THE NEON MUSEUM REILLUMINATES RESTORED PALMS CASINO RESORT SIGN
The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority and The Neon Museum Debut Restoration of Neon Boneyard’s 24th Sign
Following months of restoration, The Neon Museum reilluminated the iconic Palms Casino Resort sign, which first debuted in November 2001. Made possible by a grant from The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, this marks the 24th sign re-illuminated and restored within the Museum’s Neon Boneyard.
“It’s our extreme pleasure to partner with The Neon Museum for this monumental restoration,” said Palms General Manager Cynthia Kiser Murphey. “We love to embrace the history and nostalgia of our great city, Las Vegas. The fact that the Palms sign will be on display for thousands upon thousands of guests to enjoy is a proud moment of team members, and our leadership. The Neon Museum is always on my list of must-see attractions in Las Vegas and now even more so!”
As part of the grant from San Manuel, The Neon Museum also unveiled a new panel describing the history, presence, and impact of Nevada’s first peoples – appropriately timed with recognition of Native American Heritage Month in November.
Latisha Prieto, Chairperson of the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, said, “Nevada is rich in indigenous culture. Our San Manuel tribe from California are visitors in the lands of the Nevada Native Americans that came before us. We are pleased that tribal history is included as part of this restoration and presented as an educational opportunity.” 
This piece of Palms signage came from an early 2000s billboard advertisement after the property debuted in November 2001. The sign was originally located about two blocks east of the resort’s location and was acquired by The Neon Museum in 2013. In 2021, the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, a legal entity of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians from Highland, CA, made history, becoming the first Native American tribe to wholly own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas when the tribe completed the purchase of Palms Casino Resort.
Aaron Berger, The Neon Museum’s executive director, said. “The relighting of the Palms sign not only celebrates an iconic Las Vegas property, but the grant also provided a gateway into discussions of the Indigenous peoples of southern Nevada. As the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority is the first tribal entity to own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas, we can now add the contributions of Native Americans to the under-told stories of the Valley and educate our visitors in thoughtful new ways.”
Some facts about the sign include:
- The billboard features a neon sign atop its façade, measuring about 19 feet in length.
- The sign uses vinyl printing for plexiglass covers on channeled letters.
- 28 units of neon were incorporated into the billboard.
- The original piece featured wooden backing, which has since been replaced with aluminum due to safety and preservation needs.
- A sans serif black font was used to create the sign, and Palms still uses the font to this day, just with a different color scheme.
The re-lit sign was unveiled during a ceremony at The Neon Museum on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and included remarks from Prieto, Murphey and Berger.
Palms originally opened on November 15, 2001, and sought to appeal to tourists as well as celebrities and high rollers visiting Las Vegas. Transitioning from multiple owners, the property was acquired by the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority for $650 million in 2021. It reopened in 2022 and now houses over 700 guest suites, a variety of luxe restaurants and lounges, several entertainment venues, an expansive pool venue, and more.
The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority is a governmental instrumentality of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The authority was created for the purpose of independently carrying out the investment in, and ownership and management of, gaming and hospitality businesses outside of the San Manuel Reservation.
The Neon Museum is open daily and includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard that is filled with some of Las Vegas’ most iconic neon signs; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non- operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
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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. In 2021, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition bestowed to museums in the United States. On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum has an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant!” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and arts preservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects.
The Neon Museum has been ranked in Travel + Leisure’s 27 Best Museums in the United States, No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” Nevada’s “Best Museum” by MSN, one of the 10 best museums in Las Vegas by USA Today’s 10best.com and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor.
For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
About Palms Casino Resort
Palms Casino Resort is making history as the first casino resort in Las Vegas fully owned and operated by a Native American Tribe. Palms Casino Resort features two distinct towers with 766 hotel rooms and suites, a diverse mix of bars, restaurants, live entertainment venues, and immersive lifestyle experiences across a 95,000-square-foot reimagined casino. Offering free valet and self-parking, the resort also includes over 190,000 square feet of meeting, convention, and event space; the Pearl, a 2,500-seat theater; an expansive pool, The Spa & Salon at Palms; a wedding chapel; the Brenden Theatre 14-screen cinema and nearly 600 units at Palms Place condominiums.
Palms is located just west of the center of the Las Vegas Strip off I-15 on Flamingo Road. Palms Casino Resort is owned by The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (“SMGHA”) an affiliate of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. For more information visit http://www.palms.com/ or the Palms Press Room. Follow Palms on social media, Facebook Twitter Instagram.
