Vegas Embraces Halloween Spirit With Headless Hacienda Horseman

Las Vegas has a special place in its heart for Halloween, and downtown’s Hacienda horse and rider sign has gotten into the spirit of the season.

An uncanny neon fail has turned into a Halloween win, as the rider is currently “headless,” an inadvertent but timely homage to “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving.

Las Vegas headless horseman
The Hacienda once had its own airline to fly in gamblers, Hacienda Airlines.

The Hacienda Hotel’s 40-foot-tall horse and rider was the very first restoration project of the Neon Museum.

The Hacienda Hotel was located at the south end of The Strip, where Mandalay Bay now stands. The Hacienda was demolished in 1996.

Little-known fact about the Hacienda: It was originally called Lady Luck, a name later used for a hotel-casino downtown, now known as Downtown Grand.