Visitors to Las Vegas see vintage Vegas up close at the Neon Museum. General admission and guided tours are offered of The Neon Museum’s outdoor exhibit area, known as the Neon Boneyard, home to the iconic neon signs chronicling Las Vegas history.
The Boneyard houses numerous rescued, refurbished and re-illuminated neon signs that trace back to the early days of Sin City. Each of the more than 250 signs in the Neon Museum’s collection offers a unique story about the personalities who created it, what inspired it, where and when it was made, and the role it played in Las Vegas’ distinctive history. In addition, the Neon Museum collection chronicles changes and trends in sign design and technology through pieces ranging from the 1930s to the present day.
The Neon Museum also offers “Brilliant!,” a spectacular 360-degree immersion experience that transports visitors into the history of Las Vegas through sight and sound. The 25-minute show uses light projection to illuminate unrestored signs and incorporates music and archival footage to transport guests into Las Vegas’ history.
Over the years, the Neon Boneyard has become one of the most popular destinations for photography and filming in Las Vegas. From movies and TV shows to music videos, commercial and artistic photography to wedding and personal shoots, the Neon Museum’s collection has appeared in thousands of images across the globe.
BONEYARD
The term “boneyard” refers to an area where items no longer in use are stored, generally to be prepared for disposal or repurposed. Much of the Neon Museum’s collection was donated from the Young Electric Sign Company’s (YESCO) boneyard, which housed many of Las Vegas’ decommissioned signs. Today, all the rescued signs displayed in the museum’s outdoor exhibition area—the Neon Boneyard—are arranged in a deliberate way so, through guided tours provided by museum interpreters, visitors could enjoy the artistry of the signs while discovering the history behind them.
Rave Reviews for Neon Museum Boneyard
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment.
The Neon Museum has been ranked No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” one of “Sin City’s Best Retro Sites” by MSN, “No. 1 Las Vegas Museum Sure to Entertain and Educate” by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor.
By Chadd Scott
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