Las Vegas' Tropicana sign lives on at the Neon Museum

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — As the legendary Tropicana prepares to make way for a new stadium on the Strip, part of its storied past will continue to shine at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas.

The museum has preserved the original Tropicana neon sign and offers a nostalgic glimpse into the city's colorful history.

Aaron Berger of the Neon Museum expressed excitement about the sign's preservation. “This has been installed. If you look at the sign, the darker neon colors date back to 1976,” Berger said. “I get goosebumps when I think that it lives on here in the museum.”

In addition to preserving the sign, the museum invites the public to contribute their personal stories about the Tropicana. Through a project called RACHEL, visitors can capture their memories, which will become part of the museum's permanent collection. “We are the story, and we installed RACHEL to capture 90 stories in 10 days,” Berger said.

Anna Velasquez, a participant in the RACHEL Project, shared her emotional connection to the Tropicana. “Vegas was new to me and the Tropicana was part of it,” Velasquez said. “I will always remember my mother and my grandmother.”

Shawn Coomer, another participant, recalled his childhood adventures at the Tropicana. “I remember water slides at night and the looks on the security guard’s faces,” Coomer said. “It reminds me what a special place this was.”

The museum's efforts to capture these stories highlight the cultural richness of Las Vegas. “A museum’s ability to capture these stories and ensure that they live on shapes the image of this city,” Berger said.

By a stroke of luck, the museum will light up the Debbie Reynolds sign on the night of the Tropicana implosion. Reynolds, who was once married to Tropicana headliner Eddie Fisher, has a special connection to the museum through her son Todd Fisher, a museum supporter. “It's a kismet moment in Las Vegas,” said Marie Mortera, who covered the story at the Neon Museum.