Best Bets in Las Vegas: Neon Museum and Arte Museum
I'm Carol Cram, novelist and arts travel writer, and founder of Art In Fiction, a curated database of 2,700+ novels inspired by the arts. Artsy Traveler contains affiliate links for products and services I personally use and recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the Disclosure for more information.
The Neon Museum and the new Arte Museum in Las Vegas are two of the most compelling attractions in a city replete with attractions.
One brings the history of this unique city to life; the other is cutting-edge state-of-the-art wowza.
On a recent trip to glitzy, ritzy Vegas, I visited both the Neon Museum and the Arte Museum. If you’re looking to feel inspired, surprised, and delighted, I recommend both.
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Pro Tip
Visit the Neon Museum as late in the evening as you can to enjoy the lights. When the weather outside is hot (which it very often is in Vegas!), enjoy the air-conditioned, indoor Arte Museum.
I was in Las Vegas in late June when temperatures soared to 41 degrees (106 Fahrenheit). My visit to the Neon Museum, where I took the guided tour, was warm at 9:00 pm, but definitely doable, and just below the 105-degree threshold that requires the museum to close.
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The Neon Museum: A Graveyard of Glorious Signs
Neon and Vegas go together like, well, neon and Vegas. The Las Vegas strip is ablaze 24/7 and all that glitters in Vegas is definitely not gold. It’s neon! Lots and lots of neon, much of it pulsating.
The Neon Museum was established as a non-profit learning institution in 1996. Its mandate is to use iconic neon signs to share the art, culture, and history of Las Vegas.
Located near Fremont Street, the Neon Museum campus includes the Neon Boneyard Main Collection that is open to the public; the North Gallery, which houses additional rescued signs; and a Visitors’ Center located inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
In the Neon Boneyard, you’ll find more than 250 unrestored signs which are illuminated with ground lighting in addition to 26 restored signs which are on all the time.
Types of Signs
The stars of the boneyard are iconic signs from the Stardust and Sahara—flashy throwbacks to mid-century glamor! They are wonderfully photogenic.
You’ll see several old motel, restaurant, and even laundromat signs that invoke the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. I particularly loved this neon sign from the Yucca Motel because it reminded me of the motels I used to stay in traveling around the western US with my parents when I was a little girl.
Also check out some of the more whimsical signs such as the guitar from the Hard Rock Café and the giant duck.
Take the Guided Tour
This is a must-do! You can walk through the boneyard on your own during daylight hours, but you won’t get particularly great pictures, or learn much of the fascinating history. Plaques with information are strategically located around the circuit, but they are no substitute for a guided tour.
I highly recommend the guided tour. I’ve taken it twice on two separate trips to Las Vegas, and I’ve learned something new both times. The guides are funny, informative, and clearly passionate about Las Vegas history.
Three guided tours in English are offered:
- Illuminating Las Vegas: Focusing on the history of illuminations in Las Vegas
- Viva Las Vegas! Movies: Signs in the context of the part they played as iconic backdrops in movies over the last century
- Stories from Las Vegas: The origins of Vegas, its designers, and the Neon Boneyard
Spanish speakers can take the Historia. Sacado a la luz. tour.
The evening tour lasts about 45 minutes and costs around $28 for adults, which I felt was excellent value considering the wealth of stories and the photo ops.
Night tours sell out fast, so book ahead if you want to see the glowing signs in their full Technicolor glory.
And for more lights, check out this GetYourGuide tour of Las Vegas at night.
Arte Museum: Immerse Your Senses
The Neon Museum joyfully preserves the past, while the Arte Museum is all about welcoming the future. Stepping into this multi-room, multi-sensory digital art space is like stepping into a dream.
I’ve seen a few digital immersion exhibits in my time, but the one at the Arte Museum is at a whole new level. It’s a high-res, surround-sound, motion-sensitive, jaw-droppingly gorgeous experience that will knock your socks off.
Except this is Las Vegas and if it’s 106 Fahrenheit like it was the day I visited, you won’t be wearing socks.
Exploring the Rooms
The Arte Museum is comprised of themed immersive spaces that rotate between works of digital art, soundscapes, and optical illusion.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Nature Rooms
Waves crash in slow motion under the Northern Lights, projected floor-to-ceiling with such realism that you feel the chill in the air. I also really liked the Forest where spirit guides from the four elements—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air—and the four seasons come alive. Here’s the stag (Earth) for spring.
This photo captures the stag in mid-stride. It stalks gracefully through the forest backdrop, its hide shedding petals.
Art Gallery
Several artists are featured in a series of projections. Van Gogh’s Starry Night swirls around you before morphing into paintings of Brittany and the South Pacific by Paul Gauguin, followed by a stunning procession of portraits by Gustav Klimt (he of The Kiss fame).
Take a seat on one of the benches and just give yourself over to enjoyment. I must have sat there for at least thirty minutes, loving every moment of the experience.
Lantern Room
Walk right into this room full of floating lanterns. They shimmer and change color over the course of several minutes. It’s magical.
Other rooms are more interactive, with mirrors, lights, and unexpected animations that make you feel like you’re part of the art itself. It’s like walking through a living canvas.
Why It’s So Compelling
What sets Arte Museum apart is how seamlessly it blends technology and storytelling. The projections are crisp, the rooms respond to movement, and the music matches the imagery in a variety of fascinating ways.
The experience is mesmerizing and meditative. I found myself standing for long periods in the middle of one of the animations, such as the crashing waves, and just imagining myself inside the waves.
You’ll want to spend at least 90 minutes to two hours in the Arte Museum.
Great for All Ages (Yes, Even Kids!)
The Arte Museum is an awesome place to go with kids. With so much to look at and interact with, I can’t imagine them getting bored. There is even a room in which you can color in an animal and then watch it lumber across the screen along with other people’s drawings.
I colored in a blue elephant and put my initials on him so I could track his progress.
The creators of the Arte Museum are a South Korean collective known for blending AI with design and light. The tech behind the scenes is top-tier, but it never overwhelms the art—it enhances it.
Click below to check availablity and purchase tickets for Arte Museum through GetYourGuide:
Final Thoughts: Two Museums, One Enchanting Day
If you want to escape the slot machines for a bit and soak up some seriously dazzling art and history, pair the Neon Museum with the Arte Museum for a day that’s cultural and unforgettable.
I suggest doing the Arte Museum in the afternoon—to avoid the crowds—and ending your evening with a twilight tour of the Neon Museum when the signs flicker to life. Make sure you book the Neon Museum tour in advance.
Here are some other Las Vegas tours to consider with GetYourGuide:
Have you visited the Neon Museum and/or the Arte Museum? Share your recommendations and tips for other artsy travelers in the Comments below.
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Carol M. Cram writes novels inspired by the arts; runs Artsy Traveler, an arts-focused travel blog, and Art In Fiction, a curated database of 2,700+ novels inspired by the arts; and hosts The Art In Fiction Podcast. She has also authored 60+ textbooks on computer applications and taught at Capilano University for over two decades. Carol lives with her husband, artist Gregg Simpson, on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, BC.
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