Saturday, December 17, 2016

Neon Boneyard


Today's Las Vegas is all about spectacle and imitations of attractions from other parts of the world. In the old days, however, neon signs were king, attracting visitors to hotels and casinos that were otherwise rather nondescript. Fortunately, as more and more of the old buildings are destroyed, the Neon Museum is on hand to collect, preserve, and showcase the once-glorious signs (over 200 items) in a small neon boneyard, open to the public day and night. We opted to tour it at night, in hopes of seeing lots of showy neon.

Sadly, few signs were actually lit. Still the tour was fabulous, using the signs—which are arranged chronologically—as a visual metaphor of the history of Las Vegas. We, of course, loved the old casino signs the best, but there were also less well known—and just as interesting—ones: the Green Shack's simple "cocktails, chicken and steak" sign, for instance, and the Yucca motel's amazing neon yucca. Highly recommended for either day or night tours.

Fabulous plexiglass sign for the La Concha motel, part of which
now houses the Neon Museum gift shop

 
A section of the entrance facade of the old Horseshoe casino 

 
Yucca motel

 
When it opened, the Green Shack served cocktails, chicken and steak,
just like it says on the sign

 
Another meat-centric restaurant: House of Steak

 
Las Vegas Club: the only sign in the collection that mentions Vegas

 
Recently restored sign: Jerry's Nugget 

 
Stardust casino's highly recognizable atomic font

 
Sahara casino 

 Riviera casino

 
Another recently restored neon: La Concha

 
Hacienda horse and rider, now part of the Neon
Museum's public neon tour on Las Vegas Blvd.

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