EDMONTON – There’s a new glow along 104 Street, after Edmonton’s newest museum flickered to life Friday night.
Eight large, neon signs were turned on at 7:30 p.m., marking the official opening of the Neon Sign Museum. The city has four more signs it will add to the collection over the next few months, each representing a piece of Edmonton’s history.
“This is just splendid,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “This is bringing alive some of our history. I mean, so much of Edmonton was built around the time of the war and this is a piece of that history.”
“These signs were once icons of the avenues they lit up,” added David Holdsworth, a city planner who originated the idea. “We hope that the museum will draw people to enjoy the art, beauty and heritage preserved in these neon designs.”
Watch below: Neon Sign Museum lit up on 104 Street
Pieces from Mike’s News Stand, XL Furniture, WW Arcade, Cliff’s Auto Parts and Canadian Furniture are a few that make up the current collection, showcased on the side of the Telus building on 104 Street at 104 Avenue.
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“I would like to see families walking down 104 Street here and parents and grandparents talking to their children about the history of those signs,” said Tim Pedrick, president of the Alberta Sign Association.
A first-of-its-kind in Canada, the outdoor neon museum has been in the works since 2008. Located near Edmonton’s new downtown arena district, the project was part of the city’s revitalization of 104 Street.
And this isn’t the end of the display, the city says it plans to locate and restore more signs for the museum, which currently has enough space for 30 signs.
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