See the art, craft and nostalgia of vintage neon before this Philly museum closes [Unscripted column] | Entertainment

It was all falling in line.

After hearing the Neon Museum of Philadelphia was closing Dec. 11, I carved out time to finally check it out.

I paid $10 to reserve a timed ticket just when the museum opened.

I beat traffic and November rain to arrive early enough to explore the industrial building’s other tenants.

But I’m glad the man in charge of opening the museum that day was late.

He had bus problems, he said, as he opened the door. Then, click, click, click, one by one the neon signs covering the walls came to life. Watching this slow reveal of the opening was dramatic, a preview of what’s inside. Captured in a single room, this collection is a celebration of neon and commercial art as well as 20th century Philadelphia and roadside America.

For decades,…