The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, OH features an incredible display of hundreds of signs from the late nineteenth century through the 1970s. In addition to neon signs, there are plastic signs and pre-neon signs, including wooden signs, opal glass signs, and gold leaf signs. This is hands-down the largest sign museum in the world and a must for anyone interested in signs.
Around 2001, Tod Swormstedt (first photo below) began stashing vintage signs in his basement office and began hunting for a museum location. The Essex Studios location opened in 2005. It was only a small rented space and Tod's collection continued to grow. In 2009, he found an ideal building in the Camp Washington neighborhood. The new museum opened in 2012. The building also houses offices, a library, archives, and "Neonworks," a neon shop which restores local signs and maintains the museum's collection. The photos shown on these pages were taken between 2009 and 2025. The older photos provide before/after comparisons of how some of the signs were restored. The museum believes in preserving the "patina" of signs rather than repainting them. However, the neon and bulbs are repaired to create fully-functioning signs true to their original design.
In addition to the signs, the museum also has two Carpeteria genie statues, a Frisch's Big Boy statue, a giant pig statue, and a giant bowling pin. There are also signs at the museum which are described in other sections such as the Pohlman's Pharmacy, Loomis Camera, and Frisch's Big Boy signs.
For more, see the museum's website and this book about the museum. [map]
