There’s something oddly magical about a glowing neon sign.
Maybe it’s the colors. Maybe it’s the hum. Or maybe it’s just the way it instantly transports you to another time — a time of milkshakes, motor inns, and hand-painted shop windows.
Tucked away in an old factory building in Cincinnati, the American Sign Museum is 20,000 square feet of pure retro joy. It’s loud (visually), nostalgic in the best way, and packed with decades of commercial Americana — from art deco drugstore signs to massive roadside neon relics that once lit up the highways of the mid-century Midwest.
The museum is the brainchild of Tod Swormstedt, a guy who basically grew up in the sign world (his family ran Signs of the Times magazine). What started as a personal collection turned into one of the most unique museums in the country — and honestly, one of the most photogenic too. The streetscape inside the museum? Literal gold for your Instagram feed.
Beyond the signs themselves (which range from hand-painted glass to blinking, buzzing neon), you can also peek behind the curtain at how these glowing works of art are actually made. NeonWorks of Cincinnati operates out of the museum, so you might catch a live glass-bending demo while you’re there. It’s mesmerizing.
If you’ve never thought about signs as art, this place will change your mind. And if you already have a deep appreciation for all things vintage, you’re probably halfway to the parking lot by now.
The American Sign Museum is located at 1130 Monmouth Ave. in Cincinnati. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To start planning your visit, head over to americansignmuseum.org.
