In the Black Hills of South Dakota is the Rocket Motel, home to one of the area's best-known mid-century motel signs. The rocket-shaped marquee is a fun reminder of the Space Age, when anything with fins, stars, or rockets instantly grabbed the attention of passing motorists. To the right is another angle of the Rocket Motel marquee.
The motel opened in 1950 and quickly became a popular stop for travelers exploring Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills. Early postcards advertised it as Allen's Rocket Motel and noted its affiliation with Best Western, AAA, and the Duncan Hines travel guides.
More than 70 years later, the motel still embraces its retro roots. The original one-story layout remains, and the rooms feature mid-century touches that complement the vintage sign out front. It's nice to see a classic roadside motel that has managed to preserve so much of its original character.
UPDATE: The Rocket Motel remains open as an independently operated, family-run motel. Its iconic rocket-shaped sign still stands out front and continues to welcome travelers visiting the Black Hills. While the sign is well maintained, it is unverified whether the original neon still lights at night. 06-26
Stardust Motel (Rem.)
El Dorado, KS Photo courtesy Tony Craig
This old roadside sign for the Stardust Motel is located in El Dorado. It's a great example of mid-century roadside design, reflecting the Space Age craze when rockets, stars, and futuristic themes found their way onto motel signs across America. Back then, everyone's eyes were on the race to the moon, and businesses were happy to ride the excitement.
While the motel has changed names over the years, the Stardust name perfectly captured the optimism of the era. Like many roadside businesses during the late 1950s and 1960s, it borrowed from America's fascination with space exploration to create a memorable identity that travelers wouldn't soon forget.
Unfortunately, the fate of the original sign isn't entirely clear. The motel remains in business under different ownership and branding, but modern photographs show updated signage. It's unknown whether the vintage marquee was removed, covered, or perhaps survives somewhere off-site.
UPDATE: The property continues to operate as a motel under new branding, and the original neon sign has been gone for many years. 06-26
Ced-Rel Motel
Cedar Rapids, IA Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Near Cedar Rapids is this great marquee for the Ced-Rel Motel. Check out the little smiley face built right into the sign. It's one of those quirky details that makes an already memorable roadside sign even more fun to photograph.
The property's name comes from a combination of Cedar Rapids and owner Verlin "Stretch" Sedrel, who purchased the site in 1935. What began as a gas station eventually grew into the well-known Ced-Rel Supper Club and Motel. Over the years, the supper club became a local favorite, especially its Bamboo Room, a 1950s tiki-themed dining room that was popular for steaks and its famous cottage cheese dip.
The motel and sign remain roadside landmarks along the historic Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30). While the smiley face gives the sign a playful personality, it also reflects an era when motel owners weren't afraid to add a little character to help their businesses stand out from the crowd.
UPDATE: The motel remains open, but the Ced-Rel Supper Club has been closed since sustaining major damage during the 2020 derecho windstorm. The vintage roadside sign still survives, although it is unverified whether the original neon, including the smiley face, still lights up. 06-26
Fleetwood Motel
Shawnee, OK Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Check out the marquee for the Fleetwood Motel in Shawnee. In this case, the colorful neon arrows really do point the way into the motel parking lot. It's a clever design that leaves little doubt where weary travelers were supposed to turn.
Although its exact opening date hasn't been documented, the Fleetwood is a classic mid-century roadside motel with the familiar single-story layout and at-door parking that made these properties so popular. The multi-tiered sign remains the star of the show, using stacked lettering and a series of downward-pointing arrows to grab attention from passing traffic.
Unlike many vintage motel signs that have disappeared over the years, the Fleetwood's marquee continues to stand out as one of Shawnee's best surviving examples of roadside neon. Even during the daytime, it's hard to miss those colorful arrows leading the way.
UPDATE: The Fleetwood Motel remains open as an independently operated economy motel. The vintage roadside sign still survives. 06-26
Elm Motel (Closed)
Erick, OK Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's the Elm Motel in Erick, sitting quietly alongside historic Route 66. Time hasn't been kind to either the motel or its sign, but the weathered marquee still has enough character to remind travelers of the days when this was a welcoming stop on the Mother Road.
Built around 1940, the Elm Motel was one of the area's early auto courts, featuring individual garages built between the guest rooms so motorists could park under cover and walk directly into their accommodations. After the motel changed hands in 1948, a swimming pool and miniature golf course were added to encourage families to stay a little longer.
Today, the faded roadside sign tells much of the story. The motel's name has nearly disappeared, but the words "Reasonable Rates" can still be made out on the lower panel. It's a small detail that hints at a time when independent motels competed for travelers one passing car at a time.
UPDATE: The Elm Motel has been closed for many years and now sits abandoned. The original motel buildings still stand, and the deteriorating roadside sign remains in place, although its neon is presumed to be long gone. 06-26
The Glancy Motel (Demolished)
Clinton, OK Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier
The Glancy Motel was one of the best-known landmarks along Route 66 in Clinton. Its towering neon marquee welcomed travelers for decades and became just as recognizable as the motel itself. When I photographed it, the owner mentioned business had become increasingly difficult after neighboring Pop Hicks Restaurant was lost to a fire in 1999. Route 66 couldn't afford to lose another one of its longtime beacons. 06-00
The motel opened on July 9, 1950, when Opal and Chester Glancy built an 18-room motor hotel to serve the growing stream of Route 66 travelers. A second, larger addition followed in 1959 as business boomed, helping establish the Glancy as one of western Oklahoma's signature roadside motels.
Long after its heyday, the Glancy found new life as a filming location, appearing in the 2016 Lifetime movie A Mother's Escape. Even as the buildings declined, the giant marquee remained one of the most photographed motel signs on Oklahoma's stretch of Route 66.
UPDATE: After years of deterioration, the motel was condemned and demolished in 2023 to make way for a new Oklahoma Highway Patrol facility. Fortunately, the iconic neon sign was saved and relocated to the Oklahoma Historical Society. Funding was secured in 2025 to fully restore the marquee, with plans to eventually display it at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. 06-26
The Glancy Motor Hotel (Demolished)
Clinton, OK Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A Route 66 motel treasure, The Glancy Motor Hotel in
Clinton, OK still features its huge marquee. Unfortunately, the feeling
from the owner is that business has been tight. With the loss of the Pop
Hicks Restaurant next door a few years ago, Route 66 can't afford to lose
another beacon of the Mother Road. 06-00
Rocket Motel
More than 70 years later, the motel still embraces its retro roots. The original one-story layout remains, and the rooms feature mid-century touches that complement the vintage sign out front. It's nice to see a classic roadside motel that has managed to preserve so much of its original character.
Stardust Motel (Rem.)
Ced-Rel Motel
Fleetwood Motel
Elm Motel (Closed)
Here's the Elm Motel in Erick, sitting quietly alongside historic Route 66. Time hasn't been kind to either the motel or its sign, but the weathered marquee still has enough character to remind travelers of the days when this was a welcoming stop on the Mother Road.
