American Sign Museum’s Permanent Home Unveiled

The American Sign Museum officially opened its new home in the Camp Washington area of Cincinnati on Saturday, June 23. The museum’s regular hours are 10:00-4:00, Wednesday through Saturday, and Noon-4:00 on Sunday. Guided tours are conducted twice a day at 11:00 and 2:00, and at 2:00 on Sunday, at no extra cost. Private group tours continue to be available.

At the pre-opening reception, United-Maier Sign Co. (Cincinnati) was honored with the first annual Extra Mile Award for its extensive donations of time, labor and storage in the retrieval, repair and installation of numerous signs. Similarly, David and Suze Butler (Butler Design, Syracuse, IN) were given an Extra Mile award for having organized and coordinated the 29 U.S. and Canadian signpainters who spent the week of March 19-23 donating their services to paint “old” signs that significantly complement the actual vintage signs on Main St.

The event marked a triumphant culmination of efforts that museum founder and president Tod Swormstedt began in 1999. None of it would have been possible without the exceedingly generous contributions of Jim and Sharon Weinel (Gemini Inc., Cannon Falls, MN).

The museum had called the Essex Studios facility in Cincinnati its temporary home since Spring 2005. The new space is more than four times bigger, and the 28-ft. ceilings now allow the full-size McDonald’s and Howard Johnson’s signs to dominate Main Street. The museum now boasts more than 4,000 artifacts.