The Neon Museum (Neon Boneyard)

The Neon Museum at 770 Las Vegas Boulevard North in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada preserves the history of the city's neon sign industry — an industry that defined the visual identity of Las Vegas from the 1930s through the 1980s. The museum's main attraction is the Neon Boneyard, an outdoor collection of nearly 250 unrestored neon signs from demolished casinos, hotels, restaurants, and businesses arranged across a one-acre space. The signs range from intimate motel signs to enormous casino marquees — the Stardust sign, the Hacienda horse and rider, the Golden Nugget lettering — each one carrying the history of an establishment that defined a particular chapter of Las Vegas's past. All tours of the Neon Boneyard are guided and run on a schedule throughout the day; visitors must purchase timed tickets in advance through the museum's website. Day tours ($25–$30) allow better appreciation of the signs' construction, colors, and individual details. Night tours ($30–$40) offer a completely different experience when many of the restored signs are illuminated, glowing against the dark Nevada sky in the original colors their designers intended. The adjacent La Concha Visitor Center, itself a stunning mid-century modern structure designed by Paul Revere Williams and rescued from the demolished La Concha Motel, houses ticketing and a small gift shop. The museum also offers the Brilliant! immersive experience — a separately ticketed projection art show staged in the North Gallery that transforms the space with sweeping digital art inspired by the museum's collection. Photography is permitted and encouraged throughout the Neon Boneyard. Arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled tour is recommended as latecomers may not be admitted.