CITY’S SIX SCHEDULED GAMES. THE FIRST ONE IS SET FOR JUNE THE 11TH, AND THE METRO IS PUTTING ITS BEST FACE FORWARD FOR ALL OF THIS. ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN FEATURES OF THE KANSAS CITY SKYLINE WELL, IT’S GONE DARK FOR MONTHS, BUT THE WESTERN AUTO SIGN WILL STILL SEE NEW LIFE JUST IN TIME FOR THE WORLD CUP. KMBC9 S RACHEL RIPP HAS A SNEAK PEEK. SINCE FIRST BEING INSTALLED IN 1952, THE WESTERN AUTO BUILDING SIGN HAS BEEN LOVED BY KANSAS CITIZENS. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LIKE IT. THE THE BRIGHT COLORS, THE RED. IT’S ALSO HARD TO IMAGINE OUR SKYLINE WITHOUT IT. EVEN THOUGH IT HASN’T BEEN LIT SINCE LAST JULY, THIS SEVEN STORY TALL, 2500 BULB AND 1000 FOOT NEON TUBED LANDMARK WILL SOON SURGE BACK TO LIFE. THE CITY HAS ALREADY PLEDGED ABOUT $100,000 IN SUPPORT, WHICH I THINK IS A SIGN THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE IT LIT UP AGAIN, SEE IT MOVING AND SEE IT WORKING AGAIN. THE GOAL IS TO HAVE IT READY FOR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS HEADING TO KANSAS CITY FOR THE WORLD CUP. I AM JUST VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT IT’S COMING BACK BECAUSE AGAIN, I HAVE AN ATTACHMENT TO IT AND I THINK A LOT OF KANSAS CITY DO AS WELL. THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS MANY OF THE LIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE PRIVATELY OWNED BUILDING COVER MANY OF THE COSTS OF MAINTAINING THE SIGN. THEY’VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY ON A LONG TERM SOLUTION. KANSAS CITY DOESN’T JUST INVEST FOR THE HECK OF IT. AND SO WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WORKING WITH, AGAIN, THE HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION OF THAT BUILDING, WORKING WITH HOPEFULLY ORGANIZED LABOR AND OTHERS WERE ABLE TO GET TO A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST IS A TEN YEAR TERM FOR RENEWAL AND FIXING OF THE SIGN. SO WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE THIS CHAT EVERY, YOU KNOW, YEAR OR SO. RACHEL RIPP, KMBC NINE NEWS. MAYOR LUCAS SAYS THE SIGN WILL BE LIT BY THE START OF JUNE. NO OFFICIAL PLAN YET FOR A LIGHTING CEREMONY, BUT IT ALSO HASN’T BEEN RULED OUT, SO STAY TUNED. TOMORROW WE’LL SHOW YO
Western Auto Sign will surge back to life ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
‘I am just very, very happy that it’s coming back, because again, I have an attachment to it, and I think a lot of Kansas Citians do as well,’ said Michael Wells, senior special collections librarian
One of the best-known features of the Kansas City skyline is the Western Auto Sign.The city of Kansas City, Missouri, told KMBC 9 the sign turned off indefinitely in July 2025 because of maintenance issues, but soon, the red and white lights will shine with the stars again. “It’s impossible not to like it. The bright colors, the red,” said Michael Wells, senior special collections librarian for the Kansas City Public Library. Wells said since first being installed in 1952, this sign has been well loved by Kansas Citians. It’s hard to imagine our skyline without it. Mayor Quinton Lucas told KMBC 9 this 7-story-tall, 2,500-bulbed and 1,000-foot neon-tubed landmark will surge back to life by the beginning of June, if not sooner. It is a part of the city’s “Illuminate KC” initiative. “The city has already pledged about $100,000 in support, which I think is a sign that we are excited to see it lit up again, see it moving and see it working again,” Lucas said.The goal is to have it ready for the hundreds of thousands of visitors heading to Kansas City for the World Cup.”Visually, that, I think, is something that will stick with people,” Wells said. “I am just very, very happy that it’s coming back, because again, I have an attachment to it, and I think a lot of Kansas Citians do as well.”The problem right now is that many of the lights have stopped working. The people who live in the privately-owned building cover many of the costs of maintaining the sign, and they’ve been working with the city on a long-term solution.”Kansas City doesn’t just invest for the heck of it, and so we would make sure that, working with, again, the homeowners association of that building, working with hopefully organized labor and others, we’re able to get to a position where we have something that at least has a 10-year term for renewal and fixing of the signs, so we don’t have to have this chat every, you know, year or so,” Lucas said. The mayor said there’s no official plan for a lighting ceremony yet, but it hasn’t been ruled out. History of the Western Auto SignLibrarians tell KMBC 9 the sign was installed during a time of rapid change in the KC metro. The Western Auto Supply Company was booming, therefore both the building and the sign survived.Meanwhile, a lot of other buildings were lost, falling into disuse or losing occupancy. Wells told KMBC 9 that often these buildings were replaced by things like parking garages, newer downtown office buildings or sometimes they just became empty lots. “These 1950s, 1960s, 1970s — downtown is decreasingly residential in the immediate area, but there are a lot of people still coming to work downtown, and I think it became a fixture on the Kansas City skyline,” Wells said. He explains that the Western Auto Supply Company employed about 1,000 people in the 1960s. Today, the building is home to locals in 157 loft units. “It was always sort of known as the, what sign was on the roof, and of course during its early days in 1915 on, it was known as the Coca-Cola building,” Wells said. He said he believes the sign gave and still gives locals a sense of pride. “This is a homegrown company and was employing a lot of people, and I think a lot of cities around the country have iconic signs, and it’s just great that Kansas City still has one,” Wells said.
One of the best-known features of the Kansas City skyline is the Western Auto Sign.
The city of Kansas City, Missouri, told KMBC 9 the sign turned off indefinitely in July 2025 because of maintenance issues, but soon, the red and white lights will shine with the stars again.
“It’s impossible not to like it. The bright colors, the red,” said Michael Wells, senior special collections librarian for the Kansas City Public Library.
Wells said since first being installed in 1952, this sign has been well loved by Kansas Citians.
It’s hard to imagine our skyline without it.
Mayor Quinton Lucas told KMBC 9 this 7-story-tall, 2,500-bulbed and 1,000-foot neon-tubed landmark will surge back to life by the beginning of June, if not sooner. It is a part of the city’s “Illuminate KC” initiative.
“The city has already pledged about $100,000 in support, which I think is a sign that we are excited to see it lit up again, see it moving and see it working again,” Lucas said.
The goal is to have it ready for the hundreds of thousands of visitors heading to Kansas City for the World Cup.
“Visually, that, I think, is something that will stick with people,” Wells said. “I am just very, very happy that it’s coming back, because again, I have an attachment to it, and I think a lot of Kansas Citians do as well.”
The problem right now is that many of the lights have stopped working. The people who live in the privately-owned building cover many of the costs of maintaining the sign, and they’ve been working with the city on a long-term solution.
“Kansas City doesn’t just invest for the heck of it, and so we would make sure that, working with, again, the homeowners association of that building, working with hopefully organized labor and others, we’re able to get to a position where we have something that at least has a 10-year term for renewal and fixing of the signs, so we don’t have to have this chat every, you know, year or so,” Lucas said.
The mayor said there’s no official plan for a lighting ceremony yet, but it hasn’t been ruled out.
History of the Western Auto Sign
Librarians tell KMBC 9 the sign was installed during a time of rapid change in the KC metro. The Western Auto Supply Company was booming, therefore both the building and the sign survived.
Meanwhile, a lot of other buildings were lost, falling into disuse or losing occupancy. Wells told KMBC 9 that often these buildings were replaced by things like parking garages, newer downtown office buildings or sometimes they just became empty lots.
“These 1950s, 1960s, 1970s — downtown is decreasingly residential in the immediate area, but there are a lot of people still coming to work downtown, and I think it became a fixture on the Kansas City skyline,” Wells said.
He explains that the Western Auto Supply Company employed about 1,000 people in the 1960s. Today, the building is home to locals in 157 loft units.
“It was always sort of known as the, what sign was on the roof, and of course during its early days in 1915 on, it was known as the Coca-Cola building,” Wells said.
He said he believes the sign gave and still gives locals a sense of pride.
“This is a homegrown company and was employing a lot of people, and I think a lot of cities around the country have iconic signs, and it’s just great that Kansas City still has one,” Wells said.
