“Luck be a lady tonight. Luck be a lady tonight. Luck, if you've been a lady to begin with, luck be a lady, tonight…”
Listening to Frank Sinatra croon, “Luck be a Lady,” while standing in the North Gallery of the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, I was immediately transported back to the days of the infamous “Rat Pack,” a group of Vegas headliners from the 1960s, which included, among others, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.
In perfect timing with the song, a previously inanimate Lady Luck Casino Hotel sign danced back to life and, in what turned out to be a brilliant optical illusion, each individual neon bulb appeared to twinkle and shine with light.
I was attending the museum’s 9:30 p.m. showing of Brilliant, a multi-media extravaganza that brings back to life long-dimmed neon signs rescued from oblivion — and sets their resurrection to a playlist including everything from Elvis to Sinatra to Elton John to Panic at the Disco.
Brilliant is the vision of artist Craig Winslow, who used photography, drone video and 3-D photogrammetry (the science of making measurements from photographs) to create a digital model of each vintage sign, bulb by bulb. And Winslow did a great job — even previously knowing the 40 signs that make up the show aren’t functional, I had a hard time believing it as I carefully eyed each of them as they become illuminated once again.
I wasn’t the only person grinning from ear to ear as an image of Liberace appeared at a white grand piano above our heads, the Terrible Herbst cowboy played both bad guy — to “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” — and, later on, a bespectacled Elton John, and large vintage signs from the iconic Golden Nugget and Flamingo hotels lit up the dark desert sky on a cool January night.
This was my first visit to the Neon Museum, founded in 1996, despite numerous trips to Las Vegas over the years, and I immediately regretted never having been before. Already famous for its Neon Boneyard exhibit, Brilliant opened in February 2018 to offer visitors an immersive, after-dark experience that combines history, art and entertainment.
The Neon Museum is operated by a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs. The museum’s campus includes the Neon Boneyard outdoor exhibition space, a visitors’ center housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby (of course), and the Neon Boneyard North Gallery, which showcases additional salvaged signs and is available for weddings, special events, photo shoots and educational programs.
I visited the museum as part of a press trip organized to demonstrate how to visit the City of Lights without breaking the bank and to showcase free and affordable attractions found on the strip and beyond. Renting a car in Vegas can be as easy as calling the front desk of most hotels, but shuttles are also available for many attractions.
Here are just a few of my favourite ideas for spending time in Vegas outside of the casinos.
Hike Red Rock Canyon
$15 per car or truck and free on several national holidays.
Take in the pale pinks, maroons, coppers, russet reds and greens of the canyon’s 26 walks and hikes on your own or hire an interpretive guide to provide detailed information about the park, which covers almost 200,000 acres within the Mojave Desert. Mountain bikers and climbers also flock to the canyon.
On the day we visited, there were about a dozen free climbers practising their sport above crash pads they hiked in themselves. For the not so adventurous, a scenic drive allows visitors to take in the majesty of these mountains without breaking a sweat.
Tickets start at $27 for all day admission — and you could spend an entire day there checking out the exhibits.
Being a long-time fan of true crime and mysteries, I find the Mob Museum both delightfully macabre and fascinating — and have photos of the museum’s wall from the infamous 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on my phone to prove it. The museum showcases historical and modern-day mob and gang-related artifacts and photos from not only Las Vegas, but also from across the globe.
The new Use of Force Training Experience (16 years and older) is an intensive training session using both digital and live role-playing scenarios to demonstrate the speed and complexity of use of force decisions. As part of the experience, guests are given a CO2 pistol and police officer duty belt to use. Also new is the Speakeasy and distillery housed in the museum’s basement, of course, where guests are transported back to the roaring twenties, where flappers, mobsters and politicians drank bootlegged liquor while scheming over illegal deals. As the brochure says, the museum is as “close as you can get to the mob without being asked to wear a wire.”
Shelby American Heritage Museum
Free entrance and tours.
I’m married to a retired automotive engineer so him PVRing and watching 20 hours of the televised Barrett-Jackson auctions several times a year is a given, which means I’ve also gained a little knowledge about just how revered Shelby vehicles are by car enthusiasts.
So, again, after kicking myself for never having visited before, I was able to come face-to-bumper with some of the finest collector vehicles in the world, including the first Shelby Cobra ever built, which is on loan to the museum for a limited time. The tour was fascinating not only to novices like myself, but also to the many gear heads — and the people who love them — drawn to the museum.
Free to wander, but you need money to play.
I started this visit thinking I might try a game or two, but five minutes in I was dumping my purse upside down looking for spare change. The Pinball Hall of Fame, housed in a 10,000-square-foot warehouse, is operated by a non-profit organization, which donates excess revenue to non-denominational charities.
The pinball collection is largely dedicated to machines from the 1960s to 1990s, but there are also a few from the 1950s to try out.
Interactive art tour at the Cosmopolitan
Free
Start in the lobby and text “Rose” at 702-930-8188 with the words “ready” followed by “art.” From there you can choose a specific self-guided tour, including murals, steampunk, muses or avant-garde. The Cosmopolitan is famous for its art collection, which includes large-scale paintings, photography, mixed media works, sculptures, murals and more.
As well, the Cosmopolitan’s digital art program spans numerous screens, panels and displays inside and outside the resort. I was mesmerized by the eight, 15-foot columns in the lobby, which continuously display a revolving library of digital art. I also liked the six Art-o-mat machines found across the resort, which dispense a variety of original artwork. Created by artist Clark Whittington, the Art-o-Mat machines are made from retired cigarette vending machines that now dispense art instead of smokes. I had to try one and for $5, I received a beautiful, beaded copper web, which I love, created by an Ohio-based artist named Valerie Hibbard.
Free
It was a gorgeous January day when we visited the Park, located between Park MGM and New York-New York. The Park is an immersive outdoor dining and entertainment district, adjacent to T-Mobile Arena, which acts as outdoor oasis from the hustle of the strip.
The Park offers a peaceful places to sit, dramatic public art, a water walls and desert landscaping. Besides being central to a collection of diverse restaurants, programs at the Park include live music and special events.
Bellagio fountains show, conservatory and botanical garden
Free
It’s free to wander this gorgeous hotel’s conservatory and botanical garden, which changes themes throughout the year. Each season, the talented horticulturalists and designers who make up the Bellagio Conservatory team transform the 14,000-square-foot floral playground into floral wonderlands that celebrate spring, summer, fall and winter — with an annual spectacular display dedicated to Lunar New Year, which is when I visited.
You don't have to be a guest of the Bellagio to take in the popular fountain show, which uses lights, music, technology and water to impress the crowds on the Strip who stop what they're doing to take in the spectacle. For show times visit Fountains of Bellagio.
Save on the Strip
During my last visit I stayed at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino, which combines vintage, value Vegas with modern amenities. The Flamingo is located on the strip and is right across the road from Caesars Palace — the Flamingo is part of the Caesars Entertainment group. The resort is a tribute to mid-century modern, complete with large pink flamingo paintings on one wall of my room, but with comfortable, contemporary furnishings.
I was thrilled to discover the hotel has a wildlife habitat that holds live flamingos and I was able to watch them being fed in the morning. My room also had a great view of the adjacent LINQ and High Roller wheel. I visited in January, so the Go Pool wasn’t open, but I did check out the 15-acre Caribbean-style water playground with plans for a return visit. New to the Flamingo, as part of phase two of its multi-million dollar renovation, are its bunk-bed suites, perfect for families or large groups.
If you’re looking for decent fares to Vegas, here are a couple of options to consider:
- Allegiant Air with service out of Bellingham.
- Swoop Airlines: With service out of Abbotsford
@sthomas10
