Paris Balloon, tourist attraction in Las Vegas, US
Paris Balloon is a large illuminated sign shaped like an old-style hot air balloon at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino. It rises about 180 feet above the ground, with a ball of roughly 72 feet across, mounted on a firm frame and wrapped in hand-painted and vinyl graphics.
The sign was built in 1999 as part of the hotel's French theme, inspired by the passenger balloon flown by the Montgolfier brothers in the late 1700s. It cost several million dollars at the start, and weather and time have since led to repeated repainting and repairs.
The balloon acts as a reminder of early French flight, with its basket facing a busy corner near a well-known dining spot on the hotel property. Passersby often pause there to take photos at night, when the surrounding glow makes the old-fashioned shape stand out among the modern signs.
You can see this balloon from many spots along the Strip, both up close on the sidewalk and from farther away at street level. The colors look faded in daylight, so evening or night is the better time to view its full lighted effect.
Engineers had to design special cables that stretch only about six inches while holding roughly 400 pounds of tension to connect the ball to its basket. At night, more than a mile of neon tubing lights up the shape, making it glow from far down the street.
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