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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

American Sign Museum

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Cincinnati, OH
American Sign Museum

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History of America through a century of signage! The museum is home to the history of American signage over the last century. http://www.americansignmuseum.org
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Signs from the late 1800's are hand painted and gold leafed. Milk glass letters illuminate the electric age alongside bare bulbs. The thirty's gave rise to neon signs and a rainbow of new signs. Post war, plastics became quite popular. All these era's come together on Main Street, where we've recreated a streetscape you'll have to see to believe! It's a great family activity, and the most unique party space in Cincinnati! For information on guided tours and event, please visit our website!

10/30/2026

Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend from our gang of ghouls to yours!

Don’t forget to arrive in costume and join us for Spooky Scary Sign Tours all weekend long! Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 12 pm and 2 pm.

10/29/2026

The season of lights is about to get brighter with the glow of the restored Frisch’s Mainliner sign!

Join us at the American Sign Museum as we flip the switch on an iconic piece of Cincinnati history.

Celebrate with classic holiday tunes and your favorite Frisch’s treats.

📅 Wednesday, Dec. 16 | 6 pm – 8 pm

📍American Sign Museum | 1330 Monmouth Ave

Space is limited! Visit bit.ly/MainlinerRelighting to RSVP by December 7

10/28/2026

“Blood makes good paint” beyond creepy décor on Halloween. This double-faced, projecting sign is from around 1936 and incorporates reverse-painted, incandescent-illuminated, curved-glass faces and a neon border to promote a paint product.

One face reads, “Blood’s Paints Blood Makes Good Paint,” and the other reads, “Heath & Milligan.” According to its crate’s stencils, it was originally shipped to E.H. Clark c/o The Glidden Co., 1300 7th Street San Francisco. For some reason, the sign was received but never installed...oOoOoh mysterious!

Learn more about the strange world of signs at the American Sign Museum during our Spooky Scary Sign Tours this Friday through Sunday at 12 pm and 2 pm. Don’t forget your costume!

Are you brave enough to join us? Plan your visit at www.AmericanSignMuseum.org/Visit

10/23/2026

In our last Roto-Sphere update, we left off in November 2024 when Tod dropped off the Museum’s new Sphere to Alan Whitacker in Whiteland, Indiana for restoration.

Alan has a self-described “bad love for old signs” with the Roto-Sphere holding a special place in his heart. He has restored his own Roto-Sphere, formerly of the Catalina Motel, now on display in Whiteland as well as another. His experience and expertise made him the perfect person to take on the challenges of getting the Museum’s sphere spinning again.

The ASM wishes to thank Alan for all of his hard work and dedication! As he mentions though, the job isn’t quite over.

The Neonworks team will soon be taking on the challenge of bending new tubes for the 10-foot-long arms to get the Roto-Sphere glowing again. We are incredibly grateful to the donors whose early support has powered us through this intensive physical rebuilding phase.

But getting it up and running is only half the battle. Once installed, maintaining the Roto-Sphere is going to require a lot of specialized skill and ongoing care from our collections and conservation teams.

Please consider supporting the long-term upkeep of the Roto-Sphere so it will keep spinning and glowing for years to come!

Give to the Roto-Sphere Restoration and Maintenance Fund today by visiting www.AmericanSignMuseum.org/RotoSphere

10/22/2026

There’s a little Halloween magic hiding around every corner at the American Sign Museum. From spooky storefront displays to hand-bent neon ghouls, Main Street is dressed for the season! 👻

Bring the family and join us for some frightfully fun activities included with your Museum admission:

Sign Crafting Saturday - Create a Halloween-inspired sign craft in the Classroom!
📅 Oct. 23 | 1 – 3 pm

Spooky Scary Sign Tours - Explore the Museum’s eeriest signs and hear the stories behind some of our most mysterious objects. Special treat! These specialty tours will also be offered on Friday at 12 pm and 2 pm in addition to regular weekend tour times.
📅 Friday – Sunday, Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 | 12 & 2 pm

Plan your visit at www.AmericanSignMuseum.org/Visit

10/21/2026

Alex returned from vacation to find 34 lightbulbs waiting to be changed! Thanks to a little TLC, several signs around the Museum are shining bright again--including the ones featured here.

Stop by and take a closer look! Visit the American Sign Museum Wednesday through Sunday 10 am - 4 pm.

Images by Thomas Hawk

10/16/2026

This little piggy is ready for the fair!
Kahnie, our larger-than-life parking lot pig, is sporting a fresh coat of paint just in time for the Camp Washington State Fair tomorrow. Check out Kahnie's makeover and then see her in person at the Fair!

The day kicks off with the Cattle Drive: Moo Mile, a 1k race inspired by the legendary story of Freedom the cow, that passes right by the American Sign Museum!

After the race, Valley Park will come to life with live music, a petting zoo, yard games, crafts, a costume parade, and more in celebration of our vibrant and creative Camp Washington community.

While you're in the neighborhood, enjoy FREE Museum admission all day long and explore our collection of iconic local and national signs.

See you at the fair! More at www.MadeInCamp.org

10/15/2026

A close shave...or something more sinister? ✂️

This double-faced, neon and handlettered sign originally identified the business of Ralph Puzio’s grandfather who immigrated from Afagola, Italy in the early 20th century. The business opened in 1921 under the name “Sterling Barber Shop” in downtown Trenton, New Jersey.

The pictorial face and scissors were probably painted by Walt Marczak, a local artist. Marczak, who also worked as a circus clown, was well known in the area for his artwork which can still be found on signs and buildings today.

For unknown reasons, the sign was removed in 1955. The non-illuminated elements of the main sign cabinet were in excellent shape, but the neon was completely remade and a new transformer was added by our friends at Neonworks.

With scissors posed at the neck, this barber looks ready to give Sweeney Todd a run for his money! What’s the spookiest sign you’ve seen lately?

10/14/2026

Cincinnati’s Chinese food story began taking shape more than a century ago.

Although chop suey houses appeared around the city at the turn of the 20th century, Wong Yie’s Gold Dragon was among the first restaurants to introduce Chinese cuisine to non-Chinese Cincinnatians. Despite the enormous difficulties Chinese immigrants faced, compounded by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Yie’s restaurant helped spark more than 80 Chinese restaurants in Cincinnati.

Today, restaurateurs like Mike Wong of Oriental Wok and Johnny Chu of KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia continue to keep the city’s Chinese food culture alive and evolving.

Join author and food historian, Dann Woellert, Thursday, October 22 for a talk inspired by his latest book, Cincinnati Chinese Food: A Sweet & Sour History. Explore the unexpected and altogether delectable history of Chinese food in the Queen City through 10 signs that helped advertise it.

Learn more at www.AmericanSignMuseum.org/Event/Chinese-Food

10/09/2026

The annual neighborhood celebration is almost here, and it is going to rock! Swipe through to check out some of the local bands set to entertain you next weekend at the Camp Washington State Fair!

Featuring:
LEGGY
Lush femme DIY rust belt pop

For fans of: Bratmobile, Lana Del Ray, Hole, Bully, The Slits

BUGSLEY
90’s-inspired indie garage pop with fuzzy guitars and chimey melodies

For fans of: Mazzy Star, Takako Minekawa, The Sundays, Lush, Bobbie Gentry, Throwing Muses

CARRIERS
American indie rock with storytelling soul and dreamy vibes

For fans of: Tom Petty, the National, Kurt Vile, Beirut, Band of Horses, Dylan, The Pomegranates

SMASHERMAN
Angular guitar prog with indie synth dance rock

For fans of: Brainiac, Styx, Prodigy, Chalk, Interpol, Blue Oyster Cult, Giorgio Moroder, Kraftwerk

Visit MadeInCamp.org to learn more.

Address

1330 Monmouth Avenue
Cincinnati, OH
45225

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15135416366

Website

http://www.americansignmuseum.org/

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