’70s Flamingo roadside sign to be restored for Neon Museum
Another sign restoration project is beginning at The Neon Museum.
Three pieces of a Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino sign were moved by crane Tuesday morning.
The sign was located on East Flamingo Road, and is similar in design to the 1967 roadside pylon designed by Ad-Art’s designer Bill Clarke. Latino artist Raul Rodriguez is known for his work on parade floats — most notably for designing more than 500 floats for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
The sign will be relit and restored by Hartlauer Signs and includes the hotel’s historic 1976 pylon sign and two feather plumes designed by Rodriguez.
The sign has been in storage for more than 20 years after signs were acquired by the museum in 2003 after their removal during a renovation to the property.
A date for when the signs will be back at museum will be announced in the coming weeks.
Emily Conner Cooper, wife of the late comedian and entertainer Pat Cooper; Andrew Pascal, CEO of Playstudios; and Felicia French, CEO of Opuzen; have donated to make this restoration possible.
The original concept and construction of the Flamingo started with guidance from Bill Wilkerson — a Los Angeles entrepreneur — who faced financial problems during construction which led him to bring on Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel as his business partner. Siegel and his team of associates pushed Wilkerson entirely out of the project.
The Flamingo was the third resort on the Strip, originally opening on December 26, 1946. After multiple changes in ownership including Kirk Kerkorian’s ownership, the Flamingo was acquired by Hilton in the 1970s and underwent a massive refresh, which led to the new signage by Rodriguez.
Though the last original 1946 building was demolished in 1993, this property is the longest operating casino on the Las Vegas Strip, celebrating its 77th year of operation.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.
