Daytime Tour of the Neon Boneyard at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, NV

I finally got the chance to tour the Neon Boneyard of the Neon Museum during my last visit to Las Vegas. Scott and I decided to squeeze in a last minute trip the weekend leading up to Christmas and I'm so glad we did! The Neon Museum is located approximately 10-15 minutes off the Las Vegas strip and is a fascinating place to tour and explore.

Visits to the Neon Boneyard that houses the Neon Museum's extensive collection of neon signs is open to the public solely through hour-long guided tours. And the visitor center is located in the historic La Concha Motel Lobby, which has the raddest mid-century modern architectural design by Paul Revere Williams. Tickets are easy to obtain online, but can sell out quickly depending on the season and time - walk-ins are welcome but admission is based on availability. There are day, night and late night tours available, and the evening tours seem to be the most popular since a handful of restored signs are illuminated and it's quite an experience to get to walk through the glow of the electric lights. I wanted to book a nighttime tour but Scott and I were planning to watch a show, therefore I booked a time slot that would end around during dusk (as I was hoping it would get dark enough where I'd see the illuminated signs, unfortunately it was still too light out). For more on booking tours and guidelines, visit here, for more visitor FAQs, visit here.

Some of the most standout pieces for me were all the infamous retro signs like Ceasar's Palace, Stardust, The Golden Nugget, Riviera, NY NY and Sahara as well as a huge fiberglass skull that used to be displayed in front of Treasure Island. But it was also quite exciting to learn about the rich and extensive history of Vegas through the more obscure and unique signs - there are just so many stories behind each sign, like the Happy Shirt and Ugly Duckling sign.

If you are wanting to take your support one step further, the Neon Museum is currently trying to save the iconic Hard Rock Cafe Guitar sign, which was donated to the museum by the sign's designer and owner, but funds need to be raised in order to transport and install the sign as well as the ongoing care and maintenance - read more on this special project here.