Memories of the Mother Road at Ace Sign Co. Rt. 66 Museum

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Springfield’s Ace Sign Company is turning old Route 66 signs into a museum of memories—where businesses long gone still live on, and visitors often spot a piece of their own past.

"Well, I wish I had a nickel for every sign we've thrown away in our 85 years of business," Dennis Bringuet told WAND News.

Bringuet is the retired president of Ace Sign Co. in Springfield. While he's handed off the day-to-day business operations to his son, he still offers tours in the company's Route 66 museum.

He said staff were storing old sings in a warehouse on Fourth Street, when they decided to do something more. Dozens of signs are now showcased in the museum.

"We really feel it's important for the history of some of the local businesses that have been in Springfield, in this area, to live on. So, sometimes businesses go out of business, and when they do, they donate their signs to our museum so that their history can live on," Bringuet explained.

The Ace Sign Co., and Route 66 Museum, is now housed inside an old 1952 Sears Warehouse.

"They started in 1870, so that's one of the oldest ones we've got," Bringuet said, while taking WAND News on a tour of the museum.

He pointed out signs that mark pivotal moments in the history of the Mother Road.

"Chevrolet came up with this new idea in 1949 to do what they call an automatic transmission, and the first one was called power glide," Bringuet explained.

While each sign tells a story, the visitors who come through their doors often add their own tales.

"You know, they'll say, oh, that was a jewelry store that was downtown. That's where my wife and I got our engagement rings and, you know. So it's the memories is what it's all about," Bringuet said.

The memories go back decades. Bringuet's grandfather launched the business during the Great Depression.

"So he, built a garage in his backyard over on Spring Street and, started painting signs, in that area. And then that grew to become what we have now," Bringuet said.

He grew up sweeping floors at the store. After graduating high school, he went into the family business.

"I grew up in it, and my mom and dad were also in the business," Bringuet told WAND News.

His son's nephew, and daughter-in-law now run the business as it constantly evolves with technology and customer demands.

"Technology is changing daily. And, you know, if you're if you're not growing, you're dying. So we we really feel like we need to keep up with technology," Bringuet said.

Decades later, each sign and logo is still crafted with care. Staff know the sign, whether hanging over the front door or mounted at an entrance, holds the promise of memories yet to be made.

The Route 66 Museum is open for tours at 10am and 2pm weekdays. Click here to learn more.