A neon jungle cruise through downtown L.A.

Starting Saturday, June 26, and continuing weekly thereafter through mid-November, the Museum of Neon Art’s award-winning summertime tradition returns with Neon Cruise 2010.

The revels begin at 7:30 p.m. with a wine-and-cheese reception at MONA, located downtown at 136 W. 4^th St., between Main and Spring streets. Once urban explorers have sampled the drinks – and the displays – the adventure continues at 8:00 p.m. with a guided British double-decker bus tour by urban anthropologist Eric Lynxwiler, featuring the finest in neon displays from the Broadway Theatre District through Chinatown and Hollywood, concluding downtown where it all began by 11:00 p.m.

Neon signs have decorated the sets of thousands of films and TV programs over the decades, instantly establishing a moody atmosphere of seediness and despair for countless cop shows and murder mysteries. But neon is much than a backdrop, and for nearly 30 years, MONA has dedicated itself to showcasing the finest in neon sculpture and signage, preserving the old and curating showings of the new.

Tickets for the 2010 Neon Cruise are $45 for members and $55 for nonmembers; for further information, call (213) 489-9991. But whether you’re along for the ride or just dropping by for a visit, the experience will shed a little light on this overlooked and underappreciated 20^th century art form. To get there, the Metro Trip Planner offers handy public transit options, or you can use these driving directions.

Posted 6/23/10