The Neon Museum

The Neon Museum preserves the signs that once lit up Las Vegas, and walking among them is one of the best ways to understand how the city looked before the mega-resorts. The project began in the 1990s with support from the city, offered appointment-only tours of its Neon Boneyard from 2001 and opened to the public in October 2012. Today around 250 signs are on display across the outdoor Boneyard and the smaller North Gallery, with hundreds more pieces kept in storage.

Highlights include the Stardust sign from the 1960s, a guitar from a Hard Rock Cafe, the Moulin Rouge sign from the former casino of that name and the Green Shack sign, a 1930s remnant that is the oldest piece in the collection. The first sign ever donated, from 5th Street Liquor, shows a hand pouring a bottle. The visitor centre is the shell-shaped lobby of the former La Concha Motel, which was cut into sections and moved to this site in 2006.

The museum is open daily from 3pm to 11pm. Daytime admission runs in the afternoon, when you can see the craftsmanship of the signs in daylight, while evening admission lets you see restored pieces glowing after dark. Guided tours last about 45 minutes and include a History Tour, a Movies Tour and a Spanish-language Tour de Historia. In the North Gallery, Brilliant! Jackpot is an evening add-on that uses projection mapping to bring unlit signs back to life for around 45 minutes. A free digital guide is available through the Bloomberg Connects app.

Booking ahead online is sensible, especially for evening slots and guided tours, as group sizes are limited. The Boneyard is outdoors with gravel paths, so wear comfortable shoes and, in summer, take water and choose a later slot to avoid the afternoon heat. The box office closes one hour before the museum, so do not arrive at the last minute. Photography fans should note that the light changes the experience completely between the two sessions.

The museum sits on Las Vegas Boulevard North, a short taxi or ride-share from Fremont Street. Look out for the restored vintage signs placed along the boulevard nearby, including a giant neon slipper from the Silver Slipper in the median in front of the museum. Pairing a late-afternoon visit here with dinner downtown and the Fremont Street Experience makes an easy half-day away from the Strip.