Now I know that the outdoor Neon Museum – heck, any museum in Las Vegas – is lucky to even exist, much less get special care. But when I was downtown to cover the Neon Museum’s exhibits on the Fremont Street Experience, I was saddened to discover trash dumpsters parked in the middle of the 3rd Street cul-de-sac display. Between “Weddings” and “The Flame” were “The Full Dumpsters.” Yikes.
As I wandered through the deserted Neonopolis, I realized that trash in the museum is the least of downtown’s worries. Despite a never-ending influx of money (over $5 million for the new expansion eastward), some dastardly eminent domain moves, and breaks that treat the area as a park, Downtown remains the Strip’s ugly stepsister.
Despite all that, the Neon Museum and Fremont Street Experience are still worth your time. The vintage signs – which I fondly remember from the days when they hung outside their former establishments – are captivating at any time of day or night. The adult playground of FSE allows visitors to wander from casino to casino, drinks and smokes in hand. Even the hottest days are bearable because the casinos’ air conditioning creates a bubble of cool air around the outside of the buildings.
Aladdin’s Lamp, the Hacienda’s Horse and Rider, and Anderson Dairy’s mascot are among the eleven signs on display. Hopefully, the trash dumpsters aren’t a permanent addition.
You can read more about the Neon Museum in my article in the July issue of Elegant Properties, available free throughout Las Vegas.
As I wandered through the deserted Neonopolis, I realized that trash in the museum is the least of downtown’s worries. Despite a never-ending influx of money (over $5 million for the new expansion eastward), some dastardly eminent domain moves, and breaks that treat the area as a park, Downtown remains the Strip’s ugly stepsister.
Despite all that, the Neon Museum and Fremont Street Experience are still worth your time. The vintage signs – which I fondly remember from the days when they hung outside their former establishments – are captivating at any time of day or night. The adult playground of FSE allows visitors to wander from casino to casino, drinks and smokes in hand. Even the hottest days are bearable because the casinos’ air conditioning creates a bubble of cool air around the outside of the buildings.
Aladdin’s Lamp, the Hacienda’s Horse and Rider, and Anderson Dairy’s mascot are among the eleven signs on display. Hopefully, the trash dumpsters aren’t a permanent addition.
You can read more about the Neon Museum in my article in the July issue of Elegant Properties, available free throughout Las Vegas.
Photos, from top to bottom: Trash in the Neon Museum, the Fremont Street Experience, neon signs at the Neonopolis, the deserted Neonopolis.
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