Last time when I visited Las Vegas, I decided to try something other than what it is famous for. I thought of doing so for two reasons. First and for most it was my third visit to Las Vegas in a row and secondly, I am not much of a party person. So, while my friends were out at night, I was sound asleep; and when they were asleep I was out on the streets. Exactly like what I had expected, this city that was established in 1905, has several amazing places to visit in and around.
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First of all I visited Spring Mountains, they were calm and rejuvenating. Then I went to Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, the Shark museum, Symphony park, and finally someone told me to visit Neon museums. I was amazed by the knowledge of its existence. I never thought of these signs being anything other than Neon open signs. Neon museum was made in 1996 when Allied Arts council of Southern Nevada collaborated with the city of Las Vegas. This museum, located in Las Vegas Boulevard and Bonanza, displays sheer glass creativity; there are huge neon lighted masterpieces.
The guide there also gave me a brief introduction to history of Neon lights. They were introduced in 1898 as a better version of Geissler tubes. These neon signs were made by molding and shaping phosphorous coated colored Glass tubes. In 1923, Georges Claude and his French company first introduced these signs to United States. He said everybody comes across the Neon open signs outside various stores and restaurants, but hardly people imagine that there can be a museum like this that displays neon creativity. He emphasized that neon lights were much more than marketing sign boards. Indeed, it was amazing to witness those neon lights in various different shapes and molds; huge but yet very artistic. In the gallery, there was a huge glass statue of a man riding a horse, it was the called “Horse and the rider from the Hacienda Resort”.
This amazing museum has twelve signs of Downtown Las Vegas; also there is another wing of the museum Bone yard that has almost hundred and fifty neon signs from the city. This wing has signs from Moulin Rouge Hotel, Ceaser’s Palace, Desert Inn, and many such renowned places. After visiting this museum I can bet you won’t miss any Neon open sign that you will come across throughout your life.
So if you are planning to visit Las Vegas in the summer holidays, do not think again. Pack your bags and gear up to take tour of this fantastic city of U S State of Nevada, even if you are not a party animal. The city has much more to offer you except gambling, shopping, and delicacies. Try exploring the more peaceful pastoral side of the city this time. You will surely be amazed to realize that the world of Neon light is much bigger and better than those neon open sign boards one generally associate with Neon lights.
