Cincinnati, Ohio: American Sign Museum

Tod Swormstedt, sign expert, displays hundreds of examples of everything from delicate gold-painted glass to humongous neon. Some signs displayed in the parking lot.

The American Sign Museum is going strong. We got lucky when we visited, and my daughter got to watch a guy work on and test some new neon! The gift shop has some nice t-shirts, so be sure to check it out.

The museum appears to be on track to more than double its size over the next few years. It's already fantastic, but looking forward to the expansion.

The American Sign Museum is a short ride from downtown. The new space holds all of his electric relics beautifully. You can rent the facility for parties or have them design and build/bend you a neon sign (his artistry ain't cheap). It's a joyous space to inhabit with buzz and hum of all of the signs and art.

It's really cool when you are able to have fun while you learn something -- especially about something that we pretty much take for granted every day -- signs, in this case. Tod was really generous to come and open his museum on a day he isn't usually there -- the timing just worked out. And he was happy to share stories and his passion for signs with us.

The most amazing part of this visit were the signs themselves. From the outdoor 'sign garden' where all the enormous outside building signs are kept, to the really intesting museum layout inside. We have a new respect for signs, sign history, and sign technology.