The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is so famous that its burned-out bulbs are sold as souvenirs. This popularity, however, has created a traffic hazard. Shutterbug tourists pull off of the street and run across several lanes of traffic to get to the Jetson-esque icon so that they can pose in front of it for photos.
Not for much longer. Local bureaucrats have okayed a plan to give the sign its own parking lot. Construction will reportedly be complete by Thanksgiving — plenty of time to celebrate the sign’s 50th birthday in 2009 — and will cost 100 times what it cost to design the sign in the first place.
Las Vegas’s finances are screwy, but its intentions are good. And they’ve set a laudable precedent. There are other interesting signs in Nevada, and roadside tourists would cheer if they got their own parking lots.
Just think, in 50 years the parking lot itself might be a tourist attraction and will require another parking lot for all the visitors who want to have their picture taking standing in it.
The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is so famous that its burned-out bulbs are sold as souvenirs. This popularity, however, has created a traffic hazard. Shutterbug tourists pull off of the street and run across several lanes of traffic to get to the Jetson-esque icon so that they can pose in front of it for photos.
September 15th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I’d recommend a parking lot next to Metaphor, the tree of life, in Utah, on the way to Wendover.
People always pull off, on both sides of the road, despite the “Emergency Only” signs.
September 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Also 1240 geocachers have dodged traffic to “log” the sign as a find.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:45 am
HeHe … Or do what I did … visit the sign around 11 p.m. and take a picture when it’s lit up.
Traffic isn’t as bad!
September 16th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Just think, in 50 years the parking lot itself might be a tourist attraction and will require another parking lot for all the visitors who want to have their picture taking standing in it.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
It’s LIT UP??!?!?!??!??!
#*@&*^%#@$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dang, I *knew* I should’ve driven it at night!