Vegas Vic facts for kids
Vegas Vic is a famous neon sign shaped like a friendly cowboy. He stands tall outside what used to be The Pioneer Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This bright sign was put up in 1951. Before Vic, most signs just used words. But Vic was special because he looked like a person, making him feel very welcoming.
For many years, Vegas Vic was like an unofficial greeter for Las Vegas. People loved his friendly look! You can still find him at 25 E Fremont Street. The building he's on is now a souvenir shop. There's even a similar cowboy sign, called River Rick, in Laughlin, Nevada.
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The Story of Vegas Vic
Vegas Vic has a long and interesting history. Even though The Pioneer Club casino is no longer open, the giant 40-foot (12 m) neon cowboy is still there!
How Vegas Vic Was Born
In 1947, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce wanted to attract more visitors. They hired a company to create a friendly image for the city. This company came up with the first drawing of Vegas Vic. He even had a special greeting: "Howdy Podner!" (The word "partner" was spelled a bit differently for fun).
People loved this cowboy so much that the owners of The Pioneer Club decided to make a huge neon sign of him. They asked the Young Electric Sign Company to build it. The sign was finished in 1951. It had a waving arm, a moving cigarette, and even said "HOWDY, PARTNER!!!" every 15 minutes! The voice belonged to Maxwell Kelch, who was in charge of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce at the time. Vegas Vic was placed on the corner of First Street and Fremont Street. He replaced an older sign that just showed a covered wagon.
Quiet Times and New Looks
In 1966, a movie star named Lee Marvin was staying nearby. He complained that Vegas Vic was too loud! So, the casino turned off Vic's voice. He stayed silent for almost 20 years. His voice was turned back on in the 1980s, but it stopped working again by 2006. His arm also stopped waving in 1991.
In 1994, a big project called the Fremont Street Experience was being built. To make Vegas Vic fit under the new canopy, a few feet were trimmed off his hat!
After The Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vegas Vic started to look a bit worn out. The Neon Museum at the Fremont Street Experience offered to help fix and take care of him. However, the building owner decided to restore the sign themselves.
Vegas Vic's Style Changes
Vegas Vic has had a few different looks over the years.
- From the 1950s to the 1960s, his shirt was white with yellow checkered stripes.
- In the 1970s, during an early repair, his shirt was painted solid yellow.
- When he was fixed up again in 1998, his shirt became a red and yellow checkered pattern.
- The red circle on his pocket is meant to look like a tag from a bag of Durham Tobacco. This shows that Vic represents a time when cowboys would roll their own cigarettes from a bag of tobacco.
In April 2023, the sign needed some attention again. It was fully fixed up and shining brightly by July 2023!
Other Neon Cowboys
Vegas Vic was the first of three famous neon cowboys in Nevada.
- Wendover Will was put up a year later in 1952 in Wendover.
- River Rick was built in 1981 in Laughlin. River Rick looks almost exactly like Vegas Vic, but with different colors.
Vegas Vickie, The Cowgirl Sign
In 1980, another neon sign appeared across Fremont Street. This one showed a cowgirl in a fringed outfit, kicking her leg out. She was known as Vegas Vickie. She stood above a club called the Girls of Glitter Gulch.
Vegas Vic and Vegas Vickie were even "married" in a fun ceremony in 1994! Vickie was taken down in 2017 when her building was being prepared for demolition. But don't worry, Vegas Vickie was also restored! She now lives inside the Circa Resort & Casino, which opened in 2020 on the same spot.
Gallery
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The Pioneer Club in the 1950s (Vic had a yellow and white plaid shirt)
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The Pioneer Club in the 1980s (Vic had a solid yellow shirt), with Vegas Vickie in the background
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After his 1998 restoration (Vic got a red and yellow checkered shirt)
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Vegas Vic, the neon cowboy of Fremont Street
See also
- Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign
- Stardust sign
- Big Tex
