Las Vegas’ “Neon Museum” Bears Witness to Historical Glamour

▲Neon Museum (Photo/The Neon Museum fan page, the same below)

By Rita

Not far from the Las Vegas Strip, there isa “neon junkyard”where among the debris are signs from once-glamorous bars and casinos. Now, they have been retired from duty and quietly reside in this “museum” (the Neon Museum).

According toEntertainment Planet website, these collections originated from the Young Electric Sign Company, founded in the 1920s, which later became the most innovative sign supplier in Las Vegas. At the time, their business model was to “rent” signs to clients rather than sell them. As a result, when these signs were decommissioned, they would be returned to the company. YESCO began keeping the good ones and placing them in the backyard. Over time, these signs gradually deteriorated, but fortunately, a non-profit organization rescued them in 1996, giving birth to the Neon Museum.

▲The giant Stardust sign

In this museum, visitors can see the variety of industries during Las Vegas’ golden age, as well as the emphasis placed on signage. The museum includes a two-acre outdoor exhibition space called the Boneyard, housing over 150 signs. One of the biggest highlights is the 65-meter-long, 8-meter-high welcome sign of the Stardust Casino Hotel, the largest sign on the Las Vegas Strip, which used 11,000 bulbs and approximately 2,100 meters of neon tubing.