MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A vintage neon sign that has been a part of Downtown Madera for decades was removed on Wednesday ahead of the demolition of the building that it used to sit on top of.

The Sno-White Drive-In sign was removed from the rooftops on Yosemite Avenue, after being a fixture there for over 60 years. The restaurant itself closed after a car hit the building in 2015. The drive-in is scheduled to be demolished – but the owner of the sign has donated it to the Madera County Historical Society.

“We’ll be able to look back and look at the old sign, we’ll have a written history of it, there will be photographs of it,” said J.J. Skeen with the Madera County Historical Society. “We gotta do it, not just with buildings, but with all kinds of historical artifacts.”

Crews removing the sign worked to ensure the neon tubes were carefully disconnected. The plan is to restore and eventually display the sign at the Madera County fairgrounds.

According to the historical society, the drive-in was a popular spot for students who used to cruise down Madera’s main street.