The most captivating neon signs in Los Angeles

Bright lights, big city: these 12 colorful neon signs in LA range from a liquor store clown to the oldest McDonald's arches in the country

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Photograph: Danny Casillas/flickr | Felix Chevrolet

Time Out in association with Land RoverWednesday January 20 2016

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LA might be known for its perpetual sunshine during the day, but at night the city seems to glow just as brightly as the Vegas Strip. Live music venues, bowling alleys, movie theaters—in the land of perpetual entertainment, neon signs directing our attention to these lively hubs are just as important as the spaces themselves. Hell, we love our neon so much that we have an entire museum dedicated to the colorful glass tubes. Our absolute favorite neon signs in LA are attached to dance clubs, bakeries, liquor stores and more—all you need to do is take the time to slow down and look.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Best neon signs in Los Angeles

1. McDonald's

Photograph: Bryan Hong/Wikimedia Commons

10207 Lakewood Blvd at Florence Ave, Downey

The oldest operating McDonald's still in existence, this little burger stand (complete with a mascot few would recognize today) was built in 1953 and sits adjacent to the McDonald's Museum.

2. Museum of Neon Art

Photograph: Thomas Hawk/flickr

216 S Brand Blvd, Glendale

The 19-foot diver chosen to represent LA's Museum of Neon Art is actually a replica of a piece of original art from a hotel in Mississippi. The museum, formerly located in Downtown, was closed from June 2011 to December 2015 and now serves as the anchor for Glendale's new Cultural Arts District.

3. Felix Chevrolet

Photograph: Danny Casillas/flickr

3330 S Figueroa St, Downtown

Okay, so technically this sign is no longer neon: in 2012, the 1958 sign was switched from neon to LED, prompting a huge amount of backlash from the local community (and a huge savings to the car dealership, about $3,000 per month).

4. Club Bahia

Photograph: Courtesy Club Bahia

1130 Sunset Blvd, Echo Park

Club Bahia has been the city's best Latin dance club since 1974, and its interior has changed very little. The neon above the bar and dance floor bathes the entire club in a colorful glow, bringing us back four decades with the flip of a switch.

5. Frolic Room

Photograph: Courtesy Floyd B. Bariscale via Flickr

6245 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood

The Frolic Room is one of Hollywood's oldest and last remaining dive bars—it's been around since the end of Prohibition and is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Charles Bukowski. Its colorful sign is almost as iconic as the bar itself—prints and replicas are sold along Hollywood Boulevard and on the Internet.

6. House of Spirits

Photograph: Thomas Hawk/flickr

1314 Echo Park Ave, Echo Park

This adorable liquor store sign shows animated puffs of smoke coming from a pink A-frame house behind a picket fence (check out this quick time lapse to see the sign in action). It's rather quaint for a business slinging booze and lottery tickets, but that's part of what makes it so iconic.

7. Earl Carroll Theater

Photograph: Jesperdo/flickr

Universal Studios & CityWalk, Hollywood

This 20-foot portrait of entertainer Beryl Wallace (a close companion of Mr. Carroll's) survived several moves and ownership changes from 1938 to 1968. The one on display today at Universal CityWalk is a more detailed re-creation based on photos of the original.

8. Jensen's Recreation Center

Photograph: Jessica Watkins/flickr

Logan St and Sunset Blvd, Echo Park

Another non-neon exception: This 1924, 28-by-17-foot Jensen building sign (portraying the bowling alley that once operated where apartments are now) is actually made up of 1,300 incandescent bulbs, having been built just before neon became popular.

9. Helms Bakery

Photograph: Larry/flickr

8758 Venice Blvd, Culver City

This '30s era sign towering above Culver City pays homage to the contract Paul Helms won to supply bread for the 1932 Olympic Games after opening his bakery just a year earlier.

10. Nuart Theatre

Photograph: Thomas Hawk/flickr

11272 Santa Monica Blvd, Sawtelle

The Nuart boasts one of the most iconic movie marquees in history. The theater was built and lit up in 1929, and is now the flagship movie theater of the Landmark Theatres chain across the country.

11. Brent-Air Pool Supplies

Photograph: Thomas Hawk/flickr

4721 W Slauson Ave, South LA

Our second lady diver on the list, this beauty was built in the early 1950s to help make pool supplies sexy. In the '70s, she was repainted and given a bikini, although her one-piece neon outline remained. In 2010, the sign was knocked down by high winds and couldn't be salvaged—the one we see today is a $30,000 replica.

12. Circus Liquor

Photograph: Thomas Hawk/flickr

5600 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood

Standing at an enormous 32 feet, this iconic, if slightly terrifying, clown has been around for 50 years, racking up cameos in countless films (remember when Cher got held up in the parking lot in Clueless?).

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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