Comments (8) | Add a comment
Signs of Vegas' past moved to make way for museum's future
-
CRAIG L. MORAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Alex Chacon readies the Black Jack Motel sign for transport today as workers prepare to temporarily relocate signs at the Neon Museum. The city of Las Vegas is building a park there, and the museum has improvement plans too. » Buy this photo
Tools
More Photos
-
Signs from Las Vegas’ colorful past, most of which have seen better days, sit at the neon sign boneyard near the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and McWilliams Avenue today. CRAIG L. MORAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL » Buy this photo
-
The sign for what will be known as Neon Boneyard Park incorporates recreated letters from signs that once graces the Desert Inn, Binon’s, Caesars Palace and the Golden Nugget. ARCHITECT’S DRAWING
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Feb. 8, 2010 | 6:18 p.m.
Cranes took up position at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and McWilliams Avenue today to start the delicate work of relocating vintage neon signs, the first stage in remaking the corner known as the Neon Boneyard.
The relocation, to the Cashman Center parking lot next door, will be temporary while a half-acre park is built by the city of Las Vegas.
The Neon Museum, meanwhile, is moving forward with plans for a visitors center and a more organized exhibit of the accumulated neon treasures, including a walking path and a fence that’s not made of chain link and barbed wire.
“We don’t want to lose the raw experience of the boneyard, but we do have to have a plan,” said Danielle Kelly, the museum’s operations manager. “The goal is for the whole boneyard to be open to general admission.”
Until now, tours of the signs were guided and by appointment only. Those tours are suspended for the duration of construction, which is expected to take 10 months.
The museum is home to more than 150 neon signs from Las Vegas’ past. There are huge ones, such as the Stardust sign that’s now in nine pieces, or the Treasure Island skull that grins up at the sky (check it out on Google Maps).
There are small ones, like the dancing shirt sign from Steiner’s Cleaners, or the leftover G, A, M, L, and I from a “gambling hall” sign possibly dating from the 1930s.
Their conditions vary widely. Some, like those lining parts of Las Vegas Boulevard north of Bonanza Road, have been painstakingly restored. Others have suffered from the elements and have cracked and peeling paint, rust spots and missing bulbs.
Eventually, more of the signs might be restored, Kelly said. Some may just have the lighting fixed, however, leaving the wear and tear of history as is, and some will simply stay as they are.
“We really honor the way they wear their history,” Kelly said. “The peeling paint and the patina on them — we think it’s very beautiful.
“It’s about the story, really ... The city is young. These things are historic, yet they’re within the realm of our memory.”
The park is a $1.9 million project funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which sets aside money from public land sales to pay for parks and trails projects. Work on the museum’s improvements is provided by grant funds and donations.
The sign for Neon Boneyard Park will feature re-created letters from some of Las Vegas’ most famous signs — N’s from the Desert Inn and the Golden Nugget, an E from Caesars Palace and an O from Binion’s.
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
Trending topics:
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
I love the Neon Boneyard. I have taken art students there and am a resident since 1951 so have very fond and vivid memories of many of the signs. Finally a project that deserves the financial support. Good Work Everyone and thank you for your perseverance!
I think its great. Now if Oscar can only connect the boneyard, Pawn Stars and Downtown as Destinations, I think we can help revitalize Freemon Street Casino. I am thinking a free Trolly making a round trip every 10 minutes. One of the biggest problems with visiting Downtown is the Parking. Leaving the cars at Cashmen and making the Destination Stops will really help the City. Pawn Stars is getting 700 visitors a day all by themselves. Who would not want to walk Freemont if they had a free trip to the area?