Laughing Jackalope

Another example of “always try to get the shot if you can, you never know if it’s the last time”!

I stopped and photographed the Laughing Jackalope sign earlier this year in February. I noticed it while pulling over to take pictures of the breezeblocks at the Desert Oasis next door. One side of the sign was almost completely missing… only the name at the top remained. The side that I photographed was damaged… The right side of the jackalope’s arm was missing, and there were holes in the slot machine.

I read in the Review-Journal that the sign for the old Laughing Jackalope has been removed. The listing broker stated that it was a structural problem and got the owners to tear it down. There was no word if the remains would be donated to the Neon Museum or if they were carried off to be dumped in the trash somewhere. The building that housed the small bar and grill still stands, but the old motel rooms were demolished when the property closed in the 2000s.

I was able to find some history about the sign on the special collections and archive portal at UNLV. The building was owned by Don, Ron, and Randy Horowitz. The sign was manufactured by Diamond Head Signs. The designer of the sign is unknown. The installation of the sign was in 1997. Before the property was known as the Laughing Jackalope, it went by Sunbird Inn and Ali Baba’s.

The sign was ultimately removed because of repeated damage and the blight it was causing to the area. I wish vandals would leave the signs alone. What is so entertaining about throwing rocks or bottles at them? What satisfaction are they getting from it? Another one bites the dust.