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The Neon Museum is one of the greatest museums in the world, but many visitors have avoided it due to its location in a sketchy neighborhood.
Confirming scoop we shared back in Nov. 2023, Neon Museum is eyeing a new location in what’s referred to as the “Arts District.” Any use of the word “arts” in relation to Las Vegas requires quotation marks. Bless their hearts, they’re trying.
The Neon Museum houses a slew of classic neon signs, many from closed casinos. The new location will be able to accommodate even more, as it will be three times bigger.
When we got wind of a Neon Museum move last year, no specific new location had been chosen. That’s still the case.
Neon Museum is rumored to be considering a location change. Preliminary discussions, but a good direction.
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) November 1, 2023
The Neon Museum announced its plans at a Las Vegas City Council meeting, and the details are still a smidge murky.
The Neon Museum is considering two potential sites (if those don’t pan out, the museum will keep looking).
One of the sites would be the 9th and 10th floor of a proposed parking garage. No addresses were provided.
In June 2023, the Las Vegas City Council approved the purchase of two parcels at Utah Avenue and Casino Center Boulevard for the construction of a new parking garage in the Arts District. That one was supposed to be 5-6 stories tall.
Putting the Neon Museum in a parking garage is an odd choice, but it would provide shade for at least part of the exhibit.
The whole indoor/outdoor aspect of the Neon Museum has been a challenge, especially in the context of the recent heat wave in Las Vegas. The museum had to end daytime access due to extreme heat.
Lots of questions about the Neon Museum move remain unanswered. What happens with the La Concha Motel lobby used by the Neon Museum as a reception area?
Never take for granted we have a this. @NeonMuseum pic.twitter.com/rNVSPVe9K7
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) May 13, 2023
And what happens to “Brilliant,” the Neon Museum’s must-see projection mapping show?
However this saga progresses, three things are certain: 1) Any location is better than the Neon Museum’s current location, 2) The Neon Museum needs more space (see below), and 3) We shared it first. Neener-neener, Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Neon Museum has been in contact with Mirage and Tropicana, both for the reasons you might hope, and others you wouldn’t guess. Related: The phrase “Off the record” straight-up sucks.
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) November 9, 2023
We are a huge fan of the Neon Museum, despite the fact we got a cease and desist when we took a photo of the site with our drone. That was a different administration, but still.
Must-do Neon Museum gets big-ass grant, expansion begins. https://t.co/HfzSIMm22v pic.twitter.com/EgY4cfdKXm
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 29, 2017
Here’s more about the Neon Museum. Here’s the official Neon Museum Web site.
The Neon Museum continues to add to its collection, creating unique challenges for the non-profit. Signs are often huge, so a lot of tough decisions have to be made about what can be saved and displayed.
Beyond displaying classic signs, the Neon Museum also occasionally restores and relights them.
Several Flamingo signs (or parts of signs) got the refresh and relighting treatment. The Moulin Rouge sign was relit in Sep. 2020.
Plaza recently had one of its signs lit up following a restoration. Fun fact: The same designer who did the Sassy Sally and Plaza signs, Charles Barnard, also designed Vegas Vickie. You can see his signature on the bottom of Vickie’s boot at Circa.
Moving the Neon Museum to the Arts District will provide some elbow room and a fresh start. The area is a little seedy, but not nearly as seedy as its current location, so that’s something.
More visibility and accessibility means the Neon Museum can continue to do what it does best, preserving Las Vegas history in an utterly unique way.
More details to come, but the future of the Neon Museum appears bright.
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