The Sign Boneyard

A day and a simple ride.

Most often I'm stuck with the places I can hike or cab to along the Strip - but this time I had a chance to get out of town. Not very far out of town, but still. It really doesn't get much better than that for tooling around Vegas.

I'd read about the neon sign boneyard, and Tracy was game for the weekend - but I wasn't clear how to go about staying. After a little research, I learned that they have a web site, and are in the process of setting up a real honest to goodness museum that will be accessible around the clock in the near future. For the time being though, you have to make an appointment in advance and pay $15. for the tours which are given at least twice a day.

The people we replaced showed up after the tour started - so if they'd been on time I think we would have been out of luck.

When I did receive an email from them later that afternoon (on Friday) they were booked until Wednesday, so definitely make your appointments as far in advance as possible. They're staffed with volunteers, so it may take them a day or two to respond to your inquiry.

The sign "boneyard" as they call it subsist of two fenced in areas chock full of huge old signs in various states of disrepair.

I love how the signs look juxtaposed against the dirt and weeds growing right around them.

This W shows the rungs maintenance wage earners used to have to climb to substitutethe bulbs in the signs. Apparently this sign appeared in an episode of CSI Las Vegas - with a dead body hanging on it.

This El Cortez neon sign was one of my favorites - not as flashy as some, but I love the script and the washed out turquoise color.

This turned out to be one of my favorite photos with all the shadows and colors.

The aim, ultimately, is to have visitor's center housed in the La Concha lobby, a distinctive modern curvilinear concrete structure which has been moved to the corner near the sign lots. They're also restoring several of the most iconic signs and objects and installing them on posts in the median above North Las Vegas Boulevard. The Silver Slipper has been installed just in front of the museum, and the waving cowboy is just down the street, near downtown. When it's open, I think the museum will really be something to see.

After the almost two hour tour, it was hot and we were parched and hungry - so I persuaded Tracy to help me find the Luv It Frozen Custard stand. It's actually about halfway between the Strip and the boneyard, just off Las Vegas Boulevard near the Stratosphere.

They have a massive list of rotating flavors, but make only a few each day. On the day of our visit, Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Lemon and Pumpkin were available. After tasting almost all of them, I chose Vanilla and Lemon, and Tracy chose Chocolate and Pumpkin. Their frozen custard is made fresh daily, and it's softer, creamier and a little bit richer tasting than ice cream - but has less fat and sugar. It's not quite as soft as soft serve, but close. It has no air whipped into it and no ice crystals, making it fantastically smooth. It's actually a little bit unusual in this part of the country (it's more common in the Northern Midwest) which makes it worth a trip if you're in the area. They also make sundaes - the most popular of which is the "Western" - fresh custard covered with warm caramel and hot fudge, topped with salted pecans and a maraschino cherry.

Neon Sign 'n Signs for everyone!