We visited the Neon Museum on our last night in Las Vegas. This iconic Las Vegas location was so much fun!
We were very lucky that we have friends, colleagues of Mark’s who live in Vegas, who are members there and gifted us passes for the museum and their laser light experience. “Brilliant!” (Thanks, S+S!!!!)
The Neon Museum
770 Las Vegas Boulevard North
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum, some people refer to as the neon boneyard, is a non-profit organization that preserves and exhibits iconic neon signs from Las Vegas’ storied past.
The nearly 2 ½ acre property showcases more than 250 signs, some of which are restored to their original glory. The oldest pieces in the collection date back as far as the 1930s.
We were booked on a nighttime guided tour which was excellent as we got to see a lot of the pieces lit up.
La Concha Motel
The Neon Museum’s visitors center is housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The distinctive “shell” is an excellent example of Mid Century Modern designs with that fun space-age or atomic design. It reminds us of something out of the Jetsons!
The building was built in 1961 (it’s the same age as Mark!) and moved from its original location on Las Vegas Boulevard South in 2006.
It’s such a neat space, and two Floridians were thankful to be inside as we weren’t quite ready for how cold Las Vegas nights get in December.
Brilliant!
The other part of our gift was admission to Brilliant! This audiovisual show is an immersive experience with 24 3D-sound speakers and eight projectors that give you a 360-degree view of what old Vegas looked like. It brings old signs that have not been lit for decades back to life.
Check out their website as the videos capture it way better than you can, shooting images after the show.
Things To Know
The Neon Museum is open seven days a week, with hours changing seasonally. But, be sure to check before heading out there, as today, while writing the blog, a popup on the site said they are closed for a private event.
As we mentioned before, Las Vegas can get cold at night. If you are going for a tour after dark, take along a jacket.
We loved going after dark and seeing the neon lit. The paths have uplighting as well. And while we were able to get some fun photos, selfies are tricky as there isn’t much light. During the daytime, you’ll capture a lot more o the architecture.
We had a blast and are so glad we had the opportunity to visit!
