Gaddy Drug
Muskogee, OK
Photo courtesy Greg West

The colorful neon at Gaddy Drug adds a familiar glow to Muskogee. Founded in 1949, the pharmacy moved from its original location to the Broadway Shopping Center in 1960. Its vintage sign and Coca-Cola wall mural give roadside visitors a couple of good reasons to take a closer look. 08-06

Independent drug stores often doubled as neighborhood gathering places, and Gaddy retains that hometown character. As for the town’s name, Merle Haggard helped put it on the musical map with “Okie from Muskogee” in 1969.

UPDATE: Gaddy Drug changed ownership in late 2025 but remains independently operated at its longtime Broadway Street location, continuing a neighborhood tradition stretching back more than seventy years. 06-26

C&C Tile and Carpet
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The colorful neon sign at C&C Tile and Carpet has been catching the attention of passing motorists since the business opened in 1957. Located along Harvard Avenue, this longtime Tulsa institution has supplied flooring and carpet to generations of homeowners while quietly preserving one of the city's classic neon gems. 08-17

Although it's a short drive south of Route 66, the detour is well worth it once the sun goes down. The bright neon makes a striking sight against the evening sky and serves as a reminder of a time when even neighborhood businesses invested in eye-catching signs to advertise their services. Thankfully, C&C has continued to maintain both its business and its vintage sign, allowing a small piece of Tulsa's neon heritage to live on.

UPDATE: More than six decades after opening its doors, C&C Tile and Carpet continues to operate from its longtime Harvard Avenue location. The business remains family owned, and its beautifully preserved neon sign is still lighting up the Tulsa night, making it one of the city's lesser-known but most rewarding neon stops. 06-26

Cain's Ballroom
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s Cain’s Ballroom at dusk in downtown Tulsa, with a crowd already waiting for the doors to open. Between the evening activity and the familiar neon sign, this old music stop still knows how to draw attention. 08-17

Built as a garage in 1924, it became Cain’s Dance Academy in 1930. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys later made it a home base, spreading Western Swing through live radio broadcasts. Subsequent performers ranged from Willie Nelson and B.B. King to U2 and the Sex Pistols, who played their only Oklahoma show here. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, Cain’s is worth a look even when you don’t have a concert ticket.

UPDATE: Cain’s has celebrated its centennial and continues hosting concerts beneath its famous neon. The spring-loaded maple dance floor still gives enthusiastic crowds a little extra bounce. 06-26

Pioneer Cleaners and Laundry
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The neon sign at Pioneer Cleaners and Laundry is one of Tulsa's more unique roadside treasures. Located just a few blocks south of Route 66 along Harvard Avenue, the colorful display features a striking frontier woman that, according to local lore, was inspired by the famous Pioneer Woman statue in Ponca City. 08-17

Whenever I'm in this part of Tulsa, I always pair this sign with Moody's Jewelry just up the street. They've become a bonded pair in my mind—kind of like a couple of my rescue pups. If I'm photographing one, I'm almost always stopping to photograph the other. Together they make one of the best one-two punches of vintage neon anywhere in the city.

UPDATE: Pioneer Cleaners and Laundry continues to operate from its longtime Harvard Avenue location, and its iconic neon sign remains beautifully preserved and illuminated each night. Along with nearby Moody's Jewelry, it remains one of the highlights of Tulsa's outstanding collection of vintage neon. 06-26

Atlas Life Tulsa, OK Photo by RoadsidePeek.com One of downtown Tulsa’s finest neon sights hangs from the Atlas Life Building. The towering blade sign makes a colorful introduction to this twelve-story landmark, giving visitors a reason to look up before they ever reach the entrance. After dark, it’s quite a bit more entertaining than the usual hotel sign. 08-17 Completed in 1922, the building was designed by Rush, Endacott & Rush for the Atlas Life Insurance Company. Its Classical Revival details gave the growing company a suitably impressive downtown home. The elaborate public opening helped introduce a skyscraper built to project permanence and confidence in Tulsa’s booming business district. The four-story sign carries that identity out over the sidewalk. Its bold lettering and neon make the company name easy to spot among the surrounding buildings. This was advertising on a scale that didn’t require motorists or pedestrians to get particularly close to read it.   Atlas sign zoom in on Atlas Tulsa, OK Photo by RoadsidePeek.com Look carefully and you’ll find Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders, an appropriate symbol for a company promising to shoulder its customers’ financial worries. Another Atlas figure stands high above on the building itself. Between the rooftop sculpture and the illuminated sign, the old insurance company certainly made sure its namesake had plenty of work. There’s a good reason to pause at street level, too. The historic lobby adds marble and a bronze Atlas clock to the display, carrying the company’s identity from the skyline right down to the entrance. This is one downtown stop where looking straight ahead means missing part of the attraction. UPDATE: The Atlas Life Building found a new role as a Courtyard by Marriott, with its restoration retaining distinctive features of the former insurance headquarters. The marble lobby, Atlas clock and familiar neon blade sign keep its earlier identity in view. Guests may come for a room, but roadside fans still have a good reason to stop outside after dark. 06-26