15 Facts About the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” Sign that You Didn’t Know

admin

Official Verified Account

Admin

posted on 2 years ago

15 Facts About the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” Sign that You Didn’t Know

You know you've made it to Sin City when you see the iconic sign that reads "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas." But did you know there are many surprising facts about this sign? Today, I will give you 15 facts about the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign.

#1. The sign was put up in 1959. #2. It's smaller than most signs in Las Vegas. #3. Officially, the phrase is welcome to "Las Vegas," but it's technically not within the city's limits. The Strip is part of unincorporated Clark County, not Las Vegas. #4. The sign went green in 2013. #5. You can actually purchase a piece of the sign because when the lights are replaced, they're sold as commemorative souvenirs, and the proceeds are donated to charity. #6. The original sign is one of the three. A replica was installed on Las Vegas Boulevard in 2002, and another on Boulder Highway in 2007. #7. Brandon Flowers, in his 2010 album called "Flamingo" (in reference to the iconic hotel that started Vegas), wrote a track, "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas," about the sign.

#8. The sign exists in the National Register of Historic Places. It was approved in 2009. #9. People used to risk their lives to have a photo with the sign. This was before 2008, when a parking lot was installed to make it easier to snap a pic. #10. The sign was commissioned by a salesman called Ted Rogich, a World War II veteran, who, having moved to Nevada and starting a small neon sign company called Western Neon Co., noticed that there wasn't any sign advertising the city. He realized that while there were many signs advertising local restaurants, hotels, and casinos, Vegas didn't have one advertising itself. #11. The sign was designed in the Googie architecture style, which was very popular in the 40s and 50s. It's the same style used to create "The Jetsons." #12. The designer of the sign was Betty Willis. #13. The sign was a bargain because only $4,000 was paid for it. Comparatively, the roadside sign for the Stardust Hotel and Casino was replaced in 1967 for $500,000. #14. There's only $7 on the sign. The white circles at the top of the sign that spell the word "Welcome" portray silver dollars because Nevada is the "Silver State." #15. The sign was never copyrighted.