Tuesday Treasures

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme. 

January 2013 - Las Vegas NV

I've posted various photos from the Neon Boneyard over the years.
Here's a recap of some of them, we took hundreds. I will feature more of these in future weeks with some history.

The Neon Museum features signs from old casinos and other businesses displayed outdoors on over 6 acres (2.4 ha). The museum features a restored lobby shell from the defunct La Concha Motel as its visitor center, which officially opened on October 27, 2012.

The La Concha Motel was a motel that opened in 1961 and closed in 2004. It was designed by architect Paul Williams who was one of the first prominent African American architects in the United States and was also the architect who designed the first LAX theme building.

The La Concha was opened by M.K. Doumani. When it opened, the La Concha was one of the larger properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Various celebrities had stayed at the motel, including Ronald Reagan, Ann-Margret, Flip Wilson, Muhammad Ali, and the Carpenters. The La Concha was featured in the 1995 film Casino. The Doumani family also owned the adjacent El Morocco.

For many years, the Young Electric Sign Company stored these old signs in their "boneyard." The signs were slowly being destroyed by exposure to the elements. 

The property was the site of Empey's Desert Villa from 1952. In 1979, it became Barbary Coast. The casino was built by Michael Gaughan and opened on March 2, 1979 at a cost of $11.5 million.

It is now The Cromwell Las Vegas (formerly Barbary Coast and Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon a luxury boutique hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The El Cortez, a hotel and casino, is a relatively small downtown Las Vegas gaming venue a block from the Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas Boulevard. The official marketing slogan has been "Where locals come to play" since the El Cortez has traditionally attracted Las Vegas residents weary of large casinos geared towards tourists. It is one of the oldest casino-hotel properties in Las Vegas having continuously operated at the same Fremont Street location since 1941. Primarily Spanish Colonial Revival in style, it reflects a 1952 remodel when the facade was modernized. On February 22, 2013, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Jerry's Nugget was founded in 1964 by Jerry Lodge and Jerry Stamis and was originally the site of the Town House Bar. In 1968, Lodge and Stamis bought the Bonanza Club, located across the street from Jerry's Nugget. The acquisition meant moving the casino to its new location and 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of added space.

In 1995, Jerry's Nugget received an $18 million renovation that expanded the casino size and increased the number of slot machines from 600 to 770. The bingo parlor was also increased, and a poker room was built as well. The 95-seat Royal Street Theatre was also built. By 1998, the poker room had closed. As of 2004, Jerry's Nugget expands over 95,000 square feet (8,800 m2) and features a race and sports book, keno lounge, table games area and slot floor.