The original colors of the Aurora Fox neon sign are shining again thanks to a $140,000 restoration project that began just under a year ago. The restoration of the 1946 sign, a familiar sight along East Colfax Avenue in Aurora, was completed in June after an 11-month process. The sign was ceremonially relit on June 22 after the performance of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” at 9900 E.
Colfax Ave. The project brings back a vibrant red color that honors the original sign’s design, officials said, and replaces the faded aquamarine that defined its daytime presence. Accents of bright yellow and pale blue also outline the sign.
“While a sign survey identified yellow on the tops of the F-O-X letters, it wasn’t until hand scraping the paint off the rest of the sign revealed yellow in other places as well as a light green accent color on the blade and bullnose,” officials wrote. The restoration’s $143,264 price tag was paid for with funds from various public sources, with half of the money coming from the city of Aurora, through its Historic Sites Program, which secured a State Historical Fund Grant in 2020, according to a statement. The rest was covered by donations from Visit Aurora, the Aurora Museum Foundation, a public Aurora Fox donation fund and a city of Aurora funding match, officials said.
“The fact that about a fourth of the total renovation cost was covered by donations speaks to the importance to the community of this visual landmark in .