The Neon Museum

The Neon Museum is Nevada's love letter to its own neon nights. When the Sands, the Stardust, the Desert Inn and the Sahara were imploded, their signs came here — a 2-acre outdoor 'Boneyard' where 250 pieces of Vegas history lean against each other in the desert light. The museum's visitor center is the sinuous shell-shaped former lobby of the La Concha Motel, saved and moved from the Strip in 2007. Whether you love mid-century typography, movie noir aesthetics or just old Vegas, this is the deepest 90 minutes in the city.

Standard admission gets you a self-guided walk through the Boneyard along a paved path — signs from Binion's Horseshoe, the Silver Slipper, the Aladdin, Landmark and Moulin Rouge (Vegas's first integrated casino, 1955). Guided one-hour tours cost the same and are worth it — the docents' stories about mob owners and sign-painters are half the point. After dark, the Brilliant! immersive show projects lost signs back onto their skeletal frames set to a 1950s soundtrack. The North Gallery on the other side of Las Vegas Boulevard adds another restored yard of relit signs and the Hard Rock guitar.

Come after dark. The signs are beautiful in daylight but the museum is fundamentally about neon, and only the post-sunset visit lets you see the restored pieces lit. Combine with dinner in the Arts District a mile south, or Fremont Street six blocks further. Book online at neonmuseum.org — walk-up tickets often sell out from Thursday to Sunday. Parking is free onsite. Skip if you're allergic to heat: the Boneyard is entirely outdoors with limited shade and summer evenings still hit 95°F at 8pm.

Hours & entry

Not free

Mon-Sun 15:00-22:00 (summer) · Mon-Sun 12:00-21:00 (winter) · Brilliant! night show every hour after sunset

What to see

• Stardust and Sahara restored neon signs (relit) — North Gallery, across Las Vegas Boulevard from the main Boneyard
• Brilliant! projection-mapping night show — Boneyard amphitheater at the north end of the main site
• La Concha Motel lobby (1961, Paul Williams architect) — Museum entrance and visitor center at 770 Las Vegas Blvd North

Tips from the ground

• Book the last time slot of the night — the docents linger longer and light is at its best.
• The museum store has excellent affordable poster prints; skip the Strip souvenir shops.
• Combine with the Mob Museum three blocks south for a full Old Vegas afternoon.