fall

Local Landmarks Glow on This Open-Air Neon Cruise Bus Tour

Take a seat on the upper deck of a double-decker bus and let a Museum of Neon Art docent tell you about the shimmering signs of SoCal.

JELER

What to Know

  • Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.; plan on meeting in DTLA, where the tour will start and end (around 10:30 p.m.)
  • $60
  • You'll cruise by iconic sights in both DTLA and Hollywood while picking up fascinating tidbits about the buildings' back stories

Noticing that the nights are growing longer isn't something many of us tend to do immediately after the summer solstice.

Even warm July evenings can feel brighter later, and pondering the shorter days is something we're putting off.

But come August? Fall is clearly on the way, and night is sinking in sooner, both literally and in our time-observing minds.

There is a plus to this, however, and it has to do with the signs that so sensationally shimmer around Southern California, an illuminated land of neon splendor.

If the less-light, more-night vibe is making you think you'd like to know more about the neon tubes that have graced our local building fronts for the better part of a century, there's an after-sunset solution on the September horizon: Taking a Neon Cruise Bus Tour with the Museum of Neon Art.

The "bus" part of the tour's name?

You're on the top of a double-decker, giving you plenty of 360-ish opportunities to look in all directions at our cinematic city. And lots of fresh air, too, in the bargain.

The "neon" end of things?

You'll roll by several bright signs and structures in both DTLA and Hollywood. The Historic Corridor of Downtown LA is one must-see, as is Chinatown, while the theaters of Tinseltown have long been known for their neon-cool kapow.

As for the "cruise" in the happening's handle?

Call it a slow-but-on-the-move way to take in some of these celebrated spots.

And having a smart neon-knowing pro like anthropologist Eric Lynxweiler at the bullhorn? You'll come away with fun facts, fascinating tales, and colorful anecdotes aplenty.

The Neon Cruise Bus Tours do sell out frequently. So frequently, in fact, that the Sept. 25 event was just added to accommodate more fans of city signs, the stars above, and open-air adventures of the most electric and urban variety.

Best book your $60 ticket soon as you prepare to cruise into early fall, and earlier nights, with an eye on our town's most twinkly and eye-catching signs.

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