Tucson's neon sign museum turned 5 years old this fall 💡

In midtown Tucson, a local museum glows like no other.

The Ignite Sign Art Museum — home to hundreds of historic signs, many from Tucson’s past — celebrated five years of neon and Americana this month. The museum is located at 331 S. Olsen Ave.

Visitors can find signs from the now-closed Molina's Midway Restaurant, the De Anza Drive-In movie theater and mini replica signs of iconic Tucson landmarks such as Magic Carpet Golf and Tropicana Motor Hotel.

The museum’s newest addition in its “backyard” is Argon Alley, which includes replica storefronts adorned with neon signs from local businesses like Clues Unlimited, Lotus Garden and even a retro Eegee's sign. The alley officially lit up as part of Ignite’s fifth-anniversary gala on Oct. 7.

“We had about 160 people here when we had the opening and it went off really well,” said owner Jude Cook. “I think we achieved what we were trying to do which was to give the place a good feel and get it lit at night.”

Attendees at the gala included locals, folks from the Casa Grande Neon Park and the founder of Cincinnati’s American Sign Museum.

“They (attendees) got a bag when they came in at night and then they would go around and they could collect different things,” said Monica Cook, who is Jude’s wife and oversees the day-to-day at the museum. “In front of the Lotus Garden, which was a Chinese restaurant, they had fortune cookies and could get their fortune told. Of course, for Eegee's, we had drinks and sandwiches.”

The lighting of Argon Alley was a way to celebrate just how far Ignite has come over the last five years — and the hard work that’s gone into the museum to keep it light and bright.

“It's come very, very fast actually,” Monica said. “I can't believe it's been five years. And there's so much more we want to do. But we feel like we've got a really good start and we've got some people that keep coming back and bringing more visitors and so we're really pleased with how well it's going.”

Glowin' since the 1970s

For the Cooks, starting a neon sign museum wasn’t always part of the plan.

Jude, who also owns Cook & Company Sign Makers, started collecting signs in the mid-1970s. Monica previously worked as a teacher.

Around 10 years ago, Jude worked on a local committee to help get the city’s sign code amended to allow historic signs to be taken down, restored and put back up.

“I've been collecting signs since 1974 — with no real plan, I just collected them because I thought they were interesting,” Jude said. “It wasn't like there was a grand plan years ago to do this. But meeting these guys (on the committee) and then I had a 40th anniversary for my sign company and invited about 100 people and I lit up almost everything I had in the shop that was part of my collection and we just got such a good response from that. I think that probably planted the seed.”

With an exciting response and an ever-growing collection, the Cooks saw an opportunity to utilize both of their passions — collecting signs and teaching — by opening a museum.

They began searching for a space in 2016 and eventually found the perfect spot near Broadway and Tucson Boulevard in 2017. The Cooks spent around a year setting up the museum for visitors. Jude placed the signs and Monica wrote up brief histories about the major pieces around the space.

Ignite Sign Art Museum officially opened its doors on Oct. 10, 2018. 

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“Since then, I think we've doubled what we have and we've improved and tightened up so many of the exhibits that we have,” Jude said. “And then with the addition of Argon Alley in the back, it's given us places to install a lot of stuff that would have been just sitting on the ground.”

The museum’s collection started with more than 250 signs but now exceeds over 300.

“I wouldn't be surprised if we were to count pieces that we’re in the neighborhood of five to 600 pieces,” he said. “And that's a mixed bag of stuff. I've got little tiny things, I've got great big things. It's all over the board.”

The museum also includes smaller items like tin signs, clocks and other curiosities.

Jude’s collection keeps growing, too, whether it’s pieces he finds in the wild, things that museum visitors donate or even items that are left at Ignite’s front door. There’s always something new popping up at the museum.

“I feel like it's like, reading some of Tucson’s history here,” Jude said. “And I think that's big because most of this stuff would be thrown away. There wouldn't be any reason to keep it. And that's what's happened to so much of it and we’re fortunate for Tucson to have as much as we do have.”

Night hours, classes and more 

The museum has seen many changes since it opened its doors five years ago. The gift shop has gotten improvements and the museum now offers neon sign-making classes where students assemble their own small neon sculptures that they can take home. But Argon Alley has been the biggest addition to the museum over the last few years.

“Every one of these is like building a little building,” Jude said. “You got doors and windows and you got trim and you got a roof and it's a remarkable pile of work to get something like this put together.”

After Argon Alley’s lighting ceremony earlier this month, Jude says he hopes that starting next year, Ignite can host more “Ignite at Night” events where visitors can fully enjoy the museum’s neon glow during evening hours.

Jude also hopes to continue making improvements around the museum by consolidating the collection and putting finishing touches on the exhibits.

“There’s a zillion little details to do,” he said.

However, a museum like Ignite will never be fully “complete” as there will always be something new to add and share with the community.

“The mission really isn't to get them (signs) off the street,” Monica said. “We like them when they're out in Tucson and they can be shown and be lit. But if they don't have a home, we want them to come here.”

For more information about the Ignite Sign Art Museum, check out their website.