DEBBIE REYNOLDS HOLLYWOOD HOTEL MARQUEE SIGN OFFICIALLY RESTORED AND RELIT AT THE NEON MUSEUM
Museum Debuts New Exhibit Celebrating Reynolds in the La Concha Visitors’ Center, on Display Through November 3
The iconic “Debbie” marquee sign from the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel & Casino has been officially relit at The Neon Museum. For the first time in nearly three decades, the 24-foot-long fuchsia sign glows again thanks to an application of the YESCO Conservation Fund as well as through donors including Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher and his wife Catherine Fisher, the Debbie Reynolds Estate and others.
“The official relighting of my mother’s iconic sign is a landmark homage to her legacy as a headliner and citizen on the Las Vegas Strip,” said Fisher. “Debbie’s presence in the ‘neon city’ has been forever emblazoned in Las Vegas’ legendary history as one of the city’s most celebrated entertainers. My mother would always tell you that performing live was her favorite work. Hence, the Las Vegas stage became home to her. As my family’s historian and archivist, I am thrilled to partner with The Neon Museum in this special unveiling and even more excited that it will be there for the fans and the public to see.”
Marking the first application of the YESCO Conservation Fund that was made in honor of the Museum’s 10th anniversary, the fund will continue to help maintain, repair and improve signs in the Museum’s collection.
Jeff Young, executive vice president, YESCO said, “Bringing this sign back to life is exactly what the YESCO Conservation Fund is all about. Through meticulous restoration, we’ve ensured that this piece of neon craftsmanship can be appreciated in its full glory, shining as brightly as it did when it was first illuminated in Las Vegas.”
In addition to the restoration, The Neon Museum – through its continued partnership with Fisher – has debuted a Debbie Reynolds exhibit inside the Museum’s La Concha visitors’ center. One of her most famous gowns will be on display – a red gown that dates back to the mid-1980s. Reynolds was pictured wearing the gown on important occasions including her own Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel & Casino program when it opened. This exhibition, along with other artifacts from The Neon Museum Collection celebrating Debbie’s casino, hotel and the relighting of her neon sign, can be viewed now through Nov. 3, 2024.
Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum, said, “Building on the success of last year’s ground-breaking exhibition exploring the personal and professional life of Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas, curated by The Neon Museum, this single piece shows Debbie’s unmatched stage presence. The dress design was meant to be elegant, attract your eye by capturing the spotlights and convey the power of this performer. It’s truly an extension of her personality.”
Reynolds was known for her longstanding Las Vegas legacy and legendary career as a multi-faceted entertainer. Spanning from singing, to dancing, to comedy and acting, she played pivotal roles in popular movies and television series throughout the 1940s and into the early 2000s. In 1962, she moved to Las Vegas with her two children Carrie and Todd Fisher and signed a first-of-its-kind million-dollar contract for a holiday season residency at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. She looked to Las Vegas to bring stability to her life – both personally and professionally – and established herself as one of the city’s most enduring personalities.
During her time in Las Vegas, she owned the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel & Casino. After extensive renovations, it opened in 1993 at 305 Convention Center Drive, featuring Debbie’s Star Theater and its own Hollywood Museum. The museum showcased dozens of Hollywood artifacts that Debbie preserved from various Hollywood auctions, including costumes from various Hollywood classics including a pair of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Debbie also performed in Las Vegas at the Desert Inn, South Point, Caesars Palace and more and her career in the city spanned from 1962 to 2014. YESCO sign designer Rudy Crisostomo took inspiration from Debbie’s signature to design the neon sign that adorned the hotel tower.
The Neon Museum is open daily and includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard that is filled with some of Las Vegas’ most iconic neon signs; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non- operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
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About The Neon Museum
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. In 2021, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition bestowed to museums in the United States. On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum has an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant!” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes 14 restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and arts preservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.
ABOUT YESCO
YESCO specializes in the manufacture of custom electric signs, sign maintenance and out-of-home advertising. In addition, YESCO operates sign and lighting service repair stores throughout North America as well as a sign financing business. Thomas Young founded the company in Ogden, Utah, in 1920 after borrowing $300 from his father. YESCO began by offering wall painted advertisements, gold-leaf window lettering and coffin plates. Today, helmed by the third and fourth generations of the founder’s family, YESCO creates, services and maintains award-winning displays for some of the most prestigious brands. For more information, go to www.YESCO.com.