View the Classic Hamms Scenorama Beer Sign:
My childhood is filled with memories of sitting in a bar up on the chain of lakes near Eagle River Wisconsin. Sure! they let kids sit in the bar and drink frozen cans of soda while Ma & Pa had a few cocktails. One thing I’ll never forget was the animated Hamm’s beer sign that rippled and slowly scrolls along a lake, river, waterfall, and the classic campground and fly fisherman’s red canoe. It was so real! (for 1969), you almost felt like you were there! That was a pretty cool beer sign and left a lasting impression. At the time it was like watching some high-tech marvel. Ah, so much for simpler times.
A Lost Treasure Found:
Many, many years later I decided to hunt down one of these signs and found several on eBay each bidding at several thousand dollars. After losing about 20 auctions, I picked up a decent full-sized Hamms Scenerama Beer Sign for around $1000. It shipped by crate out of Sacramento and looked pretty rough on arrival. After a complete teardown, cleaning, and parts replacement it looked much better and worked like new. That was nearly a decade ago.
the classic Hamm’s Scenorama Beer Sign
Travel Back in Time:
Here is a photo of the sign, imagine the rippling water and smoke slowly rising from the glowing campfire. This was pretty much the original wide-screen “TV-like” display, and mesmerizing.
To modernize this vintage beer sign and share it with all of you, we have a video version that you can download from within the membership site. This way we can keep a classic sign alive! Just play it through a PC, mobile device, or media player to your high-definition bar TV.
It’ll be just like old times again!
Free download video below – Join the site to download the stand-alone mp3 video file.
FREE UPDATE:
You no longer have to join the site to enjoy the classic Hamm’s Beer Scene-o-rama sign. Here is a copy for your viewing enjoyment.
Hamms Scenorama Video High(er) Def Version:
The following recording of my Hamms Scenorama beer sign was made with a Sony HDD camera. It is the last time mine was working. It currently needs a new drive motor, and a soft white LED upgrade, which removes the stock fluorescent lighting and power wasting transformers and ballasts.
The Four-Letter Finale:
As an interesting sideline, a friend who owns a bar sign store recently told me that the Hamm’s Secenorama (or Scenerama) has a hidden message from the artist to the executive at Hamm’s who ordered the artwork for the moving water and campground scene.
Allegedly the first draft was rejected and a new version was demanded with no compensation for the first. The artist argued his case, but in the end wound up producing a revised version along with two bills, one for the original work and one for the revised.
Apparently, this did not sit well with Hamm’s executive, and an argument and lawsuit resulted.
In the end, Hamm’s got their artwork but if you look closely by the birch tree near the seam, hidden cleverly in the bushes you’ll find the artist’s last words: F*%@ Off! – I own this sign, but haven’t verified this story yet.
Share your Hamms Scenorama Beer Sign:
I’m trying to track down as many of these rare gems as possible. If you spot one in a bar one day, please post its general location and condition in the comments section below. If yours is broken, we can help you find replacement parts. Thanks!
I love the retro vibe of the Hamms Scenorama Beer Sign! It would make such a great focal point for a home bar. The DIY plans are super helpful—can’t wait to give it a try and add some character to my space!
I have a large hamms scenarama motion light with two beer mugs on the right side and the left side has the hamms logo on it has anybody ever seen one like that.im trying to see what it might be worth.
Looking to be a small moving scenorama. Will pay for high quality. Miss my Minnesota roots now that I live in Florida. My father and his Hamms….great memories.
My husband has the Starry Night sign. It still works. The weird thing about our is that it isn’t Hamms. It isn’t any specific beer. It looks exactly like the Hamms one except that it says “Bar Open” on the Hamms placard, the Hamms slogan isn’t on it, AND the stars go from regular stars to the beer glasses. There are no punch outs for the stars to say Hamms. We have no idea where it came from, but he has had it since the late 1980s.
Looking for right side food panel on scene o Rama without clock
looking to buy a Hamms large scene o rama sign with Clock on the right side, hamms logo on the left.
I’d consider selling mine, need some work. The motor is out, but once I take it off the wall it usually starts again. Figures.
I have reproduction replacement scrolls for the smaller Scene O Rama and larger ones to come in a couple weeks. If anyone is interested you can e-mail: satmoll@yahoo.com
I am looking to buy one of the larger Hamms Scenorama Ripler Bar Signs, anyone have on for sale?? Thx carson@redphin.com
I’m looking for a roof and motor for the scene o rama with canoe.
I have one that is working and in near perfect condition
Hi Kevin – I need a motor and one roof panel, a new screen would be nice. How much are we talkin here?
I have a 30″ scenorama in perfect working condition with the exception that it has a badly broken lower frame corner. Does anyone have any suggestions for a replacement frame?
I have parts and reproduction motors available for Scene A Rama. I also have available reproduction screens and some roof panels. Some parts available for other Hamm’s signs either original or reproduction. Or if you have a non working sign or damage would be interested in purchasing them. kevinjbaxter@msn.com
Hi everyone, I’m in the Sacramento area and I have two oh the large Hamms Scene-O-Rama signs. Both in great shape and work nicely. Pictures and/or video is available. I have the one with no clock hanging in my rec room but I’m selling the other one with clock. Please only serious inquiries and local pick up. You can email me daved@procarehhs.com to discuss.
I have a 6 foot hamms beer sign for sale if u know anyone interested. It has the clock on one side. The clock face is broke, but the clock still works.
They do not make those parts anymore, so whatever you find would have to be salvaged from another sign.
I have the smaller Scene-o-rama and would like to buy a replacement scroll and the plastic (shingle look) roof. Would you know who to reach out to? Not seeing much out. Thank you
Hello, I just picked up a Hamms beer sign. The scene o rama. Everything works great except the clock. How do i fix the clock. Thanks
I have a 6 foot scene o rama sign that was in my dad’s bar. I would like to sell so someone can fix it up and enjoy it. The clock face is broke but clock works.. Please text 507 215 6677 im in sw minnesota
My son has one he’s fixing. Dropped something on it. If you have the plastic roof part am looking to buy. It’s a small sceneorama
I have a Hamms scene-o-rama sign that I have restored, with new scene (an original in perfect condition) new plexiglass front and plexiglass “gridded background”, new motor, new scrolls and bearings, all new lighting, wiring, transformers and starters. Like many others, I watched these marvels as a kid fishing in the northwoods of Wisconsin back in the 60’s and just had to have one. The restoration process was tedious but fun.
I have the small Scene o Rama sign. Everything works, no cracks or broken pieces. Will sell for the right price. Not really willing to ship. I’m located in KY.
I have one of the large signs. Got on Ebay from a guy who had owned a liquor store in LA. Stepson was in LA going to school and brought it up to Washington on break. Exterior is fully intact. The motor was hesitating and some of the interior plastic mounting pegs for the plastic lined motion panel were broken. The pegs were easily put back in place with JB weld. The motor was removed and interior sprayed with electrical parts cleaner then WD 40 and now runs like a champ. Replacing the starters and light tubes was easy.
Pretty cool Phil. I paid $2500 for mine out of Sacramento about 15 years ago. It needs work, motor fried is but still lights up. Thinking about upgrading to LED back lights rather than the fluorescents.
It’s awesome to own such a classic and it always gets comments. Cheers!
I also own one of the signs with ” hidden” words ” I have been offered $ 2000.00 for it.
It took me 20 years to find one. I have looked another 20 years for another, I still have not located another.
Mine is NOT for sale
I have a 65″ scene o rama that I had been restoring. I bought it with the knowledge that Jim from Brewski lights would make me a roof assembly. I also bought the two inlays for the sides of the scroll scene. To date Brewski lights has avoided me every time I try to contact them about getting a roof made.
Since I got so discouraged that I bought a small scene o rama that just needs to blue background and plastic logo inserts both of which I had sent a check off to brewski lights after finally getting a total from him, and no contact despite several calls.
Does anyone have parts for these units. I need the 65″ roof and the plastic pieces mentioned
Thanks
Kaw Valley Public House in Lawrence, KS has one of these… great live music too as you can tell by searching for their Youtube page.
I have a 3 ft one I bought from a guy in terra haute, Indiana…currently have it in my pole barn bar in working condition with many other older signs
I usually go to eBay for replacement motors. I need one myself, but have not yet cracked it open yet to see if it just needs a “technical tap” and some dry lube.
I did a search on ‘Hamms 65 rippler motor’ and one popped right up on eBay, it’s been relisted about 5 times, so not a lot of demand, other than the seller demanding a premium price of $56!
Here is the link (I removed the URL prefix prevent a full hot link, just add the proper prefix) ebay.com/itm/133528284954?ViewItem=&item=133528284954
I’ve got a Hamms 65 Rippler that I’m looking for a replacement motor. Do you know where I can find this?
I own the also-cool sunrise-to-sunset motion sign from the ‘50s. I have it in the garage running on a loop, and it looks amazingly cool in the dark. Makes you wanna drink Hamm’s — yes, they still make it though it’s owned by BigBeer behemoth MillerCoors now). But let’s just say, the advertising is much better than the product. 🍻
I have the 3 foot version in mint condition but the two white logos were taken off and misplaced. Where can I find these? I found one guy who will sell replicas to me for $85
My grandmother used to have this on her kitchen wall in Long Beach CA. She removed the Hamm’s logo, but I used to love watching this as a kid when I would stay over at her place. I had no idea it was a re-purposed beer sign!
Drina.
Do you still have the sign? And more so, are you looking to sell it? I have a cabin just South of Three Lakes, it would lokk great in our cabin.
What I’m doing with mine is updating the lighting to warm LED’s. This reduces power consumption and makes replacement parts much easier to get. Amazon has everything you need. Something like this can be made to work easily and includes a dimmer control to get the perfect light level => Warm LED Light a Amazon
One of the transformers quit working on my scene-0-Rama. Need to buy one and how much?
We have a Hamms-Scene-O-Rama, large, motion, no clock at home here in southern California.
Interested in serious offers (pick up only).
Hi there. I read your articles. I think our sign has the “F”bomb in it.
Drina, I would like to talk to you more about your sign for sale.
Drina, I would like to talk to you more about your sign for sale.
hi, i used to vacation in eagle river wisconsin in the sixties and i own a hamms moving sign and it is in fine shape and i am looking to sell it. it was my fathers.
Looking 4 a left side roof piece 4 my scene-o-rama. Approximately15 3/4 “
Robin, do you still have yours?
I have one for sale in good condition. Working properly email me for pictures and video.
I just picked up the Hamm’s camp scene waterfall rippler & Starry night from an auction today. Both work good but the brick & Hamm’s plaque on Starry Night could use replacement & I am looking for those relacement parts. I’d attach pictures but am not sure how.
I have one of the large versions with the clock to the right in perfect working condition. Looking to sell it if anyone is interested!
Thanks, I live close by and will take a motorcycle ride down there to visit. Love any bar that still has the old classic Hamm’s sign.
There is one in what seems to be perfect condition in Clem’s Bar in Berlin, Wisconsin.
I ve got one in my basement. My dad owned a liquor store in the 70s. It’s a large one and works great
Franks Pizza in Silvis Illinois has one, if not two (there are two sides of the restaurant/bar that are mirror images of each other. I haven’t been there in awhile, but I know one side has one behind the bar, and I think the other does as well.
Just spotted one of these animated Hamm’s Beer signs of the three panel “long” variety. It is at The Howling Dog saloon near Manitowish Waters Wisconsin. Lights are flickering and the motors are fried. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60056-d2305645-Reviews-Howling_dog_saloon-Manitowish_Waters_Wisconsin.html