Ugly Duckling neon sign lights up Neon Museum’s Boneyard

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

A view of the recently restored Ugly Duckling sign at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on ... — A view of the recently restored Ugly Duckling sign at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, July 11, 2019. The sign was originally located on East Fremont Street at Ugly Duckling Car Sales. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

The Ugly Duckling neon sign undergoes a transformation. (The Vox Agency)

Tom Duck, founder and president of Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car started the business when he was 64. He is seen in a March 25, 1988, file photo. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The Ugly Duckling neon sign undergoes a transformation. (The Vox Agency)

People walk by the recently restored Ugly Duckling sign at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, July 11, 2019. The sign was originally located on East Fremont Street at Ugly Duckling Car Sales. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

The recently restored Ugly Duckling sign at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, July 11, 2019. The sign was originally located on East Fremont Street at Ugly Duckling Car Sales. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

The recently restored Ugly Duckling sign stands next to the La Concha sign at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, July 11, 2019. The sign was originally located on East Fremont Street at Ugly Duckling Car Sales. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

A view of the Hard Rock Cafe guitar and The Flame signs at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, July 11, 2019. The sign was originally located on East Fremont Street at Ugly Duckling Car Sales. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

Tom Duck would be proud. Duck was the founder and president of Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car, which had a location on East Fremont Street back in the 1990s.

Today, Duck’s iconic and whimsical neon sign that greeted visitors to Duck’s Ugly Duckling Car Sales has been restored to its colorful glory days.

And now, after a thorough restoration, the Ugly Duckling is looking pretty good at the Neon Museum’s Boneyard at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N.

The sign actually found a home at the boneyard since the museum opened in October 2012. The restoration took about 136-man hours to replace neon and now the Ugly Duckling is located close to the boneyard’s entrance next to the La Concha motel sign.