotel and Casino in 1951 after purchasing the Eldorado Club and Apache Hotel and converting it to a Western-themed establishment.
The Horseshoe exterior was completely redesigned in the 1960s, intended to rival the Golden Nugget’s precedent-setting neon-wrapped facade. The neon wrap completely covered the three-story former Apache Hotel. The design team included some of the best architects and designers of the time, including Jack Larson and Ben Mitchem. The sign was built by Young Electric Sign Company.
