ST. LOUIS — The holiday season officially arrived in St. Louis when Anheuser-Busch relit its iconic "flying eagle" sign along Interstate 64.
A historic St. Louis landmark, the sign began flapping its wings at sundown Tuesday.
The sign has flown high above the city since 1962, according to the sign's "keeper," the Federal Heath Sign Company, which owns the building where the sign was installed. Designed by Disney animator Byron Rabbit, the sign was built in 1953 by ArtKraft Strauss in New York and originally installed on a building in Los Angeles. When the construction of a new building blocked the view of the sign, it was moved to its current spot in St. Louis along I-64 near Grand Avenue.
It's undergone two renovations since then, according to Federal Heath. In the early 1980s, it was raised approximately 20 feet after the city decided to expand Highway 40, building a second level instead of widening it due to a lack of space. Then in 2022, the sign's incandescent bulbs were replaced with LED lamps, and the fluorescent-lit, flex-faced sign cabinets were replaced with a digital LED billboard.
Anheuser-Busch will continue its holiday celebration with the return of the annual Brewery Lights event, Nov. 22 through Dec. 30. A music and light display will extend the length of the brewery with two themed shows centered around two 50-foot trees. Click here to purchase tickets.