Sudbury Court
Amana , IA
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The Sudbury Court features an old roadside motel sign that almost looks like it came straight out of the World War II era. While the military feel is easy to see, the motel was actually built during the post-war travel boom, when Americans were hitting the highways like never before.

Constructed in the late 1940s, the motel sits along historic U.S. Highway 6 just west of the turnoff to the Amana Colonies. Its stone-clad cottages with bright red doors are classic examples of early roadside architecture, offering travelers a comfortable stop long before chain hotels became the norm.

The vintage roadside marquee still stands out front, complete with its original "No Vacancy" panel beneath the main sign. Over the years, the property has expanded to include an RV park and fishing pond while continuing to serve travelers exploring eastern Iowa.

UPDATE: Now operating as the Sudbury Court Motel & RV Park, the property remains open and continues welcoming guests. The vintage roadside sign still survives, although it is unverified whether all of the original neon remains operational at night. 06-26

Sioux Motel
Murdo, SD
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The Sioux Motel has been welcoming travelers to Murdo for decades. Its vintage roadside marquee, topped with a Native American chief profile, is one of those classic motel signs that immediately catches your attention as you pass through town. Like many signs of its era, it reflects the western and Native American themes that were commonly used in roadside advertising across the Great Plains.

The motel opened during the mid-20th century to serve travelers making their way across central South Dakota toward the Black Hills. Early records from the 1960s list Fred and Helen Wheeler as the owners. Built as a traditional one-story motor court with convenient at-door parking, it continues to serve motorists much as it did when America's highway travel was at its peak.

Although the motel has been updated with modern conveniences over the years, the vintage marquee remains its defining feature. It's another reminder that a memorable sign was often the best advertisement a roadside business could have.

UPDATE: The Sioux Motel remains open as an independently operated motel in Murdo. Its classic roadside sign still survives, although it is unverified whether the original neon, including the chief profile, continues to illuminate at night. 06-26

Corn Palace Motel (Closed)
Mitchell, SD
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

The Corn Palace Motel had one of the most distinctive motel signs in South Dakota. Instead of a typical starburst or arrow, the marquee was topped with decorative onion domes and spires modeled after Mitchell's famous Corn Palace. It was a clever way to let travelers know they had arrived in one of the state's best-known tourist towns.

Built during the postwar motel boom, the property later became known as the Corn Palace Inn. While the motel itself was fairly typical for its era, the sign was anything but. Its whimsical architecture made it one of the more unusual roadside attractions in Mitchell and a favorite of neon and motel sign enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, modernization caught up with the property. The original marquee was removed decades ago and replaced with a generic plastic sign, leaving only photographs to document one of South Dakota's more imaginative motel signs.

UPDATE: After a storm in 2012, the onion shaped balls on top of the pillars of the sign disappeared. Subsequent to that Corn Palace Motel sign is now gone and replaced with a backlit plastic sign. 08-17

UPDATE: The motel, later known as the Corn Palace Inn, permanently closed on October 31, 2025, after serving primarily as extended-stay housing during its final years. The original spired marquee was removed long before the closure, and its ultimate fate remains unknown. 06-26

Mile Hi Motel (Closed)
Custer, SD
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

The Mile Hi Motel in Custer featured a good-looking marquee with a special welcome to bikers. Given Custer's location in the Black Hills and its proximity to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the extra greeting made perfect sense. The motel's name was equally fitting, as Custer sits more than a mile above sea level.

The small independent motel offered just 14 rooms and catered to travelers exploring the Black Hills. Its vintage sign, complete with the "Welcome Bikers" panel, reflected the area's long tradition of welcoming motorcycle enthusiasts alongside families heading to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park.

Although the motel is gone, the sign remains a reminder of the many independently owned roadside motels that once lined the highways leading through the Black Hills. Unfortunately, its ultimate fate remains a mystery.

UPDATE: The Mile Hi Motel has permanently closed, and the vintage roadside marquee was removed sometime after 2021. 06-26

Corral Motel
Wichita, KS
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

What does the Corral Motel have in common with horses? Well, the name certainly points you in that direction. The motel's roadside sign leaned into the western theme with a rustic corral fence design and a bucking bronco, making it one of the more memorable motel marquees along Wichita's old U.S. Highway 81 corridor.

Although little is known about the motel's early ownership, the sign became well known among roadside enthusiasts. In 1993, preservation photographer John Margolies documented it as part of his landmark Roadside America project, ensuring that at least photographs of the sign would survive long after the motel disappeared.

Today, the motel and its distinctive marquee are gone, but the Corral Motel lives on through those photographs. Thanks to the Library of Congress, one of Wichita's classic roadside signs has been preserved for future generations to enjoy, even if only on film.

UPDATE: The Corral Motel has been demolished, and the original sign has been removed. 06-26