After 15 years of anticipation, the lights are going on at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, an attraction dedicated to the preservation and celebration of some of the city’s most distinctive architectural landmarks.
The doors officially open on Saturday, Oct. 27.
This museum glows in the dark. It is home to a collection of more than 150 neon signs dating from the 1930s, the largest collection of neon signage in the world. And where else but Vegas?
At the two-acre outdoor museum Neon Boneyard, iconic signs from the city’s most celebrated properties — including the Moulin Rouge, the Desert Inn, the Flamingo and the Stardust — are displayed along signs from bygone restaurants, hotels and businesses. How electrifying!
The museum’s new visitors’ center is the recently rehabilitated La Concha Motel lobby, the seashell-shaped, Mid-Century Modern architectural masterpiece designed and built by architect Paul Revere Williams. Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South, the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved to its current location in downtown Vegas in 2006.
Bill Marion, who chairs the museum’s board of trustees,says the attraction will bring culture and revenue to the community.
“There is renewed interest in ‘old’ Las Vegas and in the rediscovery of the historical downtown area,” says Marion in a statement. “The Neon Museum will play a major role in this renaissance by bringing new visitors to downtown Las Vegas, by creating additional opportunities for tourism growth and by adding to the ongoing economic revitalization of the area.”
Tours last 45 minutes and will be available to the public every half hour starting at 10 a.m., with the last tour departing at 4 p.m., every Monday through Saturday. Tickets are $18 for adults; $12 for students with ID, senior citizens, veterans and Nevada residents. Children ages 6 and under are admitted free. Tour capacity is limited, so purchase tickets in advance through the Neon Museum’s website. The La Concha Visitors Center will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Both facilities are located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas.