(JANUARY 6, 2023) Some people say there is a museum for anything you can think of. Art museums, science museums, and history museums are common. Oregon also has a museum of neon signs.
The National Neon Sign Museum is in The Dalles, which is a city of about 16,000 people in the Columbia River Gorge. The museum opened in 2019. It has a variety of colorful signs that glow. Some are old, and some are new.
“Signs are very similar to songs,” said David Benko. He created the museum. He told the Here Is Oregon website, “You could hear a song that you haven’t heard for two years, three years, 10 years, and it will bring back memories. Signs are very much the same way.”
Benko bought his first neon sign when he was 16 years old. Then he worked in the sign industry. He now owns a company that repairs neon signs. His collection keeps on growing.
“What’s on display at the museum is maybe 5% to 10% of my collection,” he said, “but one of the great things about that is we have the opportunity to always be changing things.”
Interestingly not all "neon signs" use neon gas. Neon glows as red. Argon or mercury glow as blue. Helium glows as orange/white.
The hours of the museum change depending on the season. Visitors should check the museum's website for details. Admission is $5-$10.