LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A piece of Las Vegas history is finding a new home to shine on.
On Monday, the Neon Museum installed a star from the former Riviera casino at The Wishing Place, which is the headquarters for Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada.
It's part of the museum's Adopt A Sign loan program, which identifies and lends pieces to organizations that are either underappreciated where they're currently being displayed or have been inaccessible to the public due to restoration efforts.
According to museum officials, the star is five feet in diameter and was designed by Marge Williams. It was install on the Riviera Hotel and Casino in 1991. The Riviera was built in 1955 and ceased operations in 2015 before it was imploded in 2016.
The star was recently refurbished by Hartlauer Signs, which partners with the Neon Museum to restore and maintain other pieces in their collection.
For Make-A-Wish, the star is a special symbol that can inspire families going through a hard time.
"I am a card-carrying member of the Neon Museum so I've been looking at the star for quite some time. I think it was one of Aaron's first events as executive director when I approached him and said how much for one of those stars," said Scott Rosenzweig, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. "To me, this is like having that wonderful sign that tells you exactly where your destination in life is. The impetus behind this is, I truly believe, that our chapter here in Southern Nevada, having a piece of historical neon like this will become a beacon of hope for our wish families and children because when they come to The Wishing Place, they're often in the darkest times. So to be able to shed some light on them, now, from neon, with the history of Las Vegas behind it is why I wanted this to hang in front of The Wishing Place."
And for the Neon Museum, it is a perfect partnership.
"We cannot think of a better first partner for our inaugural loan program than Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada," said Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum. "The Riviera star will shine brightly once again, illuminating the exceptional work Make-A-Wish does for children in our community."
