Munger Moss Motel sign refurbished

Here’s what the newly reconditioned neon sign for the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Mo., looks like now, after a relighting ceremony on Saturday night.

The elaborate sign never actually went dark. But it was showing its age, as this photo from last year displays. Some of the neon tubes or bulbs had broken, shorted, or burned out.

The Route 66 Association of Missouri and its Neon Heritage Preservation Committee lead the efforts for the restoration of the sign. The historic Route 66 motel received an $11,300 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to replace broken or missing neon tubing. The grant also refurbished the motel’s “Office” sign.

Many of those who attended the ceremony got a nice souvenir of the occasion. Motel co-owner Ramona Lehman autographed the burned-out yellow bulbs from the sign and gave one to attendees who requested them.

UPDATE: KY3-TV in Springfield, Mo., has a video of the relighting, plus you get to see the chasing lights in all their glory.

UPDATE2: Here’s KY3-TV’s video:

UPDATE3: Here are a couple of new photos from Jim Thole of the Route 66 Association of Missouri’s Neon Heritage Preservation Committee. One is of Munger Moss owners Bob and Ramona Lehman being given a plaque from John Murphey of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program shortly after the relighting ceremony.

The next photo is of the Munger Moss’ refurbished sign at daytime:

(Top photos courtesy of John Murphey)