Neon Museum

Here we’ll continue the tour by going straight ahead, but keep in mind that if you turn right onto this boulevard, less than a kilometer away you’ll reach the Neon Museum, one of the most iconic places in Las Vegas. Founded in 1996, the museum was created to preserve the neon signs that shaped the visual identity of the city. Since 2012, it has welcomed visitors on a campus of more than two acres just north of Fremont Street. Its slogan says it all: “We Are The Story of Las Vegas.” The main attraction is the Neon Boneyard, literally the “neon graveyard.” More than 250 historic signs are displayed there, some carefully restored and glowing once again, others left just as they were found. Stardust, Riviera, Flamingo, Tropicana… each sign tells a chapter of Las Vegas history, from the 1930s to the present day. The museum also offers a spectacular immersive experience called Brilliant! Jackpot! Using projection mapping, darkened signs come back to life with light and music, recreating the energy of old Las Vegas in a 360-degree audiovisual show. With more than 300 signs in its collection and thousands of archival pieces, the Neon Museum can only display part of its treasures, which is why an ambitious expansion project is planned for the coming years toward the Arts District. The best time to visit is around sunset, when the natural light fades and the neon signs begin to glow again. Not far from the museum you’ll also find the oldest non-Native building still standing in Nevada. It’s a small Mormon fort built in 1855. Abandoned after just two years, it later became a ranch and then a stopover for travelers crossing the region. Today it houses a small museum and an interpretation center that tell the story of the fort and the very early days of Las Vegas, a place worth exploring if you decide to head in that direction.