Closure of Anheuser-Busch Newark location could mean end of iconic eagle sign
While many have never stepped inside the brewery, generations of travelers have been greeted by the towering eagle sign, visible from highways and, even from the air, as planes land at Newark Liberty International Airport.
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Anheuser-Busch’s planned closure of its Newark brewery in 2026 could mean the end of one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, the brewery’s iconic eagle sign.
The company announced last week that it will shut down the facility after more than seven decades of operation, offering employees severance packages or the option to relocate. The decision ends a 75-year chapter for the brewery.
While many have never stepped inside the brewery, generations of travelers have been greeted by the towering eagle sign, visible from highways and, even from the air, as planes land at Newark Liberty International Airport.
“When you fly into Newark, which is home for me, you see it. You know you’re home,” said Monica Osgood.
The current neon eagle sign was installed in 2001 to mark Anheuser-Busch’s 50th anniversary in Newark.
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Neil Marr, a history professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, says it’s almost a symbolic end for a once-thriving Newark industry. Marr said that Newark was once home to 26 breweries.
“When the Pabst brewery closed, they had a water tower on its roof that was an iconic beer bottle. And when they took that down, people were lamenting, you know, that sign being, you know, taken down,” Marr said. “And I’m sure there’ll be similar laments when the Anheuser-Busch sign comes down in a couple of months. But, you know, new industries are moving in. And Newark is really vibrant right now. So I think the city will survive this as well.”
Some say they hope the sign can be preserved in the city, even if the brewery is not.
“Even if they’re moving, leave the sign somewhere, and keep it as a reminder, a memento of a glorious past there,” said Mark Johnson.
