Your Support Makes A Difference

The Neon Museum is pleased to expand its programming for fiscal year 2024, offering new experiences at new venues in its second Duck Duck Shed, and new programs to reach new audiences with innovative outreach and community programming.  Your support makes a difference in development of meaningful and memorarable learning experiences.

GIVE TODAY

August - September - October - November - December 2023

STEAM Saturdays

August 19, 2023: Investigating Electricity
Are you ready to spark some fun with your family? Join us for an electrifying event where you’ll discover the wonders of electricity. You’ll make simple circuits, create static, write poems with Poetry Promise, and see how lightning works with a special activity by the National Weather Service.

September 16, 2023: Creating with Color
Do you love colors? Want to learn how they work and how to use them? Then join us for a colorful event where you’ll explore the science and art of color. You’ll learn how to mix colors, create optical illusions, and make your own rainbow. Don’t miss this chance to brighten up your day with creativity!

October 21, 2023: Let's Make Music
Build your own instruments, find out how sound travels, and see how music relates to our museum collection. Don’t let this opportunity to have a blast with music and learning pass you by!

November 18, 2023: Motion Commotion
Let your child explore the dynamic intersection of sports, force/motion, and art in an engaging and interactive learning experience.

December 16, 2023: Glow on!
So, why do neon signs glow? We'll give you the answer at this STEAM Saturday all about glowing! Learn why things glow through bioluminescence, fluorescence, and more. Create your own art that glows under blacklight and special glow-in-the dark slime.

REGISTER TODAY - FREE FOR MEMBERS

Middle School Educational Outreach
Museum in a Box

To provide new pathways for students to engage with STEAM education and increase access to The Neon Museum’s educational content and collection, The Neon Museum is developing its Museum in a Box (MIAB) outreach program, specifically for middle school students. MIAB deals with subjects ranging from museum studies to Black History in Las Vegas to Architecture and Design that fulfill Nevada Academic Content Standards (NVACS). Each box contains hands-on activities and educational objects for students to engage in, while educators have associated lesson plans and learning objectives. The expected reach of MIAB in its inaugural year is 4,000 students, and specifically includes Title I and rural schools in Clark County School District. Boxes are delivered and picked up from schools for free through funding from the program’s sponsors, Clark County and MGM Resorts International.

SEPTEMBER

The Persona. The Person: Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas
Free Exhibition - SEP 5 - OCT 26, Grand Gallery Las Vegas City Hall


Legendary actress, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds had a career that spanned over 70 years and earned her Emmy, Tony, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards nominations and awards. ‘Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas,’ explores this talented trailblazer’s impact in Las Vegas from her years performing at the Riviera, Desert Inn, and South Point to owning the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel. The exhibition includes Reynolds’ exquisite gowns, stage costumes, letters, photos, memorabilia from iconic performances, and her personal memories.

RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKETS

OCTOBER

Duck Duck Shed
Celebrating Las Vegas Architecture, Design + Culture
OCT 4-7, 2023
Duck Duck Shed, referencing the seminal architectural text, “Learning From Las Vegas,” is a celebration of Las Vegas architecture, design, and culture.

LEARN MORE - PURCHASE EVENT TICKETS

New Tours Premiering During Duck Duck Shed
Free For Members!
    
By Architects For Architects (and enthusiasts!)

Led by Jaclyn Roth of Assemblage Studios, this walking tour will guide visitors through the Neon Boneyard, providing architecturally specific insights into the properties of yesterday and today and the architects and designers who created them. Rooted in the seminal book, Learning From Las Vegas, the tour will provide a different perspective on The Neon Museum’s collection.

Viva Las Vegas Movies

The Neon Boneyard serving as our backdrop, this tour will explore the properties featured in iconic films, from the all-time greats and cult classics to lesser-known independent films in which Las Vegas has played a role. We’ll ask: Is Las Vegas a character unto itself in a movie? Join us as The Neon Museum’s collection allows us to rekindle your relationship with films you know and love, the movie you’re embarrassed to admit you love and discover a few hidden gems you’ll want to review for your collection.

REGISTER TODAY - FREE FOR MEMBERS

NOVEMBER

November 1
Palms - Reilluminated

 Creative Aging Workshop

To connect with the local community, create a safe space to share stories, and promote well-being in the older adult population, The Neon Museum is partnering with published author and literary educator, Joylynn M. Ross to facilitate a writing workshop. Participants will be able to use the signs in the Neon Museum collection as inspiration to write their personal autobiography coached by Joylynn while they make lifelong friends with other would-be authors. The program launches this Fall and will be offered at a nominal fee over the course of seven weeks, including a culminating event for family and friends of participants to celebrate their successes. 
Details and registration coming soon.    

Request to Delete Your Personal Information

You have the right to request that we delete your personal information you provided to us or that we obtained about you, subject to certain exceptions.  If you wish to have your information deleted, please email Customer Service with the request.  All requests are subject to authentication of your identity to protect the privacy and security of your personal information.

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY

Last modified: May 26, 2020

The Neon Museum Las Vegas (“The Museum” or “We”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.

This policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the website www.neonmuseum.org (our “Website“) and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of this Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

This policy applies to information we collect:

• On this Website.

• In email, text, and other electronic messages between you and this Website.

• When you interact with our advertising and applications on third-party websites and services, if those applications or advertising include links to this policy.

It does not apply to information collected by:

• Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by The Museum or any third party (including our affiliates and subsidiaries); or

• Any third party (including our affiliates and subsidiaries), including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Website

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It:

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Website, including information:

• By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline (“personal information“);

• That is about you but individually does not identify you, and/or

• About your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.

We collect this information:

• Directly from you when you provide it to us.

• Automatically as you navigate through the site. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.

• From third parties, for example, our business partners.

• Information You Provide to Us

The information we collect on or through our Website may include:

• Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use our Website, or requesting further services. We may also ask you for information when you enter a contest or promotion sponsored by us, and when you report a problem with our Website.

• Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses), if you contact us.

• Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes.

• Details of transactions you carry out through our Website. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through our Website.

• Your search queries on the Website.

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies

As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:

• Details of your visits to our Website, including traffic data, location data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Website.

• Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.

The information we collect automatically may include personal information, or we may maintain it or associate it with personal information we collect in other ways or receive from third parties. It helps us to improve our Website and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:

• Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.

• Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Website according to your individual interests.

• Speed up your searches.

• Recognize you when you return to our Website.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

• Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website.

• Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Website may use local stored objects (or Flash cookies) to collect and store information about your preferences and navigation to, from, and on our Website. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as are used for browser cookies. For information about managing your privacy and security settings for Flash cookies, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

• Web Beacons. Pages of our the Website and our e-mails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit The Museum, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain website content and verifying system and server integrity).

Third-Party Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Some content or applications, including advertisements, on the Website are served by third-parties, including advertisers, ad networks and servers, content providers, and application providers. These third parties may use cookies alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use our website. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content.

We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly. For information about how you can opt out of receiving targeted advertising from many providers, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:

• To present our Website and its contents to you.

• To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us.

• To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.

• To notify you about changes to our Website or any products or services we offer or provide though it.

• To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Website.

• In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.

• For any other purpose with your consent.

We may also use your information to contact you about our own and third-parties’ goods and services that may be of interest to you. For more information, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction.

We may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as described in this privacy policy:

• To our subsidiaries and affiliates.

• To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.

• To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of The Museum’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by The Museum about our Website users is among the assets transferred.

• To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.

• For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.

• With your consent.

We may also disclose your personal information:

• To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.

• If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of The Museum, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

• Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. To learn how you can manage your Flash cookie settings, visit the Flash player settings page on Adobe’s website. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function 

We do not control third parties’ collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. You can opt out of receiving targeted ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI“) on the NAI’s website.

California residents and certain residents of other states may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see Other Privacy Rights Based on Residency for more information. 

Other Privacy Rights Based on Residency

If you are a California resident, California law may provide you with additional rights regarding our use of your personal information. We adopt this Section in the context of the Privacy Policy as a whole to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this Section. While we collect some personal information, personal information does not include publicly available information from government records, deidentified or aggregated consumer information or information excluded from the CCPA’s scope. See below for a description of certain collection practices that we have completed within the last twelve (12) months:

Category Examples Collected

A. Identifiers. A real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers. Yes

B. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)). A name, signature, Social Security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information.

Some personal information included in this category may overlap with other categories. Yes

C. Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law. Age (40 years or older), race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or creed, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy or childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, genetic information (including familial genetic information). Yes

D. Commercial information. Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies. No

E. Biometric information. Genetic, physiological, behavioral, and biological characteristics, or activity patterns used to extract a template or other identifier or identifying information, such as, fingerprints, faceprints, and voiceprints, iris or retina scans, keystroke, gait, or other physical patterns, and sleep, health, or exercise data. No

F. Internet or other similar network activity. Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement. Yes

G. Geolocation data. Physical location or movements. Yes

H. Sensory data. Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information. No

I. Professional or employment-related information. Current or past job history or performance evaluations. No

J. Non-public education information (per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Education records directly related to a student maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf, such as grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, student identification codes, student financial information, or student disciplinary records. No

Requests to Delete Your Personal Information

You have the right to request that we delete your personal information you provided to us or that we obtained about you, subject to certain exceptions.  If you wish to have your information deleted, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  with the request.  All requests are subject to authentication of your identity to protect the privacy and security of your personal information.

STEAM Saturday - March 11, 2023
Leading Ladies of Las Vegas featuring Magician Joan DuKore

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

The Neon Museum STEAM Saturday

 

STEAM Saturdays is a Neon Museum program that offers fun make-and-take activities, hands-on learning, and demonstrations designed to promote creative and critical thinking. This series is offered to families once a month from 9:30am-11:30am.

If you have a checked out Neon Museum STEAM Saturday Family Library Pass from either Las Vegas Clark County Library District or North Las Vegas Library District you do not need to register. You just need to bring the pass when checking in on the day. 

$5 for attendees age 7 and up, children 6 and under are free. Members are FREE. Museums for All guests are FREE with EBT/SNAP/WIC or foster placement letter and valid ID. Advance registration is recommended.

**This is a drop-in style event. Once registered, you may come and go anytime between 9:30am-11:30am.

What is STEAM learning? STEAM learning is an education strategy that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to encourage inquiry, discussion and problem-solving. 

A desired outcome of a STEAM education for children is that it begins a life-long love for the arts and sciences. Participants learn relevant skills for today’s world, better preparing them for a productive and successful future.

STEAM Saturdays is sponsored by Meow Wolf, Cox Charities, and the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the state of Nevada. 

The Neon Museum voted Best Pop Culture Museum by USA Today 10Best.com

LAS VEGAS – The Neon Museum was voted No. 1 in the 2022 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest for Best Pop Culture Museum.  The Neon Museum was nominated by a panel of travel experts and won the top spot by 10Best.com readers from a field of highly popular and notable museums from across the United States. It was the only museum in Nevada nominated.

“We are very honored to have been selected by USA Today and 10best.com’s travel experts for inclusion in this list of venerable pop culture museums, and we are humbled to have been voted number one by the public,” said Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum. “We appreciate the support and designation that recognizes how The Neon Museum carefully curates and preserves vintage Las Vegas signs that chronicle our city’s history and iconic pop culture.”

Twenty pop culture museums were chosen as nominees for the contest by a panel of relevant experts which include a combination of editors from USA TODAY; editors from 10Best.com; relevant expert contributors; and sources for both these media and other Gannett properties. The public then had the opportunity to vote online for one nominee per day, over a four-week period on the 10Best.com website. The list of nominees included iconic pop culture destinations like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and Rancho Obi-Wan, to name a few.

10Best.com provides original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. The core of the site's uniqueness is its team of local travel experts: a well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields - and their cities - but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about so the content is constantly updated. 10Best.com averages 5 million visitors per month. It was acquired by USA TODAY in January of 2013.

Our Newest Tour - Neon Night Flight Spectacular!

In partnership with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters

The Neon Night Flight Spectacular takes guests on an unforgettable exploration through the history and splendor of the iconic sights that Las Vegas is known for - the neon lights.

The journey begins with luxury transport from most Las Vegas hotels to our VIP terminal. Guests will board an EcoStar helicopter for a memorable flight over the sparkling lights of the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown. They'll capture incredible photo moments as they soar high above top attractions such as the Fountains of Bellagio, Eiffel Tower Las Vegas, High Roller Observation Wheel, SkyPod at The Strat, and Allegiant Stadium.

After the helicopter tour, guests will take a walk down memory lane on a 45-minute guided tour at The Neon Museum. The Main Boneyard showcases more than 200 signs and looks at the inspirations and technology that played a role in the rich design history from the 1930s to the present day.  The night concludes with a 45-minute illumination light show Brilliant! Jackpot. The unrestored signs come back to life as a musical symphony transports visitors into the history of Las Vegas through sight and sound.

Papillon Helicopters provides hotel pick-up and transport to our executive Las Vegas terminal for the helicopter portion of the tour and then transfers guests to the Neon Museum. At the conclusion of the Neon Museum tour, guests will be responsible for arranging their own return transport. You’ll be in the heart of burgeoning Cultural Corridor, about 3 miles from the famous Fremont Street Experience. 

 Book Your Neon Night Flight Spectacular

^{Photo Courtesy of Terrible Herbst}

Terrible's Hotel and Casino was situated in the heart of Las Vegas off of Paradise Road. The property featured 325 guest rooms, jacuzzi suites, an oversized pool and spa, state-of-the-art 200-seat bingo room, and a lavish gaming floor that housed more than 900 slots, non-stop table game action and a race & sports betting parlor.

^{Photo Courtesy of Terrible Herbst}

Founder Jerry Herbst was among the first to introduce the idea of the convenience store to drivers. He piloted the notion that a gas station was more than just a place to fill your car up with gas, it was also a place to fill up the folks INSIDE the car too. Herbst's stations offered a full range of snacks, drinks and other must-haves that expanded his business beyond the pump.

^{Photo Courtesy of Terrible Herbst}

Herbst was dubbed "The P.T. Barnum of Gasoline" for his over the top marketing techniques to get customers lined up to buy his gas. Stations gave away free bubble gum,  offered pony rides to young buckaroos and even handed out free orchids to the female customers. These memorable marketing ideas kept customers coming back for more and helped grow his business throughout the southwest.

^{Neon Museum Photo Collection}

The Neon Museum also has another "Terrible" in our collection. Located in the Small Business section of the Main Boneyard. Terrible can be seen tipping his trademark black hat and offering his ever-friendly "Howdy" greeting. In the spirit of Terrible's founder Jerry Herbst he makes visitors to our Boneyard feel welcome, even without free pony rides.

Las Vegas Luminaries shines a light on the diverse communities and lesser-known individuals who helped to shape Las Vegas's vibrant, colorful and contrasting cultural history. The mural, which spans the 101 feet length of The Neon Museum's North Gallery wall, 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. Read more below to learn about these luminaries and their accomplishments that lit the way to a more inclusive and equitable future for the citizens of Las Vegas and beyond.

Delcenia Boyd Jones | Trailblazing Dancer

_{Photo Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections & Archives}

Delcenia (Boyd) Jones (1938-2019) was among the first chorine dancers to work at the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas's first major racially integrated casino, when it opened in May of 1955. The finest Black dancers and entertainers from around the country were hired to play to packed audiences at the Moulin Rouge's popular nightly performances, famed for lasting until dawn. Racial segregation kept Black and white patrons from mingling together at properties downtown or on the Strip, but audiences at "The Rouge" were welcome to drink, dine, dance and rub shoulders in a way not seen before in Las Vegas. Boyd's likeness was used in promotional images to advertise the many amenities of the Moulin Rouge, including a luxurious lounge by the pool. This poolside image was groundbreaking for its time, as no African Americans would have been allowed poolside at a Las Vegas resort prior to the Moulin Rouge. With the abrupt closing of the Moulin Rouge in October of 1955, entertainers who had uprooted their lives to move to Las Vegas were forced to find employment elsewhere. Delcenia and her sister Theodora were hired by legendary swing-era bandleader Cab Calloway to dance as a "Cotton Club Beauty" in his traveling revival show, "The Cotton Club Review." The traveling show became so popular that Calloway and his orchestra (including the Boyd sisters) were invited to play a residency at the Royal Nevada in 1957. After her time in Las Vegas, Delcenia went on to earn a Master’s of Science and Social work. She advocated for Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and Human Rights and participated in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. While working with the NAACP she met her husband Benjamin Jones. Delcenia passed away in 2019 at the age of 81.

Liberace | Mr. Showmanship

_{Photo Courtesy of Allan Warren}

Vegas Vic | Wild West Mascot

^{Photo Courtsey of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce}

Sammy Davis Jr. | Vegas Headliner and Civil Rights Pioneer

_{Photo Courtesy NBC Television | Public Domain}

Kenny Kerr | “Male Actress” and AIDS Activist

_{Photo Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections & Archives}

Kenny Kerr (1952-2013) became the star of Boylesque, a female impersonation review, that opened at the Silver Slipper Casino’s Gaiety Theatre on Friday, May 13, 1977, featuring Kerr as "Mr. Barbra Streisand, Mr. Marlene Dietrich, Mr. Carol Channing, and Mr. Diana Ross.". After the Silver Slipper closed, the act moved to other prominent locations such as the Stardust, Sahara, Frontier, Plaza and Debbie Reynolds. Boylesque set a new standard for female impersonation productions, and became a Las Vegas institution. Kerr never came out publically despite supporting many gay causes. Kerr went on to become one of the Las Vegas gay community's most thoughtful and honored leaders raising both funds and awareness for AIDS research in the Vegas Valley.

_{Content developed with historian Dennis McBride}

Those Fabulous Fabricators: Artists, Engineers and Installers That Made Vegas Larger Than Life

_{Photo Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections & Archives}

Let's face it, Vegas wouldn't be Vegas without its sensational signage, and we wouldn't have our signage without the talented folks who conceptualized and crafted many of the famous signs now on display in our Boneyard. Sign companies like YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company), AD-ART and Federal Signs were the giants of the sign industry, responsible for shaping the Las Vegas skyline and taking the art of signage to new heights (literally). From cobbling together oversized shoes (seen here with the Sliver Slipper) to hanging twinkling atomic stars, sign designers, electricians and fabricators are equal parts artist and engineer. The combined skills of these unsung heroes is what gives Vegas its trademark glow.

Chief Hotel Court

^{Neon Museum Photo Collection}

The Chief Hotel Court was located on East Fremont Street, and this sign dated to ca.1940 is among the oldest in Las Vegas. This sign is an example of the romanticized imagery of Native Americans tied to the concept of the “Old West." The Chief Hotel Court sign design is believed to be appropriated from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad line and cars. In 1939, Las Vegas into tapped this Western nostalgia for marketing itself as “Still a Frontier Town”. The proliferation of the Old West narrative in Las Vegas and at Chief Hotel Court contributed to the perpetuation of stereotypical Native American imagery which is still found advertisements and sports teams across the United States. The sign depicts a stereotypical Plains Indian motif, not the local Paiutes. The sign inadvertently served to erase the presence of the native people living in the area and substituted a stereotype. The Las Vegas Paiutes tribe, ancestors of the Southern Paiutes, lived on this land long before the founding of Las Vegas and continue to live on this land. The decades since then, the Las Vegas Paiutes have pursued financial success and the expansion of reservation acreage, first operating a tobacco business and in recent years a golf resort and marijuana dispensary.

_{Content developed with William Bauer, Wailacki and Concow of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Professor of History, University of Nevada, Las Vegas}

Paul Revere Williams | History-Making Architect

_{Photo Courtesy of Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institution.}

Denise Scott Brown | Author and Architect

_{Robert Venturi/Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc}

Betty Willis | Sign Designer

_{Photo Courtesy of Jeff Scheid}

Raul Rodriguez | Sign Designer

_{Photo Courtesy California State University Long Beach}

Artist Raul Rodriguez (1944-2015) used his creativity to design over 500 parade floats including many for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. While working with Heath and Company in 1976 he designed the trademark pink signage for the Flamingo hotel that are on display throughout The Neon Museum. He was often seen working with his hyacinth macaw Sebastian.

Oscar Gonzalez | Neon Bender

^{Neon Museum Photo Collection | Stephen Siwinski}

Oscar Gonzalez (b.1978) began his career sweeping the floor of a neon sign company in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Over many years he perfected the art of neon bending, a time-tested, yet rarely practiced art form of shaping glass over an open flame in order to create bright, beautiful signs that serve as both wayfinding and glowing masterpieces. He now bends glass for Hartlauer Signs in Las Vegas. Oscar crafted the neon tubing for many of the pieces on display at The Neon Museum, including the namesake tower from Tim Burton’s Lost Vegas exhibition and the restored Moulin Rouge sign. His work can be seen shining throughout the Vegas Valley.

About the Artists | Nanda Sharif pour and Ali Fathollahi

^{Neon Museum Photo Collection | Stephen Siwinski}

The Las Vegas Luminaries Mural was conceptualized by Stephen Siwinski and painted by Las Vegas residents Nanda Sharif-pour and Ali Fathollahi. The husband-and-wife artist team creating the mural are originally from Iran and moved to the United States in 2012 as refugees. Since then, they have participated in numerous public and private art projects in Southern Nevada, including commissioned murals for Zappos and Get Outdoors Nevada (formerly the Outside Las Vegas Foundation), which won a Mayor’s Urban Design Award. They also installed the large-scale mural designed by James Stanford on the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, located across the street from The Neon Museum. In general, both Sharif-pour and Fathollahi focus their artistic endeavors on using both traditional and non-traditional mediums to explore the viewers’ perception about psychological, sociological, cultural and political themes.

^{This project has been financed in whole or in part with funds from the Las Vegas
Historic Preservation Commission through the sale of the Las Vegas License Plate. The
contents and opinions of this funded project do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the city of Las Vegas.}

_{Photograph of 1978 Concept Rendering by Jack Dubois. Photo courtesy of The Neon Museum Charles Barnard Collection}

Sign companies use renderings like the one seen above to help sell the concept of designs for new projects to perspective clients. These renderings were once hand drawn and colored on illustration board by skilled artists and drafts people, now most renderings are digitally drafted on computers. Often several concepts will be created in order for the client to choose the one that best fits their taste and style. The rendering above of the Lady Luck, by Jack Dubois of AD - ART, is an example of a concept that was approved by clients and given the green light to produce. After the concept art is approved it is then passed onto engineers who draft technical blueprints with exacting measurements and specs to bring the design to life.

Learn more about the design process behind the Lady Luck with this short oral history featuring sign designer, Jack Dubois.

The signage drawn by Jack Dubois once hung on the hotel tower of the Lady Luck Casino, now it is housed in the North Gallery of The Neon Museum.

_{Lady Luck Coupon Courtesy of the Neon Museum Sign Related Ephemera Collection}

Coupons like this one from the Lady Luck would have been given to guests staying at hotels or motels to encourage them to gamble at Downtown or Strip properties. These enticing coupons would have been traded in to obtain nickels to use on the 5 cent slot machines. Some properties made special tokens, while others would give out standard nickels. The promise of a "free drink" was often used to get visitors in the door and keep them there long after they had spent their nickels on the slot machines.

_{Postcard of the 1961 Concept Rendering for Binions Horseshoe. Courtesy of the Neon Museum Anthony Bondi Collection}

The 1961 redesign of Binion’s Horseshoe, seen in the rendering above, was a collaboration between the architects and the sign designers. YESCO designers Herman Boernge, Kermit Wayne, Ben Mitchem and Jack Larsen, Sr. created plans that were then selected and incorporated into the final design by architects Wayne McAllister and William Wagner, resulting in one of the largest displays of neon in the world.

According to YESCO figures from 1961, the overall signage at Binion’s featured more than eight miles of neon tubes and 30,000 bulbs.

_{Matchbooks Courtesy of the Neon Museum Sign Related Ephemera Collection}

Matchbooks were a popular memento that many people collected from their visits to Las Vegas. These free promotional items were offered by casinos, hotels, restaurants and just about any other business that wanted an inexpensive way to get their advertising in your hands. Smoking in public places was much more common than today. The Neon Museum has hundreds of matchbooks from countless properties in our Archival Collection.

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The Neon Museum is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for our patrons, staff and community. While we welcome and encourage open discussion, this practice extends beyond the physical space of the museum to our presence digitally as well.

The Neon Museum’s official social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Pinterest, TikTok and LinkedIn) are monitored Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We encourage feedback and interaction on all our social media channels, but individuals may receive a slight delay after hours. These channels serve as a medium to disseminate and provide general information, general updates, relevant community news, upcoming events and historically vetted facts about the displays housed at the museum.

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Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

The Neon Museum and Binnie Wilkin present "My Las Vegas" - a series of short videos for elementary students using signs and the art of storytelling to bring Las Vegas history to life in a fun and creative way. Each story will introduce students to the Museum and some of the most significant signs in the collection. Educators, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for suggestions for activities and story book recommendations.

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