Neon Signs Las Vegas: A Guide To The Iconic Neon Museum

Las Vegas is famous for its dazzling lights. Beacons of neon drawing your attention to every hotel, bar or curiosity. Which is why I was so interested in visiting the Neon Museum on my most recent visit. It is home to some of the most iconic neon signs Las Vegas has ever seen.

This unique attraction will take you on a journey through the city’s glittering past. From vintage hotel marquees to classic casino signs, the museum is a must-see for anyone looking to experience the true spirit of Vegas beyond the Strip. And, not surprisingly, it’s even better at night.

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What Is Neon?

Neon is a naturally occurring noble gas that glows brightly when an electric current passes through it. It produces a beautiful, bright red-orange light.

Since the early 20th century, neon has been used in glass tubes to create luminous eye-catching signs. Its ability to shine vividly in the dark made it a natural fit for entertainment hubs like Las Vegas. Illuminated signs have become part of the city’s identity.

As well as neon, other gases, such as argon, krypton and helium, can also be used to create different colors. However colored glass tubing or special coatings expand the available colors for the bright Vegas signs even more.

Neon Signs Las Vegas – Why Have These Two Things Become Synonymous?

If you build a city in the middle of the desert, what better way to attract visitors that with an abundance of bright lights?

The neon signs Las Vegas is now famous for were made possible by the cheap, inexhaustive supply of electricity produced by the magnificent Hoover Dam nearby.

Mix that with some healthy competition between hotels and casinos, each trying to get patrons through their doors first, and a neon city was born.

While LED technology has become more popular due to its cheaper, more energy-efficient nature, neon remains in some older Las Vegas signs like the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

But bright lights will never go away from Vegas. Casinos are still competing for tourists and money. And the neon signs Las Vegas has always been known for have now become a major part of the city’s identity. Even if there are less of them nowadays.

Visiting The Las Vegas Neon Museum

When I first heard of the Neon Museum, I knew I had to visit. Where else in the world can you imagine would be the perfect spot for classic neon signs than Vegas?

I’d been staying in Downtown Las Vegas, enjoying a few days off the busy Las Vegas Strip where walking between places is a bit more challenging. However Downtown Las Vegas is built up around the historic Fremont Street, which still has a vintage feel to it in places.

Only a few blocks away from the main drag is the resting place of some of the most memorable neon signs Las Vegas has seen. The aptly named “neon boneyard” is too delightfully niche to pass up.

Tickets cost between $25 USD and $35 USD for adults. Child pricing is half of the adult ticket cost, and there is a small discount for seniors.

While the Neon Museum is open from 3pm until late every day, I wanted to see the signs in their element. Pardon the pun! So I decided a night time visit was in order. Plus, when you’re traveling solo to Las Vegas, the nights are often the more challenging times to fill. Therefore, I was happy for a late evening activity.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: Daytime tickets are offered between 3pm and 5:45pm for $25. Evening tickets cost $35 and are for 6pm onwards. All tickets are valid for 1 hour general admission.

What Can You See At The Las Vegas Neon Museum?

Take a walk back in time to the golden age of Sin City. A visit to the neon museum is to see some of the most historic neon signs Las Vegas has to offer. From hotels and casinos that are unfortunately no more, but the signs of which were too iconic to let go of.

The Neon Boneyard of retired signs sounds like it’s going to be just broken and dilapidated artifacts. But most of the signs still work, and life is breathed back into them where they rest. It is a really unique experience wandering through the “boneyard”. What a collection.

HOTELS AND MOTELS

See the La Concha Motel sign, whose lobby was saved from destruction and is now the museum’s visitor center.

The historic Moulin Rouge Hotel opened in 1955 as the first racially integrated casino in the USA. Its sign was designed by the same person who created the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

You can’t miss the 80-foot tall giant guitar sign of the Hard Rock Cafe, a centerpiece in the Neon Museum. Next to it the original sign for the Stardust Resort & Casino, which saw many performers back in the day from The Temptations to Siegfried and Roy.

SIGNS AS EARLY AS THE 1930s

While cultural stereotypes have changed over the years, you can still see the neon and argon filled sign for the old Chief Hotel Court.

Its generic Native American depiction is thankfully no longer the norm for advertising. But the sign is the oldest working sign in the museum, dating back to 1940, so definitely deserves its place here in the Neon Boneyard.

Other signs may no longer work, but you can still see them on display. The properties they served date back to the 1930s, like the Las Vegas Club. The Lady Luck from the 1960s, as well as the Aladdin Hotel & Casino from the same era – the giant Aladdin’s lamp can be seen at the museum.

NON-CASINO SIGNS

You can find signs from restaurants and wedding chapels (this is Vegas after all). And the Red Barn, one of Las Vegas’s first LGBTQ+ bar, that interestingly enough starting off as an antique store.

My favorite sign, though, has to be the Ugly Duckling car sales sign. I mean, its an 18-foot duck for goodness sakes. And it leans more on the side of cute than ugly in my opinion. Plus as one of the few neon signs not from a casino or hotel, this makes it a little more unique.

Top Tips For Visiting The Las Vegas Neon Museum

Based on my experience visiting the neon museum, here are some of my top tips for a more enjoyable visit.

GETTING THERE – The Neon Museum is walkable from downtown, only 15 minutes from Fremont Street. However, it does go along a questionable route at times. If you’re solo, I’d opt for an Uber if visiting at night. Or do what I did. I spotted a family leaving at the same time as me, and walked along with them until we hit the main drag of Fremont Street.

WHEN TO VISIT – Daytime might be cheaper, but these are neon signs for a reason. The bright lights of Vegas, in my opinion, are always better at night – or at least early evening. If you’re visiting in the summer, Las Vegas is also hot so evening is way more comfortable.

BOOK IN ADVANCE – Evenings are, as you might imagine, more popular. To make sure you see these incredible historic neon signs Las Vegas has to offer you should book your tickets in advance. I traveled in June and was able to book a day out, but times were limited. Weekends and holidays will be busy.

TAKE WATER – The neon boneyard is an outdoor space. While there is some reprieve from the heat in the shade of some of the signs, hydration is important. Everywhere you go in Las Vegas you should have water.

WATCH THE WEATHER – While the museum rarely closes for rain (this is the desert after all), they can close for high temperatures. Guided tours will cancel if the heat gets to 100°F (37°C). And the museum will close if the temperature hits 110°F (43°C). Both are not uncommon.

Neon Signs Las Vegas – Is The Museum Worth Visiting?

Heck yes. Visiting the Neon Museum was like taking a trip down a brightly lit memory lane of a place I’d never been. I could almost imagine sipping classic cocktails surrounded by showgirls in a smoky club while listening to the top singers of the day.

Getting up close with the colorful neon signs Las Vegas replaced, but thankfully never discarded, is a great way to understand how Vegas has changed. But also how it magically remains kind of the same.

You’ll be drawn in by the gentle hum of noble gases pumping through the glass tubes of dated, but intriguing, signs. And I’m sure you’ll leave the museum with a favorite sign.

I really appreciate how the museum has done a fantastic job of arranging the signs. Haphazardly yet strategically, the operational mixed with the not.

The cheaper daytime tickets might be tempting, but I think you get a better effect as the day’s light draws to a close. That’s when the colors really come alive again. It also proves that the hotels and casinos that once stood might be gone, but the signs that framed them are still capable of drawing in the crowds. Viva Las Vegas indeed.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Which of these neon signs Las Vegas has kept around are you most interested in seeing?