No trip to Las Vegas is complete without visiting this landmark. Designed by Betty Willis in 1959, the famous neon sign welcomes millions of visitors to Las Vegas each year. Willis never copyrighted the sign's design, and consequently the sign has become synonymous with Las Vegas and appears on all kinds of souvenirs and in artwork. On May 1, 2009, the landmark sign was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. For many years, the sign was on the outskirts of town and stood in the median to greet drivers, but now it's surrounded by hotels and has become popular enough that a parking lot was built just for it.