Vegas Neon Museum to open Oct. 27

After more than 15 years of planning, the Neon Museum, a Las Vegas historical institution dedicated to the preservation and celebration of some of the city’s most distinctive architectural landmarks, will officially open its doors to the public on Oct. 27. The Neon Museum, home to a collection of more than 150 neon signs dating from the 1930s, is the largest collection of neon signage in the world and a unique record of Las Vegas’ colourful history. Inside a two-acre outdoor museum space known as the Neon Boneyard, iconic signs from the city’s most celebrated properties — including the Moulin Rouge, the Desert Inn, the Flamingo and the Stardust — are displayed alongside those from various other bygone restaurants, hotels and businesses. The museum’s new visitors’ centre will be located on-site in the recently rehabilitated La Concha Motel lobby, the seashell-shaped, Mid-Century Modern architectural masterpiece designed and built by architect Paul Revere Williams. Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South, next to the Riviera Hotel’s current location, the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved to its current location in downtown Las Vegas in 2006. Tours of the Neon Boneyard, which last approximately 45 minutes, will be available to the public every half hour starting at 10 a.m., with the last tour departing at 4 p.m., every Monday through Saturday. Tickets are US$18 for adults; US$12 for students with valid ID, senior citizens and veterans. Children ages six and under are free. (http://www.NeonMuseum.org)