About Us
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. Among its many other accolades, it has been ranked in Travel + Leisure’s 27 Best Museums in the United States, No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” Nevada’s “Best Museum” by MSN, one of the Best Pop Culture Museums in the United States by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor.
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 projection mapping technology to animate 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 dstz.gmhmjsh.com. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
BONEYARD:
The term “boneyard” refers to an area where items no longer in use are stored, generally to be prepared for disposal or repurposed. Much of the Neon Museum’s collection was donated from the Young Electric Sign Company’s (YESCO) boneyard, which housed many of Las Vegas’ decommissioned signs. Today, all the rescued signs displayed in the museum’s outdoor exhibition area—the Neon Boneyard—are arranged in a deliberate way so, through guided tours provided by museum interpreters, visitors can enjoy the artistry of the signs while discovering the history behind them.
HISTORY:
The Neon Museum was established as a nonprofit organization in 1996 to collect and exhibit neon signs, the art form synonymous with Las Vegas. Dedicated individuals from the private sector, as well as corporate and government entities, worked collaboratively to promote the preservation of these national treasures as significant pieces of artistic and historical importance. Each of the more than 250 signs in the Neon Museum’s collection offers a unique story about the personalities who created it, what inspired it, where and when it was made, and the role it played in Las Vegas’ distinctive history. In addition, the Neon Museum collection chronicles changes and trends in sign design and technology through pieces ranging from the 1930s to the present day.
LA CONCHA VISITORS’ CENTER:
On Oct. 27, 2012, the Neon Museum’s Visitors’ Center opened inside the historic La Concha Motel lobby, the distinctive shell-shaped building designed by acclaimed architect Paul Revere Williams, FAIA. Williams was the first Black architect to become a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923, and in 1957 he was inducted as the AIAs first Black fellow. The curvilinear La Concha Motel lobby is a striking example of Googie architecture, a style of Mid-Century modern design characterized by Atomic and Space Age shapes and motifs. Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South (next to the Riviera Hotel), the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved in 2006 to its current location to serve as the museum’s Visitors’ Center. References to many of the lobby’s original interior design elements have been included in the newly refurbished facility, with two of the motel’s original signs – the mosaic lobby sign and a section of the main roadside sign – restored and illuminated as part of the museum’s rehabilitation efforts.
RESTORED SIGNS IN THE NEON BONEYARD:
The museum’s official opening in October 2012 marked the first time electrified signs were included as part of the Neon Boneyard’s permanent collection. Guests entering the Neon Boneyard pass through a gateway created by a restored section of the “H” Wall from Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. The restored Wedding Information sign, a favorite for newlywed couples visiting the downtown area, is now situated within the exhibition space, while the dramatic La Concha roadside sign has been restored to its former glory and rejoins the building it was originally designed to stand beside as part of the new events center. The newest addition, the Lido de Paris sign, was restored and re-illuminated by The Neon Museum and now has a permanent home in the Neon Boneyard across from the neon sign for the Stardust, the original home to the Lido. The museum holds 250 signs and exhibits 24 electrified signs in the Neon Boneyard; all are best viewed on a night tour.
TIM BURTON SIGNS:
Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum sculptural and digital installations were displayed in The Neon Museum from Oct. 15, 2019, through April 12, 2020. The Tim Burton pieces are incorporated within the museum’s collection of 20 contemporary art objects, which also includes 40 renderings.
Following the closure of the exhibition, two of Burton’s signs remain on ongoing display:
Lost Vegas Sign Tower, 2019, steel, neon tubing, light bulbs and acrylic paint – An homage to the Dunes Hotel pylon sign, this 40-foot-tall tower was aged and weathered purposefully to resemble a fading edifice past its prime. It symbolizes the city’s lost past that was both endearingly highlighted by the exhibition and carefully preserved by the Museum’s mission.
Neon Grid Wall, 2019, steel, aluminum, neon tubing and light bulbs – The neon seahorses with the boy in the center represent Burton’s childhood memories of the pool at the Dunes Hotel, which featured a fountain with three seahorse Both the Spiral-Eyed Girl “Area 51 Motel” neon (at left) and the alien showgirl (at right) reference Southern Nevada’s association with extraterrestrials in popular culture.
“BRILLIANT! JACKPOT” AN IMMERSIVE AUDIOVISUAL EXPERIENCE:
A 360-degree audiovisual immersion experience that uses technology to reanimate 40 monumental examples of the Neon Museum’s iconic vintage signs, ‘Brilliant!” debuted to the public Feb. 1, 2018. The largest augmented reality experience of its kind, it was created by experiential designer Craig Winslow using projection mapping to illuminate and re- electrify unrestored, non-working and in some cases broken signs.
The experience transports guests directly into Las Vegas’ history, where static signs come to life while accompanied by music from some of the entertainment industry’s most storied performers. “Brilliant!” uses eight projectors emitting a total of 80,000 lumens of light, 24 3D-sound speakers and was created using a combination of flat photography, drone video and 3D photogrammetry as references to recreate each sign, bulb by bulb and tube by tube in Adobe Illustrator.
The show underwent its most significant update to date in December 2021. The show now plays a selection of 54 songs spread across various timelines. The music is so iconic, many songs from the 54-song playlist are available via Spotify on The Neon Museum’s playlist. The expanded playlist also emphasizes diversity with 56 percent of the music performed by women, LGBTQ artists and musicians of color.
LAS VEGAS LUMINARIES MURAL:
As part of a comprehensive reimagination of the North Gallery in December 2021, a mural on the area’s south wall pays tribute to the diverse communities and lesser-known individuals who helped shape and have significantly impacted Las Vegas cultural history.
Designed and installed by the Las Vegas-based couple Nanda Sharif-pour and Ali Fathollahi, the Las Vegas Luminaries mural measures an expansive 808 sq. ft and 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. As a public educational tool, the mural is available for public viewing for free 24/7 and includes a QR code for visitors to get more information on the 11 icons of Las Vegas’ cultural history and underrepresented communities depicted.
NORTH GALLERY:
Home to the immersive audiovisual show, Brilliant! and the Las Vegas Luminaries mural on its exterior wall, the North Gallery includes various other educational elements and 115 signs. Brilliant’s! creator, Craig Winslow, virtually greets guests on a 65-inch monitor to explain how he uses a process he calls augmented restoration to digitally trace every sign, bulb by bulb, tube by tube, to bring them back to life. The artwork is then projected back onto the signs creating 360 degrees of light and sound transporting guests back into vintage Las Vegas.
Guests also learn about the science of neon signs via a docent-led demonstration of a neon tester on a neon sign to see if the gas tubes are fully intact. The current from the device sends a charge to the gas still trapped inside the sign to re-illuminate the sign.
Upon exiting the North Gallery, guests can learn more about the signs in the show via a LED-lit wall display. The wall also provides a unique photo opportunity as people can “see” through the wall into the North Gallery as a 29-foot-long by 6-foot-high vinyl wrap presents a visual representation of the show.
LAS VEGAS SIGNS PROJECT:
In 2009, the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Washington Avenue became one of only three urban streets in the United States to be named a Federal Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Las Vegas Signs Project, a partnership between The Neon Museum and the City of Las Vegas, aims to install restored signs from the museum’s collection along this area in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.
In 1996, the Caballero on a Palomino sign from the Hacienda Hotel (also known as the Horse and Rider) was the first sign restored and installed as public art as part of the Fremont Street sign gallery at the corner of Fremont St. and Las Vegas Blvd. Today, it joins 14 other restored neon signs currently on display as part of the Las Vegas Signs project, which include: the Silver Slipper, the Bow & Arrow Motel and Binion’s Horseshoe, installed in 2009 near the La Concha Visitors’ Center at the McWilliams Avenue intersection; and the Society Cleaners, the Lucky Cuss Hotel and the Normandie Hotel were added in 2012 at the Ogden Street intersection. Additionally, the 5th Street Liquor sign was installed at Garces Street and Casino Center Boulevard, in front of the Downtown Transportation Center; and the Landmark Hotel sign was installed on Paradise Road near the site of the imploded casino. The City of Las Vegas also has three historic signs from its collection displayed alongside pieces from The Neon Museum.
In 2023, The City of Las Vegas completed the restoration, reinstallation and reillumination of the 15 neon signs collectively known as The Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway Project.
The signs are owned by the city of Las Vegas, The Neon Museum and YESCO Custom Electric Signs, and now create a complete neon streetscape beginning with the gateway arches and showgirl signage all the way up Las Vegas Boulevard to The Neon Museum and Washington Avenue.
SIGN ACQUISITIONS:
In recognition of their historic and artistic value to the Las Vegas community, local businesses, private donors and various organizations have generously donated all of the signs in The Neon Museum’s collection, which includes over 800 individual pieces from over 200 properties. With the generous support of the Molasky Family, The Neon Museum added the Barbara Molasky Acquisition Fund to purchase historical artifacts, signage, and ephemera, and allows us to grow our fine art collection. The Museum also maintains a growing roster of venues that have promised signs to the collection should the properties be demolished. In addition, The Neon Museum supports and collaborates with local businesses taking measures to preserve, rather than replace, vintage neon signage.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Over the years, the Neon Boneyard has become one of the most popular destinations for photography and filming in Las Vegas. From movies and TV shows to music videos, from commercial and artistic photography to wedding and personal shoots, The Neon Museum’s collection has appeared in thousands of images across the globe. Revenue generated from commercial and professional shoots assists The Neon Museum in our ongoing efforts to preserve, display and expand the collection. For this reason, commercial photography and photo use are both strictly controlled.
During public tours, guests are welcome to take photographs for personal enjoyment with cellphones or tablets only, but commercial photography is not permitted. No professional photography equipment is allowed during our general admission hours. The Neon Boneyard and North Gallery are available for specially scheduled photo and video shoots by individuals, professionals, and organizations. Usage fees apply and vary according to the type and scale of shoot, size of participating crew, staffing requirements, and proposed image use and distribution. Click here for information or to schedule a photo shoot online.
EVENT SPACE:
The Neon Museum features an event space available to rent for private parties, corporate functions and other special occasions. A 3,500-square-foot outdoor event space located adjacent to the Neon Boneyard offers versatility as well as a striking visual background for events and functions, while the smaller 2,500-square-foot Neon Boneyard Park is a convenient alternative for smaller parties.
Also on the museum campus: the North Gallery, which measures 3,100 square feet and is home to the immersive audiovisual spectacle, “Brilliant!” is also available for event bookings. The Neon Museum maintains a roster of preferred vendors including caterers, photographers and special event planners to assist guests in organizing and executing their functions. While tours of the Neon Boneyard are not included as part of the museum’s standard events package, abbreviated tours may be added to events for additional fees.
LEARNING:
The Neon Museum is committed to developing and executing programming that reaches multiple audiences and allows the public to expand their knowledge of the artistry, technology and rich history of signage in Las Vegas. It houses education collections for hands-on activities and teaching, including 100 books and 500 research materials, such as periodicals, films, oral histories and photos; 150 hands-on/educational objects; and archives including 2,000 photographs, documents and other materials. In addition, The Neon Museum maintains an ephemera collection with items, content and reference materials, including 1,500 ephemeral objects including matchbooks, postcards, ashtrays, show programs and brochures.
STEAM LEARNING:
STEAM learning is an education strategy that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to encourage inquiry, discussion, problem-solving and self-discovery and in support of this The Neon Museum offers a friendly-family STEAM event every month. Each two hour Saturday session focuses on a different topic offering fun make-and-take activities, hands-on learning, scavenger hunts and demonstrations designed to engage children of all ages learning relevant skills for today’s world, better preparing them for a productive and successful future.
SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS:
Education programming at The Neon Museum includes NVACS standards-aligned tours and hands-on learning activities in the Neon Boneyard for students in grades 3 through 12. There are three different focuses for field trips, which educators chosen between when confirming their booking. They are Social Studies/Social Justice, Visual Arts, and Science/Engineering. A grant from the Marlon Foundation, has made it possible for The Neon Museum to offer free field trips to Clark County School District Title 1 schools, which includes reimbursement for transport to the museum as well as admission. This makes these educational offerings available to low income and / or under represented communities more accessible providing important learning opportunities outside of the classroom environment that are more focused on self-discovery and exploration.
Since the COVID pandemic, Southern Nevada has seen a significant increase in homeschooling. The museum has adapted the school programing to be able to offer these educational opportunities available for home school groups. In total, the museum will have welcomed more than 1000 students in the ’22 – ‘23 school years.
DUCK DUCK SHED:
The Neon Museum, known as one of Las Vegas’ most iconic and visually stunning museums telling the story of the city through historic neon signs, launched its inaugural Duck Duck Shed: Celebrating Las Vegas Architecture, Design, and Culture event to an international audience in 2022. Due to the positive response of attendees, presenters and donors a second conference was held in 2023.
These multi-day events offer a variety of presentations that celebrate Las Vegas’ distinctive architecture from past to the present through walking tours, aerial tours, panel discussions with industry experts, featuring culinary arts, entertainment, pop culture tours and family-focused learning. Once-in-a-lifetime tours of iconic locations such as Jungle Palace, the historic estate of Siegfried & Roy, a private home that has never been granted public access and a presentation by Cirque du Soleil’s “O” cast and backstage production team celebrating 25 Years in Las Vegas have also been key and unique offerings. A new tour that highlighted the architectural history of the buildings associated with the iconic signs in the Neon Boneyard was also debuted. In 2023 the conference opened with an exhibition that received international media coverage curated by The Neon Museum working with the estate of Debbie Reynolds entitled The Persona, The Person: Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas held at the Las Vegas City Hall Grand Gallery. There was also coordinated visits to the newly opened Sphere, with one of the first professional critiques on its architecture and design.
Seventeen of the 30 programs (57%) offered in the first conference reached capacity, which exceeded the expectations for the first year, as did the draw from audiences worldwide. Over 50 percent of our ticket holders were from outside Southern Nevada. People returned for the second conference where 5 programs were also certified by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for Continuing Education credits.
This remarkable response answers the question if there is an appetite for learning more about Las Vegas’ incomparable, ever-evolving skyline as well as its efforts towards historic preservation.
THE NEON MUSEUM BY THE NUMBERS:
Over 800 signs in The Neon Museum Collection from over 200 properties:
- 250 signs in the Boneyard;
- 115 signs in the North Gallery;
- 14 signs on display as part of the Las Vegas Signs Project;
- 1,500 items, contents, reference materials in ephemera collection including matchbooks, postcards, ashtrays, show programs and brochures;
- 20 contemporary art objects, including Tim Burton pieces;
- 40 renderings;
- 100 research books;
- 500 research material including periodicals, films, oral histories, photos;
- 150 hands-on/educational objects;
- 2,000 photographs, documents and other archive material.
TRADEMARKS:
The Neon Museum – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Reclaim. Restore. Remember. – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha Visitors Center – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha – mark consists of a drawing of a mid-century modern style rooftop which is centered over the stylized words La Concha.
Neon Boneyard – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Times of Signs – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
La Concha – mark consists of a drawing of a mid-century modern style rooftop which is centered over the stylized words La Concha.
The Neon Museum – mark consists of a mid-century modern style rooftop featuring three apses which is centered over the stylized word THE which is centered over the stylized word NEON which is centered over the stylized word MUSEUM and where the words NEON and MUSEUM are right and left justified
Follow The Signs – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font, style, size, or color
Brilliant! – mark consisting of standard characters, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.
Brilliant! – mark consisting of the word BRILLIANT! in a stylized form which consists of a solid background featuring parallel lines which follow the curves and/or linear configurations of the cursive letters in the word BRILLIANT!.
OUR VALUES:
Our work ethic is underpinned by our three values:
- To create a sense of belonging, for both guests and team members, providing a voice for sharing feedback
- To be scholarly in our work and known as a source of researched and original material
- To offer fun engagement that encourages commitment in team members, and creates lifelong memories for guests
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:
The Neon Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer that complies with the laws and regulations set forth under EEOC. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to help perform the duties and tasks of this position.
DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION
The Neon Museum is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Embracing the diversity of our community, and our workforce, is an important part of our values as an organization, as is striving to ensure equity and inclusion in all our practices.
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Every donation to The Neon Museum helps support our mission of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the iconic Las Vegas signs.
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Corporate Support
Through the generosity of our donors, The Neon Museum is able to expand our mission to tell our stories of Las Vegas.
Annual Report
Meeting the Need
If there was a common thread to the last fiscal year at The Neon Museum, it was “meeting the need.”