Tropicana and The Neon Museum Employees with Tropicana Sign
Downtown Las Vegas Museum Celebrates Tropicana Following the Storied Casino Resort’s April 2 Closure
The Neon Museum – the Las Vegas non-profit dedicated to collecting and preserving the city’s historic neon signs – re-lit a Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Resort sign from 1978 that has been part of its Neon Boneyard collection since 2010.
Made possible thanks to a collaboration between The Neon Museum and Tropicana to preserve the legacy of the iconic property after its April 2 closure, this marked the first time the sign had been re-illuminated since becoming part of the collection.
“We are delighted to have provided the funding to restore the signage from the Tropicana which has been part of The Neon Museum collection,” said Arik Knowles, general manager of Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Resort. “The restoration will ensure that Tropicana Las Vegas remains a cherished part of history, preserving its iconic presence for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.”
During a special relighting presentation on April 3, Knowles joined executive director of The Neon Museum Aaron Berger and visitors of the Museum to commemorate Tropicana’s history. This piece of signage came from the property’s porte-cochere that was installed as part of a renovation in 1978. Designed by Jack Dubois and Raul Rodriguez, it was acquired by The Neon Museum in 2010 and now lives proudly above the patio in front of the Museum Store.
Executive director of The Neon Museum, Aaron Berger, said, “With thanks to Bally’s, the legacy of the Tropicana lives on through this restoration and relighting. Not only can we now draw attention to the decades-long history of this iconic property and the surrounding area, but we can further emphasize the historic preservation efforts that take place in Las Vegas.
The tubing in this sign alone is over 75% original; meaning these glass tubes have endured Las Vegas summers, winters, wind, and rain completely intact. This sign is a remarkable time capsule of a beloved place in Las Vegas history.”
The partnership between The Neon Museum and Tropicana entailed preserving the various aspects of the property through oral and visual efforts up until its closure. The Neon Museum installed RACHEL (Record and Collect Historical Experiences in Las Vegas) – an audio recording booth devoted to preserving stories of Las Vegas’ past – to gather tales of the property from employees, visitors and locals who were a part of Tropicana’s legacy.
Additionally, select guest rooms and public areas were documented using Matterport – a cutting-edge platform that creates immersive 3D virtual tours of physical spaces – allowing users to explore spaces as if they were there in person.
The Tropicana opened its doors on April 4, 1957, and advertisements heralded it as “the Tiffany of the Strip” to reflect its opulence. The hotel was decked out in a tropical style emulating the finest hotels in Miami and Cuba, both popular tourist destinations at the time. Well-known performers appeared at the property such as Siegfried & Roy, Wayne Newton, Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Lance Burton and Rhonda Fleming.
In December 2021, a formal bid was submitted for the Tropicana to be the new site for the Oakland Athletics professional baseball stadium. An implosion is expected to follow at a later date.
The Neon Museum is open daily and includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard that is filled with some of Las Vegas’ most iconic neon signs; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non- operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
About The Neon Museum Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment.
In 2021, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition bestowed to museums in the United States. On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum has an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant!” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
The museum collection also includes fourteen restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and historic preservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects.
For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
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