8 Best Photo Shoots in Noen Museum Las Vegas

Las Vegas is all about lights, casinos, and music. And, the Neon Museum happens to be an intrinsic part of this glamorous city. Located close to the Fremont Street, the Neon Museum is one of the most visited places of downtown Las Vegas.

The museum’s exhibit includes signs from casinos and businesses that are many years old. Spread over 2.62 acres, this museum attracts people of all ages. Most of the signs are displayed outdoors, and a walk through the museum will tell you a lot about the history of Vegas.

The Neon Museum exhibits restored neon signs in mainly three areas viz. Fremont Street, along the Las Vegas Strip and the famous Neon Boneyard.

The Neon Museum is the best place to create memories that will stay with you forever. Here, are the eight most iconic neon signs in the museum:

After spending some time in storage, The Flame was again recently placed in the museum’s main collection.

The Flame, as many people don’t know, was a famous restaurant or steakhouse in Las Vegas. It started its journey in the 1960s, and was one place where people found it difficult to get a seat even at six in the morning.

This restaurant was marked by two bright neon signs that shone above every night. Both of these signs were flamed shaped. A yellow, curved arrow hung from these two flame-shaped signs downwards towards the restaurant building. One sign was on the roof of the building, and the other was mounted on a pole located at its parking space.

The restaurant served its customer for 26 years and was shut down in 1994. The flame-shaped neon signs were removed and stored in the boneyard. These signs were later restored and installed as a part of the museum’s exhibit, and happens to be one of the major attractions of the place. Don’t forget to take a photo with these iconic neon signs as its background.

The Hacienda Horse and Rider is another famous neon sign in the city of Las Vegas. It was the first sign that was put on display on the famous Fremont Street.

It is believed that this neon sign portrays the real picture of Las Vegas. This 40-feet sign features a cowboy atop a horse that is mounted on a long pole.

This famous sign was designed by YESCO and was Hacienda’s sign, which was displayed in its other locations as well. Hacienda was a resort and casino located on the famous Las Vegas Strip. It was in business for 40 years and was later replaced by Mandalay Bay.

You can find this famous sign displayed at the intersection of the Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street Experience.

Many people are familiar with the SAHARA sign with the word ‘SAHARA’ being placed on two camels. The moment you see this sign, you heart will scream ‘Arabian Nights.’ However, the history associated with this sign is a little different. This sign was chosen to reflect the exoticism, beauty, and mystery of far-off lands in the east.

It is a place where every famous band and comedian has performed. The Beatles even stayed here. This Moroccan-themed hotel began its journey in 1952 and was in business till 2011. After 2011, it was renamed and rebranded.

However, its sign continues to remain famous. During its heydays, this sign was placed on a marquee located at the back entrance of the casino. Today, this sign rests on the ground but has not lost its charm.

It is one of the most popular exhibits in the museum and should be in your list too.

Photo: instagram@visual_thought

The Moulin Rouge Hotel was the first desegregated hotel and casino in the USA and has an important position in the history of the country. It was named after a Paris nightclub that went by the same name.

During the 1950s, segregation was common in the states. Back in those days, Las Vegas was known as the Mississippi of the West. African Americans were not allowed to gamble, attend shows or stay in any of the hotels on the Strip.

African American performers could perform in a hotel but could not stay there.

When Moulin Rouge opened in the year 1955, it was one of its kind and the first integrated casino and hotel of the city. Each letter of the sign was drawn freehand, as the designer could not find a font she liked.

Just like all other signs, the stylized ‘Moulin Rouge’ sign was sent to the boneyard after the hotel was shut down. And your visit to the museum will be incomplete, if you do not take pictures with this sign in the background.

Photo: instagram@heartedbygray

The iconic guitar of the Hard Rock Café has attracted people to Las Vegas for 27 years before finding its new home at the Neon Museum.

This 82-feet tall neon sign was something that people associated the famous Hard Rock Café and Casino with. The neon guitar was placed next to the café and was removed when the café closed down in 2016.

It was restored and re-electrified by the YESCO and later got shifted to the boneyard, where it sits prominently along with many other neon signs that lay witness to the city’s lost glory.

The sign is designed with neon lights in the colors of gold, red and white. As many as 1,538 incandescent light bulbs glow to spell out the word ‘Hard Rock Café’ across the body of the guitar.

This guitar neon has appeared in many Hollywood movies after its restoration. Visit the Neon Museum to see this neon where it has been displayed for the public.

One of the oldest signs in the museum is that of the Green Shack. It was a restaurant located in the Fremont Street, and was one of the longest operating restaurants of the desert city.

Green Shack opened in 1929 and remained in business till 1999. It got its liquor license after Prohibited ended, and it soon became the favorite hanging spot of many. Green Shack is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is the first one to be so in Las Vegas.

The restaurant closed its doors in 1999, and the building was demolished. Its famous neon sign ‘Cocktails, Steak and Chicken’ was donated to the Neon Museum, and is officially a part of the boneyard.

While the Riviera Hotel and Casino is no more, its neon sign continues to live in the museum along with the signs of many defunct restaurants and casinos.

This hotel and casino was in business from April 1955 and until May 2015. The owners decided to demolish the hotel and make way for the Global Business District.

Riviera had 110,000 sq. ft. of gaming and 2,100 rooms. It has a 23-story tower and many of the rooms where located here.

Liberace, one of the most famous entertainers in Las Vegas was the first resident performer of Riviera. He was the highest paid entertainer in the entire world between 1950s and 1970s. Liberace was so famous that there was a museum dedicated to him and his costumes, jewelry, cars, decorated pianos and much more. Liberace’s autograph has been immortalized in a neon sign, which became a part of the Neon Museum after Liberace museum got shut down. It is one of the most famous restored signs and glows in hot pink at night.

Coming back to Riviera, this hotel was famous for its entertainment options that included Crazy Girls--a topless show, theatre, and pocket billiards.

Check out the iconic Riviera sign in red in the Neon Museum and pay tribute to this hotel that has been the biggest entertainer for years.

A lot of these signs would not have been there if not for YESCO. The Young Electric Sign Company or YESCO is head quartered in Utah and was founded in the year 1920. It designs, fabricates, builds, installs, and maintains neon signs, signboard displays, digital LED boards, billboards, gaming display and more.

The city’s dazzling architecture is because of YESCO. Even today, most of the neon signs you see outside restaurants, casinos, cafes, and streets have been designed and installed by YESCO.

The Golden Nugget, Boulder Club, Mint, Eldorado, and Silver Slipper are some of the places that are still using neon signs designed by YESCO.

Many of YESCO’s signs are on display in the Neon Museum. The SAHARA, Stardust, and the famous Vegas Vic or the neon cowboy, all have been designed by YESCO. Most of these signs are so huge that it is difficult to fit them inside a picture frame.

They are into restoration work too and have helped in restoring many of the iconic signs of old Las Vegas.

You can experience the magic of the museum in the day or night. The museum offers quite a number of tours and we’ll discuss each one in details. Choose one after knowing what each has to offer.

Brilliant! is a show that takes place in the museum’s North Gallery. You get to explore the history of Las Vega with sound and light. You can buy tickets just for this show or tickets for this show and Boneyard combined.Boneyard will be a guided tour where you will get to see all the neon displays. You might not get the combined tickets during the weekend. If you want to see this show, you will have to visit the museum in the evening. Shows start from 8:00 PM at night.

Your visit to the museum is not complete unless you book a guided walking tour of the Boneyard. Book well in advance to get a preferable time slot. Guided tours are offered all throughout the day, but the demand is higher during the night. Visitors prefer to see the neon signs in their full glory, which is possible only at night. You can book one week in advance.

The museum recently launched an app that general visitors can use to learn and get information about selected signs exhibited in the Boneyard. Anyone with a smartphone and data plan can use this app. It comprises text, photos and audio narration and talks about 25 most popular neon signs that are displayed for the public.

The Neon Museum is one of the most popular photo venues in Las Vegas. Photo walks are arranged all through the month, which are quite popular among photographers. They get to capture the various neon signs through their lenses for personal use with their choice of equipment. Models and assistants are not allowed. Guides are not present but a museum staff is there to help you out with your doubts. Photos taken during this walk cannot be used for commercial purposes.

You can also come to the museum for a photo shoot. The Neon Boneyard and the Northern Gallery are available for personal and commercial photo and video shoots. You will have to book in advance and a minimum of two weeks’ notice is required. The rates depend on the scale of shoot, number of people and purpose of shoot.

The timing and ticket price depends on whether you are opting for a tour or not.

The Neon Boneyard stays open for general admission from 9:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening for most days. Explore the Neon Boneyard collection at your own sweet pace by paying $22. Book your ticket online and if you are lucky, you will also get a discount.

Hour long guided tours are offered between 9:30 am to 11:00 pm. Avoid going to the museum in summer afternoons. Tours are mostly called off due to the heat. Night and day tours are available at $28. A museum interpreter is always with you to guide you and tell fascinating stores behind the iconic neon signs of Vegas.

The Brilliant! is a 25-minute show that makes use of light projection to illuminate the signs that have not been restored. Archival footage and music make the experience more interesting. Brilliant! Show tickets are available at $23.

A Brilliant! and guided tour combined ticket costs $42.

The Neon Museum is a popular attraction of downtown Vegas. It is well-connected to the rest of city. You can avail buses to travel to and from the museum. Taxis are also available.

This neon sign graveyard is a must-visit for every tourist or traveler who visits Vegas.

Book your tickets well in advance as there is a great demand for the same, mostly during the weekend. This place is a fun way to know the history of Vegas. Spend an afternoon here and click nice pictures before letting it loose in one the famous casinos of the city or setting your foot in the famous Fremont Street.