KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The “lightbulb moment” for founding Kansas City’s Lumi Neon Museum came in 2017 when professional photographer Nick Vedros’ favorite camera shop was closing its doors. Vedros was saddened to see the store go, but horrified to think that Crick Camera’s neon sign might end up in the trash.
“I rescued it”—the owners gave the 1946 vintage sign to him for free, says Vedros—“but I didn’t know what to do with it. It was fifteen feet wide so it didn’t fit in my house,
but I didn’t think it belonged in my house, anyway. I thought maybe it could be rehung in an alley in the Arts District somewhere.”
Seven years later, “Neon Alley” is about to flicker to life: the Lumi Neon Museum is set to open at Pennway Point, a six-acre entertainment district under construction near Kansas City’s Union Station. The free exhibit, slated to open soon at the time of this writing, will be set up directly under the new KC Wheel, a 150-foot observation wheel that began spinning in December 2023.
“Neon Alley will be in the center of Pennway Point with more than fifty signs dating back to the 1930s,” says Vedros. In addition to the restored Crick Camera sign, the collection will feature signs to spark nostalgic memories for residents throughout the Kansas City metro area. Highlights include Cascone’s Grill, the black cat from Katz Drug Store, the Savoy Barber Shop, Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, Jennie’s Italian Restaurant, Winstead’s, Harzfeld’s Department Store, the 4 Acre Motel, Stephenson’s Apple Farm Restaurant, Fun House Pizza & Pub, Broadway Hardware Co., and Town Topic Hamburgers. The one-ton former I-70 Drive-In sign will be suspended ten feet in the air at the entrance, serving as a portal to the exhibit.
All the signs will be fully restored thanks to donations from sponsors, including new neon tubes, paint, wiring, and cabinets. Placards will detail the history and significance of each
sign on display, says Vedros.
“I think there’s an interest in this from Millennials and Gen Z who love the authenticity of these signs, as well as the Boomers who look back on them with fondness,” he says.
—Bob Curley
