Iconic Tropicana Las Vegas sign relit at Neon Museum

Julia Romero
·2 min read

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Tropicana Las Vegas officially closed its doors on Tuesday however, that was not the last chapter for the colorful signage known to many over the past several decades.

On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010.

The piece of Tropicana signage comes from the property’s porte-cochere that was installed as part of a renovation in 1978. The sign was designed by Jack Dubois and Raul Rodriguez and now lives above the patio in front of the museum store.

  • On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
    On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
  • On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
    On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
  • On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
    On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
  • On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
    On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
  • On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)
    On Wednesday night the Neon Museum relit the former resort’s sign which has been part of the Neon Boneyard collection since 2010. (The Neon Museum)

The partnership between the museum and the resort has also allowed for the preservation of the property’s history through oral and visual efforts until its closure on April 2.

The museum’s executive director Aaron Berger and Tropicana’s vice president and general manager Arik Knowles attended the relighting ceremony.

The Tropicana first opened its doors on April 4, 1957, and advertisements heralded it as “the Tiffany of the Strip” to reflect the property’s opulence.

In December 2021, a formal bid was submitted for the Tropicana to be the new site for the Oakland Athletics stadium. Tuesday, April 2, was the property’s proposed closing date. The demolition of the site is expected to take place sometime in October. A Bally’s spokesperson confirmed to 8 News Now on Wednesday that deconstruction plans are not yet finalized, meaning how the historic towers will fall remains unclear.

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