Mesa's Neon Garden Debuts to Arizona's Top Heritage Award.

The article focuses on the creation and recognition of Mesa’s Neon Garden, a project led by Vic Linoff, president of the Mesa Preservation Foundation, to restore and display historic neon signs in Mesa, Arizona. Beginning with the restoration of the Diving Lady sign at the Starlite Motel, Linoff and the foundation collected nearly two dozen vintage neon signs, restoring five for public exhibition at the Neon Garden, located behind a renovated 1937 post office. The project, which involved collaboration with Mesa City Manager Chris Brady, emphasizes restoration over replacement and features a symbolic old-fashioned knife switch to light the signs. In 2025, the Neon Garden received the Arizona Governor’s Historic Preservation Heritage Award, recognizing its contribution to preserving local cultural heritage.