Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign

Reviewed by the Las Vegas Guide editorial team · Updated June 2026

The original 1959 Betty Willis neon at the Strip's south end is still the city's definitive free photo stop — just time your visit around the head-on photo line.

Is the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign Worth It? Free, Fast, and Genuinely Iconic

Betty Willis designed the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign in 1959, and the original still stands where it always has — on a median at 5100 Las Vegas Blvd South, just past the Strip's last casino. The 25-foot googie diamond, with silver-dollar circles spelling out WELCOME as a nod to the Silver State, made the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It's the rare Vegas landmark that asks nothing of you: no ticket, no gate, no closing time.

Treat it as a 15-to-30-minute photo stop, because that's what it is — a sign, a parking lot, and a patch of median with zero shade between the traffic lanes. An informal single-file line forms for the head-on shot and backs up at peak times, and the small lot can fill by midday, so you may circle for a space. None of that ruins it: the line polices itself, strangers trade camera duties, and walking up to a 67-year-old neon icon that still works exactly as designed beats most of what the Strip charges admission for.

Insider tipThe back of the sign — 'Drive Carefully, Come Back Soon' — almost never has a line, and a half-step to either side of the front gets you the same shot without the wait.

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Location

5100 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Welcome to Las Vegas sign really free?

Entirely — the sign, the lot, and the crosswalks cost nothing, with no time limit. The costumed showgirls and photographers offering to pose or shoot your picture are freelancers working for tips, not staff; it's normal to decline and swap camera duties with other visitors instead.

Who designed the sign, and why is it on every souvenir?

Betty Willis, one of the first women working in neon design, created it in 1959 and deliberately never copyrighted it, calling it a gift to her hometown — which is why the image can legally appear on shot glasses, T-shirts, and license plates everywhere.

Is it worth visiting the sign at night?

Yes — crowds thin out and the lit neon photographs beautifully, though the median beyond the sign itself is dim, so a phone with night mode helps for people shots.

Is it the original sign from 1959?

Yes — the same structure has stood on the median since 1959. Sign-maker YESCO owns it and leases it to Clark County, which handles upkeep, so bulbs get replaced but the sign itself has never been rebuilt.

When is the photo line shortest?

Before 9 am you'll often walk straight up with no wait; weekend evenings are the worst, when the head-on line can run 20 to 40 minutes. Early morning also gives you cleaner shots without strangers in the frame.

Rating

4.5

PriceSee ticket prices

WhereWelcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign

Address5100 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119

ParkingFree lot right on the median, expanded twice (2012 and 2015) to roughly 50 spaces. The entrance is only reachable from the southbound lanes of Las Vegas Blvd — northbound drivers have to continue past and loop back.

AccessibilityA paved walkway links the lot to the sign, and marked crosswalks with pedestrian signals connect the median to both sides of the boulevard — no traffic-dodging required, which wasn't true before 2008.

After darkThe bulbs and neon run all night, and since 2014 three solar 'trees' behind the site have offset the sign's power draw.

Time needed15 to 30 minutes including the line. There's nothing else at the site — no exhibits, no shops — so fold it into an airport run or a south-Strip outing rather than making a special trip.

Opening hours Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Sign is illuminated all night

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