Published March 28, 2023, for State 48 A2Z
One of the cool things about living in the 21st Century is that there seems to be a museum for nearly everything from our past, and Arizona has its fair share of cool museums. However, there is one Arizona museum that would surely pique the interest of the early 1970s rock band, The Five Man Electrical Band. If 1970s rock seems to be ancient history to you, or you are foggy on who what band was, the Five Man Electrical Band recorded the Les Emmerson hit, “Signs” in 1971.
Thanks for joining us this week as we travel south on Interstate 10 from Phoenix’s west valley to the city of Tucson, Arizona, and the Ignite Sign Museum. And the car radio just happens to be playing, “Sign, sign everywhere a sign, Blockin' out the scenery breakin' my mind, Do this, don't do that, Can't you read the sign?”
Located in Tucson’s Arroyo Chico neighborhood sits a unique museum featuring the vintage sign collection of Jude Cook. Cook, who spent his career life working in the design and sign industry, is also an avid collector of signs, antique, vintage, classic and newer. His company is well known to most Tucsonans having built the city’s iconic neon saguaro sign that is located at Oracle Road and Adams Street, in addition to restoring cherished historical signs including the Tropicana, and Canyon State Motor Lodge, among others.
Now we all know someone into signs, and possibly even a collector or two, but Cook’s sign passion goes so far and beyond most sign collectors. After learning the art of sign painting right out of high school in 1972, Cooke opened his sign business, Cook & Company Signmakers, in 1976. His collection, which started about this time with small signs, now consists of a wide variety of small to extremely large neon, electric, hand-painted, aluminum, and LED signs from restaurants, gas stations, travel lodges/motels, beer, liquor, and much more.
The collection on display is a culmination of the sign man’s 40-plus years of collecting signage from all over Tucson, Arizona, and across the United States. Cook was such a high-level collector that he was known as the person to call if you needed an old sign removed quickly. But by the mid-2010s his collection was getting way too big to store so the next logical step was to open a museum where he could house the entire collection under one roof and give visitors a chance to enjoy them all.
As you tour the museum that Cook started with his wife, Monica, you will find numerous local historic business signs and others from across Tucson, the state, and the country. The Museum has several large rooms that house the collection inside plus an outside section of the museum which houses many signs that are restorations in process.
The idea for the Ignite Sign Museum came to Cooke as they were preparing to celebrate his company’s 40th anniversary in business in 2016. Cook’s collection was housed inside his business and the Tucson business owner decided it would be cool to light them all up for the event. According to Monica Cook, it was a huge hit.
“He (Dane) lit up all the signs in his shop and invited friends and customers,” Monica told the Arizona Republic in 2018. “People loved seeing all the signs, and we heard comments like, 'This place is like a museum!'"
However, it wasn’t as easy as turning on a sign light to find a suitable space for this collection. It was necessary to not only find a building large enough to house the collection while allowing ample space for visitors to maneuver through the collection easily, but also one with enough parking space to handle peak touring hours. After a two-year search, the Cooks found a home for the museum at the old Clyde Hardware Store on Olsen Avenue.
When you tour Ignite Sign Museum, be sure to stop in the outside yard and see what restorations they are working on. One of the cool signs we found in the restoration process during our visit was a couple of signs from the Bedroxx Bowling Alley. These were added to Cook’s collection in May 2022 and were still in the restoration process during our visit in September of that year.
Ignite Sign Museum is located at 331 S. Olsen Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. In addition to loads of great signs from the past they also offer neon bending demonstrations on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. There are even interactive displays including scavenger hunts and sign searches for kids of all ages.
The museum is a single-floor design and is accessible for those with limited mobility. While the museum does not provide wheelchairs or motorized carts, guests are encouraged to bring their own. There are also chairs throughout the museum in case you need to rest a bit during the self-tour, or you just want to take in some of the amazing signs from a seated position. Ignite Sign Museum is also pet friendly if you want to bring your four-legged buddy. Just please, do not leave them in the car no matter what the temperature is. Free parking is available on the building’s south side as well as in the street.
The Museum also offers a 7,000-square-foot space for special indoor events such as engagements, weddings, quinceaneras, and more. Guests are encouraged to bring their cameras and take as many photos as they like. And, if you are looking for a cool, unique place for a photoshoot, Ignite can hook you up. Please note that some signs have blinking and flashing lights in case you have a medical condition that is affected by that.
As of the time of our visit, admission was $12 for general, $10 for students, seniors, and military, and $8 for children 8-17. Children under the age of 8 are admitted free. When you are done checking out the signs, be sure to stop in at their museum store to find some cool, sign-themed souvenirs of your visit. You can learn more about Ignite Sign Museum here. If you are looking for a sign maker in the Tucson area, you can learn more about Cooke & Company Signmakers here.
That will wrap things up for another week’s travels. Let’s get back on the magic carpet and make our way north on Interstate 10 heading home to the Phoenix west valley, as we deliver you safely back to your home. We thank you for riding along with us on our weekly travels and look forward to you joining us again on next week’s trip to another amazing place in the Great State 48.
Until then, please be sure to share our posts with your friends and family and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In for other posts and photos. Send us your feedback, we’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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