Half a mile north of Fremont Street on Las Vegas Boulevard sits one of Las Vegas' most beloved cultural institutions.
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum collects and preserves local history in the form of the fabulous marquees and glittering signs that have long symbolized Sin City. In the museum's outdoor Boneyard, more than 200 works of metal and glass have been laid to rest, their stories recounted by guides who take visitors past signs from Caesars Palace, Binion's Horseshoe and the Stardust, among many others.
With the exception of 11 restored pieces, the signs are mostly dead and dark, but a show debuting this month revives the vintage works of art and gives them new life.
Set in the museum's smaller North Gallery, Brilliant! is a 30-minute show that re-illuminates 40 historical signs using projection-mapping technology. Designed by artist Craig Winslow, the immersive exhibition makes long-dark marquees appear to shine again in a choreographed display synced to a soundtrack of renowned Las Vegas performers.
"It brings Las Vegas history to life," says Neon Museum President and CEO Rob McCoy. "It's spectacular, and it's just flat-out fun."
The idea for Brilliant! was born last year when Winslow asked to use the museum's collection for a projection-mapping project. Staff were so impressed with the result that they decided to collaborate with the digital artist on a permanent installation.
Work on the show began last July, with Winslow using various forms of photography to capture the details of each sign down to the last lightbulb in Adobe Illustrator. Then he created a digital animation perfectly aligned to each tube of neon and each broken bulb and paired the visuals with music, so when the 24 speakers around the North Gallery start blaring, the effect is of signs bursting back to brilliant, shining life and dancing to the beat.
"No one has ever done what we're doing," McCoy said.
Songs from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Elton John and Ella Fitzgerald play, and the signs pulse and shimmer to the soundtrack. The Golden Nugget's famous marquee flashes. The Flamingo script sparkles.
"Literally everything is happening around you," said McCoy. "You are free to walk around and experience every single component of that gallery.
Powered by eight projectors emitting 80,000 lumens of light from a pair of 20-foot control towers, the show envelops the gallery, where a maximum of 50 people at a time will take in four nightly performances Wednesdays to Mondays. Tickets are $23 for general admission and $15 for locals, and showings -- timed for after dark -- can be reserved in advance.
McCoy describes Brilliant! as "edutainment" and sees it as a perfect complement to the Boneyard's historical tours as well as a chance to welcome visitors to a gallery previously reserved for photo shoots and occasional events.
"It was just sitting there. It was sort of a stranded asset," he said. "We knew this was the perfect marriage between the Neon Museum and technology."
Indeed, through cutting edge technology, Winslow and the Neon Museum have resurrected a tiny slice of vintage Las Vegas and made it shine again.
For more information, visit neonmuseum.org.