On this day in 2014, Edmonton's Neon Sign Museum lit up for the first time.
The bright, buzzy glow of trapped neon has been a part of the city's streetscape for almost a century. The first neon sign in Edmonton appeared in 1928, along the side of Darling's Drug Store. It wasn't long before the city's business districts were awash in bright reds, yellows, and blues, all battling for the attention of customers.
Neon signs remained commonplace for decades, but they slowly began to fall out of favour. Technology such as LEDs made alternative signs cheaper and more energy efficient, and working with neon required expertise that was becoming less common. As businesses closed down or renovated, those bright neon signs were often destroyed or tucked away in storage rooms.
In 2002, city heritage planner David Holdsworth spotted an old Canadian Furniture neon sign that was on its way to the trash as the business was being demolished. Instead of letting it get thrown away, Holdsworth saved it. That sign became the first piece in what would eventually become the first neon sign museum in Canada.
Holdsworth continued to collect other forgotten neon signs. He eventually partnered with members of the Alberta Sign Association, with the goal to restore and recreate some of the damaged old signs and find a place to display them. The collection grew for years, and in 2012 the group secured funding to have the signs displayed on 104 Street.
TELUS gave permission to have the signs installed along the east wall of its brick building on the corner of 104 Street and 104 Avenue downtown. When the museum first opened on Feb. 21, 2014, it had eight historic signs — glimpses back into Edmonton's old newsstands, railways, and other long-gone businesses. Placards along the building's base told the history of each sign and its significance.
The sign museum was an instant hit, drawing both curious locals and international attention. In the past 11 years, the collection has more than doubled to 20 donated signs — enough that the collection has spread across the street to the walls of the Mercer Warehouse. It now features neon artifacts stretching back to the old Pantages Theatre, to video stores, and to bakeries.
Two decades after that first neon sign was saved from the trash pile, the Neon Sign Museum continues to grow. In 2024, it added two new pieces to its outdoor display: The cartoon cyclist from Western Cycle, and a newly-built sign to honour music icon k.d. lang.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.