The History of The Iconic Las Vegas Sign

It's the most recognizable piece of signage that Las Vegas has going for it, but what do you really know about this legendary "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign that's situated right at the beginning of The Strip? Well, for starters, this sign does not mark the actual city limits of Las Vegas. It's about 4 miles south, technically, but both locals and tourists disregard the city limits and call the whole metro area "Las Vegas." Because we can do what we want. This is America, and Las Vegas is the epitome of the Wild West.

Completed in 1959, the sign was designed by a woman named Betty Willis. She became a graphics designer after finishing art school in Los Angeles in 1942 and created a few ads for Fox West Coast Theaters in California as well. When she returned to her hometown of Las Vegas, she took a job at a courthouse before ending up at Western Neon, where our favorite sign was created. Willis never trademarked the sign calling it her "gift to the city." That's truly honorable of her, but we can only imagine the profits she missed out on now that it is literally everywhere and in every gift shop. Still, she's pretty cool for keeping her art open and as free, public domain.

There was a one-month period in 1999 when the sign was dark for almost an entire month because the company that had been paying the power bill was bought out and the new parent company didn't pay the bill, which was under $60. They eventually figured it out, paid it, and the electricity started flowing once more.

It was only in December 2008 when the parking lot by the sign was installed. Prior to this, it was up to the tourists to park close by and play Frogger across the North and Southbound Boulevard traffic, resulting in increasingly dangerous traffic. Luckily, no one injured during this Frogger period, believe it or not.

So now you hopefully know a little bit more about our beloved Sin City signage than you did before. And as the sign itself says, "Drive Carefully" as you take pictures on your way down the famous Strip for some memory making.