I am a huge Tim Burton fan. Sure, a lot of his work is very strange and quite dark, but there is just something about it that I find fascinating. Tim Burton is having an exhibit at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, where I used to live, I saw it the first chance that I got. Here’s what my experience was like at Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum.

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Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum
Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum is on display through April and I highly recommend going to see it if you get the opportunity. The exhibit is peppered throughout the Neon Boneyard, a sight to behold even after Tim Burton’s exhibit has closed. Sidenote: thank you to my husband for enduring this exhibit with me!

Sketches and notes greet visitors on their way out to the Neon Boneyard. Showing what Tim Burton was planning for the exhibit, these are an exciting behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. Following a somewhat narrow hall, there were a few smaller installations. These lead us to the main event.
Neon Boneyard

Immediately walking outside into the blinding Las Vegas sun, Tim Burton’s touch could be seen. Three silver UFOs towered over us. Just beyond that, there were a few dancing inflatable tube people. These were not like the ones you’d see on a used car lot though, these were black and white, skeleton-like, and very ghostly.

Opening up into the main section of the Neon Boneyard, some of Tim Burton’s touches were obvious like the 3 aliens from Mars Attacks under the Hard Rock Casino’s iconic guitar. I was most excited to see these little guys. I saw that very odd movie with my Nana in theaters when I was 11. She was somewhat horrified by it, thinking I was too little to be seeing it and that we should leave. Whether we finished the movie or not, I remember being amused by it and my Nana’s reactions to it.

Tim Burton’s creations are seamlessly integrated into the existing vintage neon signs throughout the rest of the Neon Boneyard. We walked around the yard twice, which was good because we missed 3 or 4 of the installations the first time around. Some pieces are hiding in plain sight. We really had to thoroughly search the grounds to make sure we saw every neon sign and creature that he added.
Inside The Silver Dome
Along with the outdoor exhibit, there was a silver dome that housed some indoor art. The inside of the dome was very dark. In the center, there was a neon mobile hanging from the ceiling. Projected around it you could see small neon images, both moving around in a circle. Below this, there was a black cylinder.

Walking around this cylinder we observed little 3D neon moving images depicting very different scenes. Some were adorable, like snow falling on a reindeer with larger than life antlers and a Christmas tree. Some were very violent and a bit disturbing. I’ll spare you photos and descriptions of those.

On the other side of the cylinder was a large animatronic display. It was about a robot that fell in love with a slot machine. The piece had a sad feeling to it, but the robot was very cute!
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Lost Vegas: Tim Burton @ The Neon Museum Gifts

Back outside, we saw one more sculpture before heading into the gift shop. Instead of buying a t-shirt that I’d never wear, I chose to purchase a sticker and a limited edition candle. The candle is in the shape of a black spade, it has one large eyeball off to the side and lots of little black and white striped legs.

Seeing the exhibit made me very happy and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to see it before it closes on April 12th. If you’re a Tim Burton fan, I highly recommend it. If not, I highly recommend The Neon Museum with or without a special exhibit like this one. Las Vegas’s old neon signs are a sight worth seeing.
Thanks, another 2 great reason to go to Vegas besides the shows and donating to the casinos.
Great post! I would absolutely love to go to this!! I love Tim Burton and his art and way of expressing himself.
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Good article and right to the point. Thanks for sharing this huge information. Keep it up dear!
Nice post!!!!
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Thank you so much! I appreciate the encouragement!
Great post ????
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Thank you!!
Oh wow, this is amaaaaazing! I hadn’t even heard of the Neon Museum before but it’s the kind of place I’d like to go and a Tim Burton exhibit would be awesome to see. It’s great you got the chance to check it out – love the photos!!
Caz xx
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Thanks! This exhibit is fantastic, but The Neon Museum is very cool on its own too!
Wowzers, what a fantastic exhibit for the director! I’ll have to put it on my to-do list if I’m in Vegas before April 12th. Cheers!
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That’s awesome!! I hope you love it!