CCDC Project Neon Grove Selected for Orchid Award by Preservation Idaho
July 18, 2025
Capital City Development Corporation is proud to announce that Neon Grove has been selected for Preservation Idaho’s Cultural Heritage Preservation Award.
This one-of-a-kind open-air gallery exemplifies how creative partnerships, community leadership, and historic preservation can come together to tell Boise’s story in new and inspiring ways.
Neon Grove is Boise’s first outdoor gallery dedicated to restored historic neon signs, featuring six vintage pieces now permanently displayed in the Linen District along Grove Street between 12th Street and 13th Street. These signs, once familiar beacons across the city, have been thoughtfully brought back to life as part of a public art exhibit that catalogues Boise’s visual history.
Neon Grove was made possible through a public-private partnership between Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC), Signs of Our Times, the Boise City Department of Arts & History, and a talented group of local artisans, including YESCO Signs, Classic Design Studio, and Rocket Neon. Together, they refurbished each sign to reflect its original character.
At the heart of this project is Vangie Osborn, founder of non-profit Signs of Our Times, whose decades-long dedication to preserving old signage made Neon Grove possible. Vangie not only donated all six signs (L&B Beverage, Blue Bell Auto Park, Sands Motel, Truck Stop Café, Mercury Cleaners, and Chuck Dragoo Auto Sales) but provided invaluable historical insight throughout the process. Her collection and care for these signs preserved a part of Boise’s history that would have otherwise been lost.
Award recipients will be honored at the 48th Annual Orchids and Onions Awards Ceremony, held on Saturday, July 26, at Longfellow Elementary School. Awards presentation by Volunteer and Emcee, Dan Everhart.