NEON MUSEUM CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OCT. 28
On Oct. 28, 2017, the Neon Museum in Las Vegas will celebrate its milestone five-year anniversary. Since opening in 2012, it has become a must-visit for travelers from 46 countries around the globe, welcomed nearly a half-million guests and expanded its tour offerings from daytime tours five days a week to daytime, nighttime and late-night tours seven days a week.
“We’re gratified by the success the Neon Museum has enjoyed since opening in 2012,” said Rob McCoy, president and CEO, Neon Museum. “We’re especially proud of the large number of visitors who have ventured downtown because they were drawn to visit our museum. Nearly three-quarters of our guests report coming from hotels on the Strip.
Neon Museum Fast Facts, 2012 – 2017:
- Number of signs restored since opening: five (Liberace Museum, Jerry’s Nugget, Steiner Cleaners, Margarita Baby and Yucca Motel)
- Number of volunteer interpreters (current): 30
- Number of corporate volunteers (current): 25
- Visitors: 441,238 (tours, photo shoots and events)
- Educational Events: 123, to include:
- Junior Interpreter Tours: 21
- Stars & Stardust nighttime stargazing: 4
- Weddings: 391
- Catered events: 123 (wedding receptions, corporate and non-profit)
- Museum members (current): 363
- Artists in Residence: 8
- Total events: 514
- Musical artists: Carrie Underwood, Killers, Wilco, Brooks and Dunn, Marc Anthony, Steve Aioki, Tiesto, Death Cab for Cutie, Evanescence, Jimmie Eats World, Bananarama, Gym Class Heroes, Jimmie Buffet, DJ Hardwell, Meatloaf, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Philip Phillips, Alma, Arcangel and De La Ghetto, Ice Cube, Florida Georgia Line, Charlie XCX, Dario Lorina.
- Magazine features: Harper’s Bazaar, Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia, French Vogue, Australian Vogue, Men’s Vogue, Elle, Elle UK, Italian Elle, GQ, Sunset, Time, Self, Rangefinder, Dwell, Life and Style, Wallpaper, Entertainment Weekly, Top Gear, French Glamour, Architectural Digest, Maxim
Earlier this month, the Neon Museum announced special programming taking place on Saturday, Oct. 28, in honor of its anniversary. Those details follow:
1 to 7 p.m.: Free self-guided access to the Neon Boneyard, food trucks, cake, crafts, paper flower creation celebrating the “Day of the Dead.” Flowers will be used to decorate an altar created by artist Favela in memory of prominent sign designer Raul Rodriguez. Rodriguez designed the Flamingo sign that resides in the Boneyard and he earned national recognition for his Rose Parade float designs.
1 to 4 p.m. “Family Fiesta” event presented by artist Justin Favela in the Boneyard. “Family Fiesta” incorporates Favela’s real-life family, food, drinks and music in an unconventional outdoor setting. The public is encouraged to participate in the celebration by engaging in games, dances, music, cuisine and piñata time. In “Family Fiesta,” the event is taken out of its traditional context (a cookout in a backyard or a park) to highlight people’s expectations of a fiesta while, at the same time, dismantling notions of location and institutional inclusion.
For information about these events or about visiting the museum, visit www.neonmuseum.org or call (702) 387-6366.
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM
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, arts and cultural enrichment. It has been named “Best Museum” by Las Vegas Weekly, one of “Sin City’s Best Retro Sites” by MSN, “No. 1 Las Vegas Museum Sure to Entertain and Educate” by USAToday’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor. In addition to an approximately two-acre Neon Museum campus, which includes the outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard, the museum also encompasses a visitors’ center housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby as well as nine restored signs installed as public art throughout downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, archival preservation and a grant-funded neon sign survey represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. Both the Neon Boneyard and the La Concha Visitors’ Center are located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.NeonMuseum.org.
