St. Joseph plans upgrade to aging signage in advance of 2026 World Cup

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- St. Joseph tourism officials are planning a big refresh for many of the aging signs that have long guided visitors to the city's biggest attractions. 

Scattered throughout Downtown St. Joseph and Frederick Avenue are many of the same blue wayfinding signs that were installed back in 1995, with many either faded, damaged or in some cases pointing the wrong direction.

"The current signs are so unimpactful that we completely overlook them as residents. But then, as a visitor, if you see that and if you're actually relying on signage, if anything, it's probably more of a deterrent," said Christian Mengel, communications director with the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Now, CVB officials are preparing to move forward on a years-long effort to overhaul the signs with a new array of vibrant and modernized wayfinding signs -- some as tall as six feet -- a roughly $350,000 project funded largely by the CVB.

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching and the potential for a large influx of domestic and international travelers -- particularly on off days between matches -- tourism officials think now is the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot.

"We know this will be our one chance to have that strong impact. We need nice, inviting, clean signs. Not only to help the visitor experience move from location to location, but also just as a beautification project for Downtown," Mengel said. "We're going to see a noticeable increase in visitation to a lot of our attractions, specifically the ones that we know are valuable to international fans."

New signs will largely be installed in the Downtown area and along Frederick Avenue, guiding visitors to local icons like the Pony Express, Patee House and Wyeth Tootle Museums, along with newer attractions like the River Bluff Trails Park and InspireU Children's Discovery Museum.

News-Press NOW will continue to update this story.