Amid several high-profile refurbishments and acquisitions this year, the Neon Museum is looking to triple its space with a new location in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas.
The museum is exploring a move to two sites: one is a 60,000-square-foot outdoor display space and 47,000-square-foot indoor area on the ninth and 10th floors of a proposed parking garage; the second is a short walk away with 35,000 square feet of programmable space.
"After an extensive three-year search, we are pleased to expand our footprint and offerings to better serve the people of Las Vegas and its visitors, continuing to share the stories of Las Vegas," Aaron Berger, the museum's executive director, said during a Las Vegas City Council meeting last month.
The Neon Museum's mission of education and preservation would complement the Arts District, Berger said. He said the museum's collection has grown exponentially, and only 35% is visible to the public. Berger added that the museum turned away an estimated 30,000 visitors because of sold-out nights in 2023.
"Two sites, each with indoor and outdoor exhibition space, will greatly improve our visitors' experience and educate eager audiences on this one-of-a-kind city," Burger said.
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The proposed garage-building site would feature an outdoor sign display with panoramic views of the valley and an indoor space for educational and other experiences. The nearby second location would include space for making neon, outdoor displays, classrooms and publicly visible storage.
The museum is studying how to refine the visitor experience and determining if the two sites will open simultaneously or one followed by the other as fundraising efforts continue.
The current Neon Museum continues to be open daily and includes outdoor exhibition space; North Gallery, home of the audiovisual experience "Brilliant! Jackpot," which uses technology to reilluminate more than 40 nonoperational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and the visitors center in the former La Concha Motel lobby.
Debbie Reynolds neon sign restored
The Neon Museum and sign company Yesco recently finished restoration of the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel sign.
The 24-foot-long fuchsia "Debbie," inspired by Reynolds' signature, adorned the tower of the entertainer's Las Vegas hotel and casino when it operated from 1993 to 1997.
The Yesco Conservation Fund, established for the museum's 10th anniversary, along with Reynolds' son, Todd Fisher, and the Debbie Reynolds Estate made the project possible.
"We are thrilled to see my mother's hotel sign restored, relit and installed at its new home at the Neon Museum," Fisher said. "This sign is a wonderful part of my mother's legacy here in Las Vegas."
Reynolds moved to Las Vegas in 1962 with her two children, Carrie and Todd, and signed a first-of-its-kind million-dollar contract for a holiday season residency at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. She also performed at the Desert Inn, South Point and Caesars Palace, among others. She died in 2016 at age 84, one day after the death of her actress daughter, Carrie.
Pieces of the Mirage heading to museum
Several prominent artifacts from the now-closed Mirage Hotel and Casino, a Vegas fixture from 1989 to 2024, will be donated to the museum.
Hard Rock International is working with the Penta Building Group, the general contractor for the property's transition to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, and the nonprofit Penta Cares Foundation on the donation.
The 27-foot-long neon sign that sat in the Mirage’s volcano lagoon is becoming part of the Neon Museum’s collection. Photo Credit: Hard Rock International
Among the pieces the museum will receive:
• The 17-foot-tall sculpture of Siegfried & Roy with a giant white tiger.
• The 30-foot-tall Mirage hotel entrance arch sign which faced Las Vegas Boulevard.
• The 27-foot-long Mirage neon sign that sat in volcano lagoon. The volcano itself is being demolished, but a Hard Rock spokesperson said the company is working to salvage pieces if possible.
Various additional statues and pieces will be donated to the Neon Museum after the completion of the Mirage's public art auction in September.
Berger said he has been in talks with Hard Rock leadership for more than a year.
"We worked together to identify the most iconic and historically significant pieces," Berger said. "Due to the generosity and collaborative spirit of Hard Rock and Penta and Penta Cares, these tremendous artifacts representing the Mirage and Siegfried & Roy will be protected and live on in the museum's collection.
"Future generations will be able to learn about 'the oasis in the desert' and how it changed hospitality design in Las Vegas and the world," Berger added.