Neon Signs of Colfax are vivid reminders of the avenue’s past life as the “Gateway to the Rockies.” During the mid-twentieth century, brightly lit and elaborately designed signs lined Colfax as motels, restaurants, lounges, and roadside businesses competed for the attention of travelers arriving in Denver and passing through the region by car. Their glowing arrows, script lettering, stars, and animated forms helped define the visual identity of the corridor and made Colfax one of the most memorable commercial strips in Colorado. Today, these signs remain among the strongest surviving expressions of the automobile tourism era that once shaped both Colfax Avenue and the broader Front Range.
The signs are important not only for their association with roadside travel, but also for their craftsmanship and design. Neon signs required skilled tube benders, specialized fabrication, and durable materials that gave each sign a distinctive glow and personality. They were often custom-designed to match the architecture and branding of the businesses they advertised, turning ordinary commercial properties into highly visible landmarks. Along Colfax, these signs once created a continuous illuminated streetscape that reflected changing tastes in architecture, transportation, and popular culture. Although much of that historic neon environment has disappeared, the surviving signs still communicate the energy, optimism, and commercial ambition of mid-century Colfax.
Today, the historic neon signs on Colfax Avenue are in varying states of condition. Some signs have broken neon tubing, rusted metal components, deteriorated supports, missing bulbs, or damaged electrical systems. Others have been better maintained and remain largely intact aside from weathering and routine wear. Their condition often depends not only on the sign itself, but also on the condition of the building or business to which it is attached. Preservation challenges are therefore tied to both maintenance and redevelopment.
These signs are increasingly endangered for a variety of reasons. The first is the continued pressure of re-urbanization and redevelopment along Colfax Avenue. While several motels with attached signs have been remodeled into boutique accommodations complete with their original signs, development pressures touting new construction practices place older buildings and signs in jeopardy. In some cases, aging motels and their associated signs are dismissed as outdated or blighted, creating additional justification for demolition and replacement. Without a concentrated effort to highlight the beauty, history, and craftsmanship of these signs, many could eventually fall victim to the wrecking ball.
A second major threat is the cost and complexity of repair. Historic neon signs were made with high-quality materials, but they require specialized maintenance that can be expensive. Neon restoration depends on a shrinking pool of skilled craftspeople and sign shops familiar with historic fabrication methods. At the same time, owners are often encouraged to replace original neon with LED systems or flat modern signage that may be cheaper in the short term but lack the material authenticity, repairability, and visual richness of true neon. Sign regulations and local code requirements can also create barriers to preservation, making it more difficult for property owners to retain and restore historic signs in place.
Even with these challenges, important preservation progress has been made. CPI nominated the Colfax signs for the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Falling by the Wayside program, and the signs were selected, bringing improved press coverage and greater public awareness beginning in 2016. Preservation advocates have continued to work with property owners to retain significant signs in their original locations, and the historic Pig’n’Whistle Motel sign on West Colfax was successfully repaired in 2020. These efforts demonstrate that preservation is possible when advocacy, technical expertise, and local support align.
Today, sign advocates are pursuing several strategies to strengthen long-term preservation. They are negotiating with metro-area cities and multiple sites to identify a location for an outdoor neon sign park, writing grants to help fund rehabilitation, building strong relationships with local neon sign shops, and continuing to promote the importance of preserving historic neon along Colfax Avenue. At the same time, the strongest preservation outcome remains keeping significant signs in their original context whenever possible, where they continue to contribute to the historic character of the avenue.
Neon Signs of Colfax are iconic community landmarks and an important part of Colorado history. They tell the story of travel, commerce, design, and changing urban development along one of the state’s most famous roads. Preserving them means protecting not only individual works of sign craftsmanship, but also the corridor’s historic identity and the visual legacy of an era that has largely disappeared.