event recap
NABA 54 Visits Vicksburg
July 23, 2025
The mill tour
The first stop of the day for NABA 54 attendees was a tour of The Mill, kicking off the event with an unforgettable experience. Notable stops on the tour included The Mill Visitor Center, The Itty Bitty Theatre, the Great Big Neon Hall, the Grand Beer Hall and a few surprises along the way.
As attendees explored, they didn’t just step into history; they experienced Vicksburg’s rich past, its ongoing restoration and the vibrant energy of its future—all unfolding before their eyes.
The great neon hall
The hall featured an extensive collection of restored porcelain neon signs and smaller neon pieces spanning decades of American brewing history. Pulled from the Cone Top Museum’s private collection, many of these signs had once perched above sidewalks, tavern rooftops and corner stores—bright beacons of beer in their prime.
Through careful restoration and expert curation, they glowed once again, filling the space with vibrant color, hand-bent glass and the quiet hum of electricity. Neon Mike Lacroix, with guidance from NABA members, led the restoration to ensure each piece reflects its original character.
Fittingly, this massive room—once home to some of The Mill’s largest industrial machinery—now housed a powerful new presence: a collection of lights and logos that had once illuminated the American landscape.
downtown vicksburg
Just a few blocks from The Mill, downtown Vicksburg still carries the imprint of its earliest days—brick storefronts, stone façades and the footprints of 19th-century structures. Many of these buildings have been restored and reactivated by The Mill’s development team, preserving their historic character while bringing new life to the spaces.
NABA 54 guests stepped inside restored interiors, explored reimagined museum spaces and discovered unique breweriana displays tucked behind historic façades. It was a walkable celebration of American beer history—set within a village that honors its past while shaping its future.
Northern Lights & Large Signs Exhibit
The Large-Scale Signs exhibit showcased towering, original beer signs that had once stood atop rooftops, taverns and main streets across the country. Displayed in their original state, they carried the wear and patina of time, standing as relics from an era that believed in advertising on a grand scale.
Alongside it was Northern Lights—a quieter, more immersive installation inspired by cabin culture, up-north bars and the glow of neon through darkened pine. With layered textures, wall graphics and found objects, the space created a mood that was both intimate and atmospheric.
The contrast between the two—one bold and industrial, the other warm and nostalgic—made the building feel like a museum and a memory rolled into one.
Pre-Prohibition to WWII Exhibit
The Period Bar Exhibit (c. 1900) was built around a rare 20-foot mahogany bar with a cherry top and a triple-arched cherry back bar crafted by the Kloak Brothers of Cincinnati, Ohio. Period-authentic furnishings and antique gaming machines accompanied it, including two beautifully restored slot machines from the early 20th century.
Additional exhibits highlighted Michigan’s brewing history, particularly the years following Prohibition through WWII. Together with the bar, these displays created a layered experience that blended interpretation with atmosphere.
cone top brewery museum
Serving as The Cone Top Brewery Museum’s temporary home, this refurbished space blended history, craftsmanship and restored architecture to create a memorable conclusion to the tour. Inside, visitors encountered a mix of history and working craft: a period bar anchored the room, while nearby stood the Vicksburg outpost of Butler Gold, the sign painting and design studio of David Butler.
The building had undergone significant restoration, including the replacement of more than 5,000 historic bricks and major infrastructure upgrades. By event time, it proudly served as the museum’s grand entry point, showcasing the restored period bar, Butler Gold’s working studio and the remarkable craftsmanship behind the building’s renewal.
Exhibits on display included Land of Amber Waters: Minnesota Breweries, the Western Pennsylvania Exhibit, the Haydock Collection, the Stroh’s and Haehnle Brewing Collections and the Cone Top Patio. Together, these elements created a multi-faceted experience that celebrated brewing history while pointing toward the museum’s future home at The Mill.
