Vegas Vic

Vegas Vic has watched over downtown Las Vegas for 75 years, and his age is starting to show. The 40-foot-high, 20-foot-wide neon cowboy was erected in 1951 on the side of the Pioneer Club building (per Las Vegas Advisor) at 25 East Fremont Street, designed by Pat Denner. The Desert Companion recorded that the original sign had its arm waving and played a recording saying “Howdy Podner!”. The Las Vegas Advisor says it was manufactured and installed for $25,000, that it weighed six tons, and that its cigarette twitched and blew smoke rings; at the time, it adds, it was the largest mechanical sign in the world. The Pioneer building is now a souvenir shop. Hoodline reported in August 2026 that the arm has not waved since 1991 and the recorded greeting has been silent since the mid-2000s. In April 2023 the city contacted the sign's owner about a code violation after it was not fully lit. Las Vegas Advisor wrote in August 2026 that the sign was in noticeable need of restoration, after SFGate reported the sign and its image rights have separate owners. A city spokesperson said in July that the sign was working. Hoodline adds that the Neon Museum's chief executive has suggested the sign needs a thorough restoration rather than spot fixes, a job that would fall to its property owners. The view is from the public street.