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| - Fantastic! Visiting the Neon Museum is a great way to spend an hour.
We went on the night tour, which was a good idea for two reasons: 1.) the signs look best when it's dark; 2.) it's not so terribly hot at night, so walking around outside for fifty minutes isn't uncomfortable. Not all of the signs are lit, but most of those that aren't have floodlights illuminating them, so you can still see them at night.
Our guide, Jamie, was the best one could wish for. Being a Las Vegas native, she was familiar with the history behind each sign and was also able to provide interesting side-stories that only a local would know. In addition to speaking about the science, art and craftsmanship that goes into making a neon sign, she also covered a bit about the unique history of Las Vegas. I wish I'd visited this museum at the beginning of my trip because I would have spent more time looking at the things I didn't know about before taking this tour.
An interesting bonus is that the museum lobby is located in a former, 1960s era motel office (which was relocated to the site of the museum). The staff who work there are also genuinely friendly.
If I ever return to Las Vegas, I'd surely visit again--perhaps during the day and night, to get two perspectives.
Our guide also told us about a very good documentary called "Restoration Neon," from which you can learn more about neon signs, the work that goes into restoring them, and the museum itself. It was produced in 2014 by KLVX (PBS) and is currently posted on YouTube.
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