Route 66 Sign Museum

Honestly, I thought my eyes might explode from all the vintage neon joy they were soaking in. If you’re a vintage sign lover, a fan of neon, or just a bit of a sticky beak into how this small yet fabulous sign business operates, the Route 66 Sign Museum is for you.

You can book tickets online, but we just showed up, and for $10 each we were shown throughout the entire factory, including its collection of almost 100 historic and beautifully restored signs.

The museum is housed within the still operational ACE Sign company, which gives a fabulous insight into how vintage and modern-day signs are made and restored. We were lucky enough to be shown around by the owner, the son of the original owner, Frank Horn, who began the business in 1940 with his wife Alvina.

We came for the neon, but also found Ace’s modern day work interesting - digital printing, neon, LED signs, billboards and full motion video boards. But however interesting the modern-day factory is (and it is), without a doubt the stars of the show are the vintage neon signs, photos of signs, and ephemera.

We loved our visit here, with our guide happy to let us wander around for as long as we liked.

Sidebar: the owners are happy to move out their equipment and move in the high tops for your next cocktail party, held by the flattering glow of their vintage sign collection. If you ever decide to do this, please send us an invitation.

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Midwest USA No. 25 - last visited October 2023