St. Joseph plans upgrade to aging signage in advance of 2026 World Cup
Cameron Montemayor
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. “The current signs aren’t helping anybody.”
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 primarily by the CVB.
This rendering shows the height and colors of the new wayfinding signs set to be installed in St. Joseph.
With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching and the potential for a wave of domestic and international travelers coming to St. Joseph — particularly on off days between matches — tourism officials think now is the time to strike while the iron is hot, a benefit for short- and long-term economic growth.
Kansas City will host six matches as one of 16 World Cup cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. FIFA officials are expected to unveil which teams will compete in K.C. on Dec. 5.
“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.”
On any given year, Mengel said the Pony Express, Patee House and Jesse James museums see tourists from upwards of 20 countries and all 50 U.S. states, a huge international driver for those hoping to learn about American history.
More than 50 new signs will be installed primarily in the Downtown area and along Frederick Avenue, guiding visitors to historic destinations like the Pony Express, Patee House and Jesse James Museums, in addition to newer attractions like the River Bluff Trails Park and InspireU Children’s Discovery Museum, among others.
“This system is built to point to everything that someone’s missing on the way to what they’re going to. So it’s inspiring them to stay longer, which will eventually have them spend more money,” he said. “It’s an extensive upgrade to what we currently have.”
The new orange and blue signs will be double-sided, featuring directional arrows on one side and colorful art — including the iconic Pony Express emblem — on the other. The plan is to purchase nearly a dozen different variations of signs, including kiosks that include maps.
St. Joseph is one of nearly a dozen cities in Missouri planning to upgrade its signage in advance of the World Cup, including Kansas City.
The wayfinding signs were designed by Corbin Design of Kansas City, an expert in wayfinding and environmental graphic design. The company spent a considerable amount of time studying the city to create a new and customized design and color scheme that looks and feels St. Joseph.
“We’re currently just behind the standard in terms of wayfinding signs. We don’t want to just meet that bar. We want to surpass it and exceed it to be a sign system that other communities are looking at and saying, we need ours to look like that,” Mengel said.
The current blue wayfinding signs are shown on South Ninth Street, directing visitors to the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph.