Roger Thomas Sponsors Restoration of Las Vegas’ Dunes Hotel Sign 
The Last Surviving Sign of the Iconic Resort will be Lit for the First Time Since its 1993 Closure

 
Media Kit

| Las Vegas, NV - September 8, 2025 | Roger Thomas, the acclaimed designer who helped shape Las Vegas over his forty year career creating interiors for Wynn Resorts, has sponsored The Neon Museum’s restoration of the legendary Dunes Hotel sign. With its restoration complete, Thomas will present the highly anticipated relighting on September 26 at The Neon Museum’s Neon Boneyard, 770 Las Vegas Blvd, N. Las Vegas, NV at 6:00pm PT. This momentous occasion honors the iconic resort’s legacy along with the indelible impact made by the Thomas & Mack families on Las Vegas’ meteoric rise as a top international destination, in addition to celebrating the Neon Museum’s ongoing commitment to preserving the city’s rich architectural and cultural history.

For Roger Thomas, the relighting of the Dunes sign is deeply personal. His father, banking pioneer E. Parry Thomas, played a pivotal role in financing the resort’s growth and in shaping the laws that transformed casino ownership in Las Vegas. The Dunes became the first property acquired under this groundbreaking framework, tying his family’s history to a defining moment in the city’s evolution. Decades on, the site became home to the Bellagio—Roger’s first major luxury hotel design—marking this relighting as a culmination of his family history and their lasting legacy.

“The Dunes Hotel and Casino holds deep significance in our family’s history,” said Roger Thomas. “My father, E. Parry Thomas, along with his partner Jerry Mack, made the loans from the Bank of Las Vegas, and later Valley Bank of Nevada, that enabled the Dunes to expand. When they helped change state and federal laws to allow publicly traded corporations to own casinos, the Dunes became the first Las Vegas property acquired under the new framework, through Continental Connectors, Inc., where my father and Jerry Mack were the controlling stockholders. Years later, the Dunes was imploded in spectacular fashion to make way for the Bellagio, my first truly luxury hotel design. It was the end of one era and the beginning of another.”

One of Las Vegas’ premier hotels and casinos during its golden age (1930s-1960s), the Dunes was endlessly influential with its lavish design, dramatic styling, and being an embodiment of mid-century resort glamour. Featuring iconic dining destinations like the Sultan’s Table, a sweeping golf course, and trailblazing stage productions including Casino de Paris and Minsky’s Follies, the property helped shape the identity of the Las Vegas Strip for decades to come. Even though the Dunes was demolished in 1993, it remains an enduring symbol of classic Las Vegas.

Among the most significant elements lost in the demolition was the resort’s spectacular signage, which once greeted visitors with a grand sense of arrival. Thanks to Roger Thomas and The Neon Museum, the original entrance sign—now the last known surviving sign of the Dunes—is being brought back to life through careful preservation and restoration. The team meticulously restored the sign—craning it from the Boneyard, repairing its iconic onion dome silhouette, retracing its original animation pattern, recreating its vibrant orange façade through months of detailed craftsmanship, and many more subtle refurbishings. The relighting ceremony will mark its first public illumination in over 30 years.

About the Roger Thomas Collection 
Renowned designer and Executive Vice President Emeritus of Design and Development at Wynn Hotels and Resorts, Roger Thomas, founded The Roger Thomas Collection as a source for home, luxury, and outdoor design. The company has completed award-winning licensed designs with twenty-three esteemed brands, such as Quintus, Speakman, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Samuel & Sons, Labrazel, Global Views, Boyd Lighting, Walters, and Koroseal, and Fabric Innovations. The Roger Thomas Collection features products that are hand-sketched and designed by Thomas for both residential and hospitality spaces. He has been named 5 times to the prestigious AD100, the Interior Design Hall of Fame and the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle. Thomas is on the founding Board of the Las Vegas Art Museum, a current member of the Board of Trustees for The Neon Museum of Las Vegas, where he serves as chair of the Collection Committee and a member of the Italian Board of Directors of Venetian Heritage, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Venice’s cultural legacy. For more information, visit https://therogerthomascollection.com/.

About The Neon Museum
The Neon Museum illuminates the cultural essence of Las Vegas by sharing iconic signage, diverse collections and stories that define its vibrant past, present and future. Its core values seek to create a sense of belonging for everyone; promote scholarship through its work and collaborations; offer fun engagement that reflects the spirit of Las Vegas; and demonstrate overall excellence.

Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in 2021, the highest national honor for museums in the United States. Situated on a 2.27-acre campus, the Museum features:

  • The Neon Boneyard: An outdoor exhibition space displaying historic signs no longer in use.

  • The North Gallery: Home to Brilliant! Jackpot, an immersive audiovisual experience that re-illuminates over 40 non-operational signs using advanced technology.

  • The Boulevard Gallery: A transitional space showcasing collection pieces.

  • The Visitors’ Center: Located in the iconic former La Concha Motel lobby designed by famed architect Paul Revere Williams.

  • The Neon Boneyard Park: A green space where visitors can learn more of Las Vegas’ rich history.

The museum’s collection also includes 15 restored signs displayed as public art in downtown Las Vegas collectively known as The Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway Project and additional pieces on loan to non-profits and government entities. Its ongoing initiatives encompass public education, outreach, research, and arts preservation. Recently, The Neon Museum announced plans for a relocation and expansion to the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas. Updates will be shared soon.

For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.