Today I found myself with a couple of hours to spare whilst on a work trip to CES in Las Vegas. Having decided earlier in the week that I am a rubbish gambler, I was on the lookout for something less risky to do with my spare time. I was given the below recommendation and just had to pay a visit.
@TheElrodPress @letter_presser can you get here http://t.co/29r7h7UjoL and please bring me back a load of big lovely letters? : )
— Elizabeth Fraser (@Frauhaus) January 6, 2015
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic and cultural enrichment. The Neon Museum campus includes the outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard, a visitors’ center housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby and the Neon Boneyard North Gallery which houses additional rescued signs and is available for weddings, special events, photo shoots and educational programs.
TLDR: It has a load of awesome old neon signs.
So, off I went to pay a visit – I was not disappointed. From iconic signs such as the old Stardust Casino frontage to motel advertisments, the place is a feast of type/signage geekery. The website says to book in advance, but I just turned up on the day around lunchtime, to find that there were only two of us on the tour (You have to join a tour, as they want to keep an eye on people so that the bulbs remain in place). Our guide was very informative and gave a load of context to the museum and the artefacts. Below are some of the hundreds of photos I took –Â Remember, I am a man whose dissertation was about typography on outdoor signage. I was in heaven.
Definitely recommended if ever you’re in Vegas(?!)