Las Vegas Neon Museum shines a nostalgic glow upon Super Bowl visitors
As the 49er Faithful plan their trips to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII, there are some off-the-beaten-path experiences local residents know visitors may miss if they stay on The Strip.
One such place is the Neon Museum, sitting in Las Vegas' historic corridor a couple of miles away from old Las Vegas, where the Rat Pack once played. As mega-resorts caused the downturn and demolition of historic casino sites in Las Vegas, leaders in Southern Nevada had an idea: keep the neon signs that made the city famous.
For years, the signs collected dust in protected storage, until the opening of the outdoor Neon Museum. For football fans coming to Las Vegas, these neon knockouts may not be stadium lights, but they still tell a winning story.
Bandi and Brock Jones came to the Neon Museum from Dallas, Texas. They had planned to watch their beloved Cowboys play in the Super Bowl, to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas. They decided to keep their trip despite Dallas's loss to Green Bay in the Wildcard round of the NFL playoffs.
When they got to Las Vegas, the Joneses wanted an uncommon experience and found it at the Neon Museum.
"The Stardust sign how do you miss that? It's huge and beautiful ... The history!" said Bandi Jones as she walked around the glowing and restored signs. "Can you imagine the people who walked past these signs? The Rat Pack and Elvis and Joe DiMaggio!"
Aaron Berger, executive director of the museum, helped welcome the Jones family to Las Vegas and says the preserved signs are the intersection of storytelling and advertising.
"You're going down Las Vegas Boulevard and you're seeing these amazing signs fighting for your attention," said Berger. "They are a part of our history and a part of our story."
