Merita Bread Sign: A Whiff of Nostalgia!

In May 1961, Orlando welcomed the Merita Bread factory and its iconic sign along Interstate 4 near Division Avenue. For over 50 years, the delicious scent of fresh-baked bread greeted drivers on their way through the city. When the bakery closed, the new owners generously donated one of the Merita signs to the Morse Museum, where it now stands as one of the largest objects in the collection at nearly 18 feet high and 48 feet long.

Last month, the Merita sign was part of a temporary art installation at the Immerse Festival in Downtown Orlando, bringing that beloved piece of Orlando’s past into a new space. Even the installation had the familiar smell, making it a full-circle experience of nostalgia.