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American Sign Museum

American Sign Museum

American Sign Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
We are home to a visual history of American Signage from 1870 through 1970. Hand carved wooden signs, gold leaf, electric light bulbs, and neon all grace our walls and tell amazing stories, especially when told by our founder and avid collector Tod. Take a trip down memory lane and visit us in the Camp Washington neighborhood of Cincinnati!
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  • Martie S
    Oakland, California13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cool experience
    You may not think signs would be interesting, but they are! Try to catch a tour (free with admission), especially with Alex. Very amusing and informative tour. Part of the museum is set up like you are walking down a street, with light posts, store fronts, and everything. And next year they are expanding!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 3, 2023
  • Karen H
    Lincoln, Nebraska584 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quirky. Better than advertised.
    We were greeted by friendly folks at the entry. There was a film giving I form about the story of the signs and collection. It was interesting and really well done. The signs were awesome. A real walk down memory lane. There is also an active neon business in the building as well. We were able to watch some neon sign making in action.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written November 17, 2023
  • Tracy D
    30 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cool signs!
    Another quirky place to visit! At first I was concerned about the neighborhood, but they have a private lot to park in that’s very safe. The museum is really well done, with an overview movie to watch. It’s a great thing to do in a rainy day, as everything’s inside.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 6, 2023
  • Mike
    Park Hills, Kentucky18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyment for all ages
    The museum is an excellent example vintage neon signs in the world. The museum also have many other examples of sign making dating back hundreds of years. It is work a visit to this classic very unique museum.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 20, 2023
  • jenandallthethings
    118 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    For the right kind of history buff
    This is a very fun museum and they have interesting displays and all kinds of signage types. I did both the audio tour and the tour with Alex. He put's on his "announcer" voice and takes us through the museum offering educational tidbits throughout. Definitely an interesting stop for someone wanting to know more about this type of history and how it advanced. Price not too steep, free onsite parking
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written January 3, 2024
  • SaraR54
    Bowling Green, Kentucky17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Retro Neon Paradise
    If you are into signage, typography, history or vintage stuff (and especially if you're into all of the above), you're going to love it here! They have an AMAZING collection of signs and so much background information on everything. We listened to a little bit of a tour and I wish we had stayed for the whole thing because the tour guide was great; it's not often that you meet someone who gets to do something they truly love for work. There is also a neon shop in the back where they give demonstrations. Free parking, which was nice, and the museum is easy to find. Well worth the cost of admission but it's not so huge that you're overwhelmed. We took about an hour and a half to go through it but I like to read EVERYTHING. They have a small gift shop where they sell airbrushed hats which is maybe the coolest thing I've ever seen in a museum gift shop. You will notice signage everywhere else you go for the rest of the day after visiting this place. Definitely set aside an hour or two to visit if you are in the area!
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 5, 2024
  • Natalie M
    44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family Adventure Weekend
    Awesome museum with a unique travel through time experience for visitors. You can do a self guided tour or go at specific times on the weekend for a guided tour or neon bending demonstration. The staff is knowledgeable and entertaining. They are expanding so we look forward to coming back to see more in the future. Love that they have options for self guided tour in different languages including Hindi and Braille.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 27, 2024
  • OliviaV23
    Clarksville, Tennessee85 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the Trip
    Exactly what you expect. It was full of neat old signs, a lot of great information and really friendly staff. We enjoyed our time there. Suggestion for visitors: watch the video in the back first. We caught it at the tail end of our wander through and went back to look at different highlights. It made us understand and appreciate some of them differently!
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 7, 2024
  • Crystal C
    65 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Little museum Lots of Nostalgia
    The museum was great! Growing up in the 80’s there were so many things that my husband and I remembered. It was educational for our young adult children and for ourselves. The founder of the museum actually had an office within the exhibits with a sign that we could ask him questions. I have never been to any museum (I have been to a lot of museums) where I was able to speak to the curator directly. He was so nice. We really enjoyed this and spent more time there than I thought we would have. Definitely worth the visit!
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 22, 2024
  • LexiV
    Cleveland, Ohio1,732 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun Experience
    This was a really unique museum. If you're into signage, graphic design, or just retro design in general, I highly recommend it. There's free parking, and they're also a part of Museums for All, so if you receive food assistance, you can visit for free. We had a great time checking out all of the different eras and types of signage. There's an informational video in the back that breaks down what you're seeing in each room and why it's significant. There was a neon demonstration while we there as well. The bathrooms were even done in a retro tile design and there's a small reasonably priced gift shop as well.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles900 reviews
Excellent
636
Very good
209
Average
41
Poor
8
Terrible
6

lauren h
29 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
Overwhelming with all the signs crammed in. Really cool signs, many I was familiar with. The displays have info on multiple signs, but sometimes finding the sign to match the text was scrambled for where your eyes want to go. Good explanations on different types of signs and methods for creating.

There’s a shop in the back where they were working on creating or repairing signs. There is a Main Street that has been recreated, but with some larger signs in the middle. It was decorated for Christmas, including windows paint that sometimes blocks the displays. While the paint makes it more authentic for a Main Street, it detracts from the displays.

There is a small children’s area with books on museums and signs, coloring sheets and crayons, along with smaller chairs and tables.

Gift shop is small, but had magnets for $5-7, tin signs at $10, shirts, hoodies, postcards, enamel pins, and one shot glass design.
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CharlieV2011
Chicago, IL2,318 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Solo
I really enjoyed my visit here! Upon entry, the museum provides a website that is the guided tour tour, so bring your headphones. The museum exhibits signs that were visible in America between the late 1800’s and the 1970’s. The guided tour explains the differences in displays during this time period. Many of the signs come with information displays that give details about when it was functional, where it came from, and the business it advertised for. The museum took me about an hour to go through. If you like history and want a trip down memory lane, this is a great attraction if you are in Cincinnati.
Written December 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Holly H
Cleveland, OH58 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Fantastic place to see neon signs and learn the history of American sign making. There is also a working neon sign shop sharing space in this unique museum. They are practicing safety measures during this Covid pandemic. It's not a big museum so you only need about an hour of so but it's so cool, it's worth the visit.
Written July 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dawn S
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
The museum is not in a great part of town but there is a parking lot right by the entrance. The staff is friendly especially the gentleman who greeted the visitors. I would highly suggest going straight to the back of the museum and watching the videos. The videos are 3-4 minutes in length and cover the history of signs through the years. Then after the videos, tour the museum. We looked at all the signs, then watched the videos but decided to go back through the museum to look at the signs and techniques mentioned in the videos. It gave us a greater appreciation for all the signs. The gift shop had a nice selection of fun, retro items. It was an enjoyable experience.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

krogersku
Johnston, IA666 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
On vacation our family visits a lot of museums. Most of the time I get the standard “Oh dad, not another museum” line. The American Sign Museum was unique in that everyone seemed to enjoy it. The museum is small and takes about an hour to visit. Kids did the scavenger hunt which kept them engaged. Amazing vintage neon signs, why did we ever give these up for plastic?? Restoration shop onsite where you can watch them work restoring old signs. Only thing missing from this place is a vintage bubbler jukebox.
Written June 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annea1
Cincinnati, OH7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This is an amazing treasure trove of history tucked away in the Camp Washington area of Cincinnati. Signs ranging from tiny letter samples to huge McDonald's flashing neon boards are displayed in engaging ways, by materials and also by re-creating a shopping district showing how the signs would be displayed. There's a dizzying array of lighted signs and the building also houses Neonworks, an independent company that creates and restores neon lighting fixtures. You can walk through the restoration area and see signs being worked on as well as the supplies used.
And of course, there's plenty of nostalgia, with one area devoted to Cincinnati signs.
The guided tour is great; our guide was Alex and he was excellent. But there is also an audio tour you can listen to from your phone. Signage is helpful and well-written.
Don't be surprised if you wind up spending a couple of hours here. It's a lot of fun! And Camp Washington Chili is five minutes away if you need to break for food.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ohioemt10
Fairborn, OH245 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Soaking in a bit of nostalgia through some warm neon lights was a perfect stop along our route today. The husband and I made a quick loop through the Cincinnati area for something new to do. While the concept is simple (old store and business signs), you can't help but be sucked down memory lane. Enjoy reading about the history of businesses, signs themselves, and even lettering and practices used creating the unique works of art. I also enjoyed being able to see the workshop where they could create or repair signs.

The store is located in a commercial area and has onsite parking. The building is clean and wheelchair accessible. Cost was $15 per adult and several discounts were also offered. How much time you want to spend depends on how involved you get with the details.

Written October 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

steveslj
Prestonsburg, KY1,020 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I didn't think that a museum about signs could be that interesting, but boy was I wrong. I am a big fan of old Howard Johnson's items and I knew the Museum had a sign so I went. This has to be one of the most amazing museums that I have ever visited. All kind of signs going back decades. Wooden, enameled, neon, etc. Most have documentation of their history. One part of the museum is set up like "Main Street", and it is a sight to see. As a Director of a (Science) museum myself, I look for specific things in museums such as documentation, arrangement, set-up, etc. This Museum has it all! My wife and I drove three hours to see this museum, and it was well worth the trip!
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jocelyn Varisto
Detroit, MI6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
This is an awesome little stop if you’re limited on time and lookin for 60 to 90 minutes to kill. I would highly recommend going on the tour that lasts about 45 minutes. They’re also connected to NeonWorks of Cincinnati and if the shop isn’t to busy they’ll show you a demonstration of how to make a neon sign (which was super cool, we want to go back and take a class). I would stop here again.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

grk1053
Cincinnati, OH3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
the American Sign Museum was a great place to visit and explore. they have great guided tour also and workshops to watch them work and fix the old neon signs . anyone growing up in the late 50's and 60's will have a trip down memory lane. this rivals the sign museum in Los Vegas
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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American Sign Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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