KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) The Colonial Theatre’s landmark marquee has received its most significant update in decades, blending new technology with the sign’s familiar vintage character. Work began last week as crews started installing a digital message board and replacing the original neon channel letters with lighter, more efficient LED versions.

A Manchester-area sign team (Sousa Signs) spent last Monday removing the old backlit panel and preparing the frame for the new electronic display. While the marquee’s traditional design will remain, the longtime steel letters outlined in neon have now been swapped for aluminum letters illuminated by LEDs—an upgrade that reduces weight and energy consumption while addressing the reality that the aging neon system was nearing the end of its life.

Taking down the lettering on the marquee at the Colonial Theatre to replace it
Sousa Signs employees removing the historic steel and neon lettering in updating The Colonial Theatre’s marquee last Monday in downtown Keene./Daniel White
Colonial Theatre director Keith Marks interviews fillmaker Ken Burns after the American Revolution screening at the theater with the old marquee lettering onstage
Colonial Theatre director Keith Marks interviews fillmaker Ken Burns after the screening of his new documentary on the American Revolution last Thursday at the theater with the old marquee lettering onstage./Daniel White

The incandescent bulbs surrounding the sign will stay in place, preserving the marquee’s signature glow.

The digital display replaces a manual system that required staff to scale ladders or juggle extension poles to arrange plastic letters over the sidewalk. Executive Director Keith Marks said the shift to an electronic board improves safety and efficiency, and several staff members have already learned how to update the display electronically from inside the theater.

The marquee—more than 80 years old and last restored in 1999—has been on the theater’s capital improvement list since at least 2022. The update is part of a broader modernization initiative that includes lobby renovations, backstage upgrades, and the development of The Colonial’s Showroom venue on Commercial Street.

The sign was up and running in time to promote last Thursday’s appearance by filmmaker Ken Burns, who spoke about his new documentary, “The American Revolution.” After the screening, Marks hosted a Q&A with Burns onstage in a living-room-style set that featured the marquee’s retired lettering. The Colonial also unveiled its new website and updated logos that same evening.

The electronic board will allow for more detailed, timely messaging while maintaining the marquee’s brightness and appearance. Staff plan to keep the old black letter tiles in storage, though any future purpose for them remains undecided.

The Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the theater’s request to install the digital board—an exception to the citywide ban on electronic changeable signs. The approval came with a strict condition: the display must remain static, without flashing or animation.

City staff said the project preserves the marquee’s historic look while updating outdated wiring, sockets and corroded metal components, extending its lifespan and improving safety.

With its new LED lettering and digital capabilities, the marquee will keep its place as a Main Street fixture—now lighter, more energy-efficient and ready for the years ahead—while preserving the charm that has made it a defining feature of downtown Keene for generations.