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54-533: Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) had manufactured many neon signs in the city, and the company had a storage site for old signs which would eventually become part of the Neon Museum collection. In 2000, as YESCO prepared to close its storage lot, the city provided the museum with land to start its own. Tours of the new site, known as the Neon Boneyard , began in 2001, by appointment only. The lobby of

108-574: A Hard Rock Cafe , the Peppermill restaurant, and Ugly Duckling Car Sales. The museum also houses fiberglass sculptures, including a giant skull from the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino . Rob McCoy, the Neon Museum's then-president and CEO, said in 2016, "When we first began, we would have to call and ask for someone to donate a sign. We no longer have to do that. When a building is ready to get shut down or be imploded, we're one of

162-578: A mural for the museum, titled Las Vegas Luminaries . It is located in the North Gallery, marking the entrance to Brilliant! . The mural features 11 people who played a role in the city's artistic history, including entertainers Liberace and Sammy Davis Jr. , as well as sign designer Betty Willis . Lost Vegas: Tim Burton , an exhibit by film director Tim Burton , ran at the Neon Museum from October 2019 to February 2020. It featured more than 40 art pieces by Burton. The following images are from

216-418: A visitor center. Following its completion, the Neon Museum officially opened to the general public on October 27, 2012, eliminating the old appointment-only system. Prior to the opening, the museum had averaged 1,000 monthly visitors by appointment. The years-long effort to open the museum was estimated to have cost $ 6 million. It employed 29 people and had another 30 volunteers. Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman

270-455: Is counterbalanced by a 62,000-pound weight inside the sign. The sign uses 4,377,600 LEDs and the eraser is powered by a 300 horsepower (220 kW) motor at its base that runs a gear and cable system. The firm of FTSI engineered the 62,000-pound eraser's movement, which is capable of speeds up to 10 feet per second (3.0 m/s). YESCO installed the vaulted canopy arching 90 feet (27 m) above four blocks of Fremont Street . YESCO owns

324-460: Is popular as a venue for weddings and receptions. As of 2023, the museum hosted 200 weddings each year. In 2009, a portion of Las Vegas Boulevard was named a National Scenic Byway . In conjunction with this, the museum added several vintage neon signs along the street, including one from the downtown casino Binion's Horseshoe . A neon slipper, from the demolished Silver Slipper casino on the Strip,

378-644: The Armenian Genocide . The display featured the tricolors of the Armenian flag . Accompanying the neon flag was a verse from Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak , in Armenian and English . MONA's Curator of Engagement and Education, Ani Mnatsakanyan, noted that "The 44-day war in 2020 that was waged against the indigenous Armenians in Artsakh by Azerbaijan , backed by Turkey , retraumatized Armenians globally, because it brought up unresolved emotions about

432-778: The Brown Derby and Grauman's Chinese Theatre . For over 20 years, Kim Koga was executive director, overseeing crucial moves of the institution and finding it a home in Glendale. In 2020, Corrie Siegel was appointed as executive director. In addition to exhibitions and tours, the museum offers introductory classes in glass bending held in the museum's state-of-the-art studio. MONA was founded in 1981 by Lili Lakich and Richard Jenkins in Downtown Los Angeles ' Arts District . In 1993, MONA moved to Universal CityWalk In 1996, MONA moved to Grand Hope Park , in

486-480: The Las Vegas City Council approved the use of $ 150,000 in redevelopment funds toward the establishment of the Neon Museum. Despite the name, the project lacked a physical facility, which was deemed too costly at the time. Instead, the Neon Museum would focus initially on the re-installation of old neon signs along North Las Vegas Boulevard, helping to attract more visitors to downtown Las Vegas and

540-958: The Las Vegas Valley , particularly those that are no longer in operation. Signage from hotel-casinos include the Stardust , the Riviera , the Flamingo , the Tropicana , the Moulin Rouge , El Cortez , New York-New York , the Plaza , the Debbie Reynolds Hotel , and the Nevada Palace . In addition to hotel and casino signage, the collection also includes those from other businesses in the local community, such as

594-843: The One Institute 's Circa: Queer Histories Festival, MONA organized "Light in the Dark: Queer Narratives in Neon", featuring notable items in the museum’s collection, including neon signs from LGBT+ businesses and artworks made by LGBT+ artists and craftspeople. Programming included a panel discussion about LGBT+ connections to neon art, the Glendale community, and the museum, and included museum trustee Eric Lynxwiler, filmmaker Rachel Mason , sex educator Buck Angel , neon artist Dani Bonnet, activist Paul Manchester of glendaleOUT , and activist Shant Jaltorossian of GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society . Lynxwiler noted that several of

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648-635: The South Park district of Downtown Los Angeles . In 2008, MONA moved to Downtown Los Angeles ' Historic Core , but the museum's leadership soon realized that the new space was too small. By 2009, there were plans to move the museum to Glendale . While located at the Historic Core location, MONA participated in the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, a recurring self-guided walking tour of galleries and public art in

702-494: The United States and Canada . YESCO offers sign and lighting service franchises in states east of Colorado and throughout Canada. In 2015, Young Electric Sign Company sold YESCO Electronics, a subsidiary company, to Samsung Electronics of America , Inc., which rebranded the division as Prismview. NBC created a new YESCO “message globe” in its NBC Experience store, located at Rockefeller Center , New York City. From

756-699: The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign . YESCO designed and installed the signs and light-up strips at Allegiant Stadium , the home of the Las Vegas Raiders and UNLV Rebels Football . The company also designed and installed the signage at the Raiders' headquarters and practice facility in Henderson, Nevada . The company has provided support to the Neon Museum , which is dedicated to preserving

810-470: The 1970s, some locals advocated for the preservation of the city's neon signage. The Sands Hotel and Casino , located on the Las Vegas Strip , demolished its original neon sign in 1981, as part of a renovation. Calls for neon preservation became more prominent after the sign's removal. The locally based Allied Arts Council had been contacted by a Sands employee about saving the sign, but it lacked

864-484: The 40'-tall electronic neon sign became Las Vegas's unofficial greeter. The 135-foot (41 m) tall marquee features a 100-foot (30 m) high, 50-foot (15 m) wide, concave, double-faced LED message center with a first-of-its-kind “moving eraser.” Conceived by Steve Wynn , the massive eraser glides up and down over the LED message center, appearing to change the graphics as it goes. The eraser weighs 62,000 pounds, and

918-507: The Allied Arts project, "Our problem was we never had the manpower to devote to really getting it off the ground." Las Vegas mayor Jan Jones was supportive of a neon museum. In 1995, she recruited city employee Barbara Molasky to help make it a reality. According to Molasky in 2001, "The idea for a neon museum has been around for 20 or 30 years, and just for all kinds of logistics was never able to come together." On September 18, 1996,

972-681: The Electric Service Company and the Redfield-King Sign Company in Ogden. Young married Elmina Carlisle in 1916. In 1920, he founded his own sign company: Thomas Young Sign Company, which specialized in coffin plates, gold window lettering, lighted signs and painted advertisements. In 1932, Young expanded his business to Las Vegas, and within two years, he purchased the Ogden Armory for $ 12,000 to expand

1026-547: The La Concha lobby to one of the new sites. The Neon Museum is located at 770 North Las Vegas Boulevard, where it occupies a 2.27-acre (0.92 ha) site. The museum includes the main Neon Boneyard and the original, smaller North Gallery boneyard. The museum offers guided and self-guided tours. Stories are associated with each sign and are told to visitors. Many of the museum's signs come from hotel-casinos throughout

1080-456: The Neon Museum sought to expand further. In 2019, the city agreed to lease a shuttered cultural center nearby for an indoor neon gallery, while the parking lot would become a third boneyard for signs. The structure was in need of costly repairs, but planning and fundraising were delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic , prompting the Neon Museum to pull out of the deal in 2022. As of 2023,

1134-949: The beginning, his shop specialized in coffin plates, gold leaf window lettering, lighted signs and painted advertisements. In 1933, YESCO opened a branch office in the Apache Hotel in Las Vegas. The company erected its first neon sign in Las Vegas for the Boulder Club. It erected the first neon sign in Las Vegas for the Boulder Club in the late 1930s, and in 1995, it completed the four-block-long Fremont Street Experience canopy in Las Vegas. In recent years, YESCO has built an outdoor digital media (billboard) division of its business. YESCO has approximately 1,000 employees, more than 40 offices, and operates three manufacturing plants featuring automated and custom equipment. Additional smaller manufacturing and service facilities are located in

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1188-721: The board. The company is currently being managed by the third and fourth generations of the Young family. Some of YESCO's most prominent signage designers have included: Museum of Neon Art The Museum of Neon Art ( MONA ) in Glendale, California , United States, is an educational art museum that exists for the preservation, collection, and interpretation of neon art . The first museum devoted to art that incorporates neon lighting , it only exhibits art in electric media, including kinetic art and outstanding examples of historic neon signs . The collection includes neon signs from

1242-470: The brink of closure in 2020, but through increased memberships and donations, the museum was able to survive. At a belated 40th anniversary celebration, highlighted by the "40 Years of Light” exhibition, attendees were able to tour the galleries and hear from featured neon artists. Artist Roxy Rose, who is transgender , highlighted MONA's support of the LGBT+ community, stating “I want to say 'thank you' to MONA,

1296-552: The businesses included in the exhibition aided queer men during the AIDS crisis , and served as community spaces . The Executive Director Corrie Siegel remarked that: "The stereotype that Americana is something as cisgender , white , and heterosexual , holds still for many folks[.] MONA aims to address these stereotypes and demonstrate the diverse histories neon shares. LGBTQ pioneers in neon demonstrate that queer histories are deeply woven into American history . The future of

1350-457: The continuous denial and cultural erasure of the Armenian people by Turkey and Azerbaijan. This year’s Genocide commemoration will be especially difficult to cope with as a result of that, but the support for the community through artistic means is meant to highlight the resilient spirit of the Armenian people and provide some light during these dark times through the arts". In 2023, as part of

1404-538: The first calls they make. They want us to have the signs." The Barbara Molasky Acquisition Fund was established in 2021, to purchase signs that are not being donated by the owners. As of 2023, the collection includes approximately 250 signs on display, dating to the 1930s. The oldest piece in the collection is a sign remnant from the Green Shack restaurant. Aside from vintage signs, the museum also has more-recent pieces. Private donors are sought to fund restoration of

1458-470: The first project for the Neon Museum, which would be incorporated by the city as a nonprofit organization in 1997. Molasky is the founding president of the Neon Museum. In preparation for an eventual museum facility, she and the organization's 18-member volunteer board sought advice from the similar Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles. The city had a deal to acquire signage from YESCO's storage lot for

1512-582: The former La Concha Motel , located on the Las Vegas Strip , was donated to the museum and moved there in 2006, eventually becoming its visitor center. Construction to convert the lobby began in May 2011, and the museum officially opened to the general public on October 27, 2012, eliminating the appointment system. The Neon Museum's collection includes more than 200 signs. An expansion of the museum site began in 2017, although hundreds of neon artifacts still remained in off-site storage due to space limitations. In 2024,

1566-406: The frequent requests were one reason for the company's support of the Neon Museum. YESCO eventually made plans to close its storage lot, allowing more room for its sign manufacturing. In 2000, the city council granted the Neon Museum a site on North Las Vegas Boulevard, near Cashman Field, to store its neon collection. The site was 0.66 acres (0.27 ha), and with adjacent land located just south,

1620-999: The historic El Capitan Theatre and Wax Museum marquees in Hollywood , the Reno Arch , and in Las Vegas , Vegas Vic , the Fremont Street Experience , the Astrolabe in The Venetian , the Wynn Las Vegas resort sign, and the Aria Resort & Casino . The company was created by Thomas Young on March 20, 1920. The young sign painter had left the United Kingdom just a decade earlier to immigrate with his family to Ogden, Utah . In

1674-508: The medium continues to be advanced by LGBTQ artists and preservationists." MONA offers guided walking tours through various Los Angeles County neighborhoods, including Glendale , Koreatown, Hollywood , the Broadway Theatre District , and Chinatown . MONA offers double-decker bus tours, which depart from Downtown's Historic Core and visit locations including Chinatown and Hollywood . MONA advocates for

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1728-698: The museum along North Las Vegas Boulevard , near Cashman Field . By 1991, the group had begun storing old signs for the future museum. Some were stored in the Nevada desert, and others were kept at YESCO's Las Vegas facility. In 1994, as Allied Arts struggled to obtain financing, the Southern Nevada Cultural Arts Foundation announced its own neon museum proposal. It would be built at the intersection of Sunset Road and Eastern Avenue, with an opening expected in mid-1995. However, this project also stalled. In 1995, Gaffey said about

1782-453: The museum announced plans to relocate to two larger, nearby sites at 18b The Las Vegas Arts District . The project will include relocation of the La Concha lobby, and the museum is expected to open in the new locations around 2027. Neon signage in Las Vegas dates to the 1920s, and saw a significant increase in popularity, especially among hotel-casinos, during the 1930s. Many signs were manufactured by Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO). In

1836-511: The museum had expanded south to the adjacent land, where a second boneyard took shape. The collection grew to more than 200 signs as of 2006, with 50 coming from YESCO's storage site. The Neon Museum was popular for photo shoots but otherwise was largely unknown among the general public, averaging 1,800 tour-goers each year as of 2007. The Doumani family, owners of the La Concha Motel on the Strip, donated its unique shell-shaped lobby to

1890-464: The museum in 2005, while the rest of the motel was demolished for redevelopment. The museum intended to use the lobby as a visitor center. Although it cost nearly $ 3 million to move and restore the lobby, the plans to open a museum became concrete after the donation of the building, drawing a number of public and private grants and donations. In 2006, the lobby was cut into eight pieces and moved 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north along Las Vegas Boulevard to

1944-413: The museum later expanded to 2.27 acres (0.92 ha). The site, located north of Fremont Street, is leased to the museum for $ 1 a year. YESCO continued using its storage lot into 2001, when the company began transferring signs to the Neon Museum's lot, known as the Neon Boneyard. It was open to the public by appointment only, starting later in 2001. By the following year, the site had 75 signs. As of 2003,

1998-433: The museum received 200,000 visitors annually, with 30,000 turned away that year as a result of sold-out tours. The museum announced in 2024 that it would eventually move to two larger, nearby locations within 18b The Las Vegas Arts District . At least one of the sites is anticipated to open by 2027, and the original site will remain operational until then. The project is expected to cost $ 45 million, and will include relocating

2052-495: The museum site. In 2010, the Neon Museum built a small park with desert landscaping, benches, and kiosks providing information about the history of neon. Known as the Neon Boneyard Park, it is located on the property's northwest corner. The half-acre project cost $ 1.9 million, which included paving a portion of the land for a museum parking lot. On May 12, 2011, work began to convert the relocated La Concha lobby into

2106-600: The museum's two boneyards, unless stated otherwise. Young Electric Sign Company YESCO is a privately owned manufacturer of electric signs based in Salt Lake City , founded by Thomas Young in 1920. The company provides design, fabrication, installation and maintenance of signs. Many notable sign projects have been produced by YESCO, including the NBC Experience globe in New York City ,

2160-470: The museum. Hundreds of the museum's neon artifacts are kept in off-site storage facilities due to space limitations. In 2017, the museum received a $ 425,000 grant from the city to help finance an expansion of its main boneyard, allowing for more signs to go on display. The project required the purchase and demolition of the vacant L.A. Street Market, located directly south of the La Concha visitor center. With only about 30 percent of its collection on display,

2214-463: The necessary equipment and storage space to do so. In 1989, Allied Arts and its director, Patrick Gaffey, were working to establish a museum known then as the Neon Park, with 5th Street Liquor Store donating the first neon sign to the project. The sign, added in the late 1940s, had become well known among locals; it depicts a hand pouring a bottle of alcohol into a glass. Allied Arts set a site for

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2268-532: The neighborhood. In 2012, MONA turned down the donation of the neon sign of an Arby's restaurant in Santa Monica, California due its size, reportedly 20 feet wide by 35 feet tall. In 2013, MONA began to operate a 2,500-square-foot warehouse in Pomona, California , where it stores more than 250 pieces of its collection. The museum reopened in Glendale, California in 2016. MONA's Glendale facility

2322-625: The neon signs and associated artifacts of Las Vegas. Some of the retired signs include the sign for the Silver Slipper casino and Aladdin's lamp from the first version of the Aladdin Casino . Born in Sunderland , United Kingdom , in 1895, Thomas Young was 15 years old when his family emigrated to Ogden, Utah. The boy applied his passion to making signs. He began by creating wall-lettering and gold-leaf window signs, working for

2376-563: The new Fremont Street Experience . The Hacienda resort on the Las Vegas Strip had previously featured a popular neon sign depicting a cowboy on a horse, commonly known as the Horse & Rider sign. It sat in storage for years, and was refurbished by the Neon Museum at a cost of $ 60,000. It was re-installed and lit up on November 13, 1996, in a new location at the intersection of North Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street . It marked

2430-473: The new museum. Some of the signs had become severely rusted because of exposure to the elements, and private donations would be responsible for restoring them. The storage lot and various signs had made film appearances in Mars Attacks! (1996) and Vegas Vacation (1997). The site later received dozens of tour requests every week that had to be turned down; YESCO lacked the time needed to give tours, and

2484-472: The outside of the building, it looks like an illuminated globe. The 35’-diameter hemisphere is covered with LEDs. The animations were provided by YESCO's media services group. When it was first turned on, it stopped traffic on West 49th Street. As a well-known electronic sign, Vegas Vic was designed by and built by YESCO. Upon its installation in 1951 over the Pioneer Club on historical Fremont Street,

2538-486: The preservation of historic signage and the buildings on which they are mounted. The museum has saved and restored over 500 historic signs, and helped relight over 150 signs across Los Angeles County . Following the 2024 closure of the Arby's restaurant in Hollywood , MONA was consulted regarding preservation of its neon sign. MONA's executive director , Corrie Siegel, has noted that it is in museum’s best interests to keep

2592-547: The production capacity. He also opened a branch in Salt Lake City that year. Young was elected president of the National Sign Association in 1936, serving for two terms. A year later, in 1937, he moved his family and YESCO headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and continued the business. In 1969, Young turned over the reins of company leadership to his son, who currently serves as the chairman of

2646-615: The sign preserved in-place, in the context in which it was created. The family of the business' founders have urged the City of Los Angeles to designate the sign as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument . In 2022, the Los Angeles Conservancy presented MONA with a Preservation Award, recognizing the museum's achievements in historic preservation . In 2024, the California Association of Museums and

2700-426: The signs, the cost of which can range from $ 10,000 to $ 100,000, and can take three to six months. Due to the cost, many signs in the boneyard are unrestored and do not light up on their own during night tours, instead illuminated by external lighting. Some signs are considered of high priority for restoration, typically due to their historic status or because they are in a state of rapid deterioration. The Neon Boneyard

2754-471: The staff members and everyone here for making this a safe place to be.” MONA has a Board of Directors and an Advisory Board. The museum holds numerous items, including neon art , clocks , photographs , and neon signs . Some key objects in the Museum's collection include: In 2021, the museum presented a window-based public display in honor of Armenian History Month, marking the 106th anniversary of

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2808-537: Was added to the median in front of the museum. The newly placed signs joined others already installed along Las Vegas Boulevard, including the Hacienda's Horse & Rider. In 2018, the museum debuted a 30-minute show by artist Craig Winslow titled Brilliant! . It uses projection mapping to reanimate the unlit signs in the North Gallery, set to vintage and contemporary music. The show was upgraded in 2021. That year, artists Nanda Sharif-pour and Ali Fathollahi created

2862-404: Was designed by Shimoda Design Group, and was adapted from two existing structures: a pharmacy and a video arcade . A public paseo , created through strategic demolition, bisects the site and draws visitors across a landscaped deck to Central Park and Central Library . The paseo will also connect to the under-construction Armenian American Museum . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , MONA was on

2916-421: Was hopeful that the Neon Museum would help attract more visitors to downtown. The museum received 60,461 visitors during 2013, on par with projections. Approximately 80 percent of the visitors were non-residents. In 2016, the museum's staff outgrew the office space in the La Concha structure and relocated to the former Las Vegas City Hall building. The prior office space was removed to create a larger gift shop for

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