Holiday Motel
Sturgeon Bay, WI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon at Holiday Music Motel gives downtown Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, a bright roadside welcome. Its lettering and arrow make this a sign worth catching after dark. Fortunately, the old display has stayed part of the property through some interesting changes. 07-07

Opened in 1952 as Holiday Motel, it is recognized as Door County’s first motel. Musicians purchased it in 2007 and introduced its current name and creative focus. An on-site recording studio, songwriter retreats, and a streaming radio station made it more than somewhere to spend the night.

UPDATE: Holiday Music Motel remains open, and its restored neon sign continues lighting downtown Sturgeon Bay. The music gives the property a newer identity, while the marquee keeps its connection to the days when a roadside arrow pointed travelers toward a night’s rest. 07-26

Belvedere Motel (Gone)
Cairo, IL
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Belvedere Motel in Cairo, Illinois featured a classic neon marquee that looked especially good after dark. The bright sign stood along the roadside welcoming travelers and was a nice reminder of the days when independent motels relied on colorful neon to attract passing motorists. 06-07

Located at the southern tip of Illinois, Cairo was once a busy stop for travelers heading through the region, and motels like the Belvedere were built to serve that steady stream of traffic. While the buildings themselves were fairly simple, a good sign could make all the difference, and this one certainly did its job.

The marquee had a clean, classic design that fit the motel perfectly. It may not have been the biggest sign around, but it had the kind of look that always makes it worth pulling over for a photograph.

UPDATE: The eye-catching sign was removed around 2014. Another roadside treasure is gone and now just a memory. 07-26

Dice's Motel (Gone)
Muncie, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The colorful arrow at Dice’s Motel pointed travelers toward a room in Muncie, Indiana. Its neon marquee had plenty of personality and was built to catch your attention before you reached the driveway. By the time the property became Budget Motel, however, the old display had disappeared. 07-07

Dice’s advertised air conditioning and television, familiar selling points during the roadside motel era. The sign supplied the extra flair, giving motorists something more memorable than a list of room amenities. Its later plastic replacement didn’t quite have the same appeal.

UPDATE: The motel has closed, and the Dice’s neon marquee is long gone. This photograph preserves its bright lettering and oversized arrow from the days when an independent motel could make a colorful introduction along the highway. 07-26

Coral Court Motel (Demolished)
St Louis, MO
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Coral Court Motel brought an unusually stylish welcome to Route 66 along Watson Road near St. Louis. Its neon marquee and rounded buildings made it a favorite for roadside photographers. Even among the Mother Road’s distinctive motels, this one stood apart. 06-07

Opened in 1941, Coral Court combined Streamline Moderne architecture with glazed tile, glass block, and individual room garages. The design gave the motor court a futuristic appearance that remained recognizable long after newer motels arrived.

UPDATE: Coral Court was demolished in 1995, but portions escaped the wrecking crews. Cabin No. 5 was dismantled and reconstructed at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, and the neon sign was also saved and restored. The motel is gone, but visitors can still see pieces of what made it special. 07-26

Pine Haven Motel
Fort Wayne, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon pine tree at Pine Haven Motel in Fort Wayne, Indiana, made a fitting introduction to the property. Glowing above the roadside, the outline gave the marquee a little extra character. It’s always fun to find a motel sign that puts its name to work in the design. 07-07

The advertised conveniences tell another part of the story. Instead of the “Color TV” lettering found on many older signs, Pine Haven offered cable television and air conditioning. Those small changes trace how roadside motels updated their promises to passing travelers.

UPDATE: Pine Haven Motel remains open, and its vintage pine-tree sign still stands. Whether the neon lights regularly remains unconfirmed, but the marquee survives. This photograph captures its evening appearance from the days when the tree was glowing above the road. 07-26

Wolf's Motor Court (Demolished)
Elwood, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The script lettering at Wolf’s Motor Court gave this Elwood, Indiana, sign a familiar roadside look. Its neon was already dark when photographed, but the design still deserved a closer look. The stacked “Motor Court” panels left little doubt about what travelers would find beyond the entrance. 07-07

Wolf’s followed the convenient motor-court arrangement, allowing guests to park near their rooms. Outside, the marquee supplied the welcome. Even without its lights, the sign recalled a time when independent lodging stops competed for attention with distinctive lettering and a little neon.

UPDATE: Wolf’s Motor Court has been demolished, and an O’Reilly Auto Parts now occupies the property. The old sign is also gone. Photographs preserve its script and stacked panels from before another roadside court disappeared from the Indiana landscape. 07-26

Gateway Motel (Demolished)
Merrillville, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The red neon at Gateway Motel made this Merrillville, Indiana, property easy to spot along U.S. 30. Its bold script looked especially inviting after dark, offering weary travelers a colorful reason to leave the highway for the evening. 07-07

At U.S. 30 and State Road 53, Gateway began as a small cabin-style motor court documented in early-1950s postcards. It later expanded into a larger motel with air-conditioned rooms and an adjoining restaurant. Through those changes, the marquee remained its most noticeable roadside feature.

UPDATE: Gateway Motel has been demolished, and its classic red neon sign is gone. The busy commercial corridor has changed, leaving photographs and postcards to record the motor court that once stood at the intersection. That glowing script made a much more memorable welcome than most motel advertising today. 07-26