Top photo: Carol M. Highsmith, The Old Dog House Drive In, January 2021, digital photograph. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. LC-DIG-highsm-66245. Above: 66 Diner, located at 1405 Central Ave NE, serves favorite comfort foods, classic New Mexican dishes and ice cream shakes.

A brief history of Albuquerque's neon signs

As August settles into the dog days of summer, those stretched-out sunsets move up on the daily schedule little by little. The longest days of the year are behind us. For some, saying goodbye to the endless sun is hard. But in Albuquerque, the asphalt is still warm after dusk. Hot August nights pair best with a neon road, where desert hues of the day are distilled in thin tubes of light.

Neon, in essence, is a fluorescent colored chemical, which when strung along in a glass tube can form an illuminated image or word. Elemental neon is reddish orange on its own, changing to blue, yellow or pink with the addition of other elements. The first functional neon sign was unveiled in Paris by French scientist Georges Claude in 1910.

In 1924, New York City’s Times Square switched on its first neon sign. Neon arrived in New Mexico soon after, just in time for the booming autotourism industry spurred by the new highway system. Albuquerque’s Central Avenue (Route 66) boasts plenty of spectacular illuminated signs on its 18-mile stretch. Neon provided the route with a playful and vibrant energy that inspired artists, writers and musicians who made their way along the Mother Road. 

Neon signs visually annotated the cultural landscape of the area, using light, color and design to appeal to visitors. The signs and the businesses they represented riffed on elements of the regional landscape and the cultures, histories and mythologies of New Mexico and the greater Southwest. Some iconic examples include El Vado Motel, Tewa Motor Lodge, De Anza Motor Lodge and the Franciscan Hotel.

In Albuquerque, Route 66 neon is an art form of its own. Zeon Signs, New Mexico’s oldest continuously-operating sign company (est. 1936), is based in the Duke City. Zeon fabricated many signs in Albuquerque and beyond, leaving behind an immense archive of drawings. Art professor Ellen Babcock, who was enchanted with the worn patina of old Route 66 signs, found the drawings during a visit with Zeon Signs. With a few friends, she began activating the signs, guerrilla-style, with poetry and temporary artworks on what she called “orphan signs.” 

Babcock teamed up with Zeon Signs to fabricate new neon signs with artwork and design led by local community members, broadcasting a message from the ground-up of resilience, memory and cultural vibrancy to today’s travelers.

Executive Director, Friends of the Orphan Signs

What does Route 66 signify for you (personally or professionally)?

For me, Route 66 is a thoroughfare of stories. Many stories have remained untold, in the shadow of Route 66 lore and mid-century spectacle. But a new generation of artists, culture bearers, civic leaders and community members are revealing what Route 66 has been, who was once here and is here now, and are helping us to dream what the route can be in the future. Artists with Friends of the Orphan Signs (FOS) look for these stories in community spaces, libraries, archives and sidewalks, and in the words, faces and hands of those who spend their time along Central Avenue. Using the overlooked spaces of empty or unused signs on Route 66, FOS works to elevate these stories.

Celebrate 50 years of creativity, community and legacy at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Cultural dances all day, family activities, contemporary and youth artists, and complimentary cake come together on this remarkable milestone day. See IPCC’s 50-year anniversary exhibition “50 for 50: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 1976-2026,” featuring 50 objects from the Center’s history, from a distinctly Pueblo visual perspective.

The New Mexico State Fair is a magical event that highlights the culture, agriculture, art and vibrancy of New Mexico. Enjoy energetic live music and entertainment. This year, the Fair honors the 100th anniversary of Route 66, an iconic highway that the fair has called home since 1938. Live like a local at “the biggest show in New Mexico”!

Bands of Enchantment returns for its 6th season, with live recorded performances from artists from all over the world and the heart of New Mexico.

The critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning music extravaganza features recorded performance sessions and a one-night-only music festival directly on Route 66. Expect raw energy, genre-bending talent, and unforgettable moments.

Neon Sign for Double Rainbow Cafe and Bakery [now Flying Star Cafe], 1995, chromogenic color print. Albuquerque Museum, gift of William H. Isenhower, PA1995.006.010.

Upload your photos with the where, when, and what of your Albuquerque Route 66 adventure for a chance to be featured in our official Route 66 Centennial newsletter and website. We want to hear your story!

The neon sign park at the West Central Route 66 Visitor Center.

On Aug. 12, 2026, Mayor Tim Keller, City Councilor Klarissa Peña, Visit Albuquerque President & CEO Tania Armenta, Former City Director of Arts & Culture Dr. Shelle Van Etten de Sanchez and the City of Albuquerque Arts & Culture team celebrated the relighting of some of New Mexico’s historic illuminated signs on view at the West Central Route 66 Visitor Center’s new Neon Park, courtesy of the Garcia Automotive Group’s private collection. The signs were collected from all over the state, as far as Raton, New Mexico. The Chief Theatre sign, according to Ed Garcia, was discovered in an old garage in Mora, New Mexico, and hasn’t been lit up in 60 years. Notable Route 66 signs such as the iconic Club Cafe neon from Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and the Desert Sands Motel from Albuquerque (of “No Country for Old Men” fame) now shine in restored color. Perhaps the “heart” of the park is the original heart-shaped sign from Monroe’s, a long-standing Albuquerque restaurant. Lined in red and green hues, this monument to local memory transforms into a glowing beacon after dark.

The park is open to the public, with the neon switched on daily from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The West Central Route 66 Visitor Center on Nine Mile Hill is open regularly from Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See the City of Albuquerque Arts & Culture’s page for updates on open hours.