/ Source: The Associated Press
The iconic "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign is now officially a piece of national history.
Clark County officials on Thursday announced that the sign has gained listing on the National Register of Historic Places, to fit with the county's centennial celebration this year.
County Commission Chairman Rory Reid says the 50-year-old sign at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip is an important symbol, as well as the backdrop for untold thousands of tourist photographs.
The National Park Service designation became official on May 1.
The sign cost $4,000 in 1959 and was designed by Betty Whitehead Willis of Western Neon.
It was erected after a group of Strip hotel owners asked Clark County for a sign welcoming visitors to Las Vegas.
