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American Sign Museum, Cincinnati, OH

Photo: 5chw4r7z from Cincinnati, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsQuirky FunRainy-Day PickLocal Gem

American Sign Museum

1330 Monmouth Avenue · Cincinnati, OH

Why you should go…

The American Sign Museum fills a 42,000-square-foot building with signs dating from the late 19th century through the 1970s, many of them mounted along a faux streetscape called Signville. A 20-foot fiberglass genie greets you at the door, and the collection includes a 1963 McDonald's sign with the Speedee character and a Frisch's Big Boy statue. Neonworks of Cincinnati runs a working neon shop inside the museum, and guided tours are offered on weekends.

  • #neon signs
  • #museum
  • #vintage americana
  • #photography spot

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to American Sign Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

    $25–$50

    See Fiona the hippo, gorillas, elephants and giraffes at a 75-acre zoo and garden that opened in 1875.

    1.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Shopping
    Foodie Favorite

    Findlay Market

    Free

    Ohio's oldest continuously operated public market, with butchers, produce, cheese and food stalls in Over-the-Rhine.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Cincinnati Museum Center

    Under $25

    Explore three museums and an OMNIMAX theater inside Union Terminal, an Art Deco train station with a half-dome rotunda.

    2.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Free

    Cincinnati Art Museum

    Free

    Free art museum in Eden Park with a collection of more than 73,000 works spanning 6,000 years.

    3.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Cincy Region

    Free

    Official destination marketing organization for greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

    3.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    History Buff

    National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

    Under $25

    Explore the history of the Underground Railroad on the Cincinnati riverfront, including a preserved 1830 slave pen.

    3.5 mi awayMore like this