We tend to be nostalgic about the past, even when that time period was long before we were born. Do you remember a time when neon signs graced every restaurant, auto shop, and shoe repair store on the block? Kids growing up today only get an occasional glimpse of neon signs – most signage nowadays is LED. There’s a new museum in Oregon that will take you right back to a more simple time. Take a look at the National Neon Sign Museum:
On 200 E. 3rd Street in The Dalles, you’ll find a beautiful red brick building known as the Elks Building. Constructed in 1910, it was once home to the Cascade Lodge No. 303, and it’s one of the most historic buildings in town. In 2015, the city gifted this gorgeous space to the nonprofit National Neon Sign Museum.
Google The address of the museum is 200 E. 3rd St., The Dalles, OR 97058.
The museum opened its doors in 2018, and is still growing. You can wander down little “streets” to see the signs as they would have once been displayed.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh/Google
These signs evoke nostalgia for a time when everything was simpler, and when neon was the brand new technology of its time. Frog legs, anyone?
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook
Between the 1920s and 1960s, neon signage was all the rage if you wanted to bring attention to your storefront. The signage at the famous Times Square in New York City started a nationwide trend that made neon popular.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh/Google
Neon signs are full of creativity and personality. At the Sign Museum, you’ll find all kinds of examples of fun signage that once graced the exteriors of businesses all over the country.
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook
Many of these signs have been rescued from fields and junk yards, and have been lovingly restored to their former glory.
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook
The National Neon Sign Museum has one of the largest collections of it kind, with plenty more to come.
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook
The museum is currently undergoing construction, but will open again for the 2019 season in March.
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook Make plans to visit this spring!
For more information, visit the National Neon Sign Museum’s website, and follow its Facebook page to see the latest happenings at the museum.
The address of the museum is 200 E. 3rd St., The Dalles, OR 97058.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh/Google
National Neon Sign Museum/Facebook
Make plans to visit this spring!
If you’re looking for a museum that will take you almost a full day to explore, head to Portland to visit this incredible museum that’s a day trip destination.
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