Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Campground
Lake Delton, WI
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Yogi Bear makes a cheerful roadside greeter at Jellystone Park Campground in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. The colorful entrance marquee promises a family vacation before campers even reach the gate. Kids probably spot this fellow long before the driver does. 03-06

The Wisconsin Dells campground dates its first season to 1971, following the first Jellystone Park's opening in Wisconsin in 1969. Camping, organized activities, and familiar cartoon characters helped turn the property into a recurring summer destination. The Yogi sign supplied a recognizable welcome for arriving families.

UPDATE: The campground continues operating seasonally, with Yogi remaining central to its identity. The entrance marquee carries on the playful roadside tradition, although its original installation date hasn't been established. Fortunately, spotting this bear doesn't require hiding the picnic basket. 07-26

Lowry Farm (Gone)
Pittsfield, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

Here's the faded Lowry Farm sign near Pittsfield, Illinois. The horse outline suggested a display that once did more than simply light up. Its neon legs apparently moved through an animated sequence, giving passing motorists a little roadside horse race. 04-06

Mariam and Ed Lowry operated a horse and pony farm at the property. The sign is believed to date from the 1950s or '60s, when animated neon helped businesses make their advertisements especially memorable. Even after the lights stopped working, the unusual design remained worth a closer look.

UPDATE: Fortunately, this sign wasn't lost or converted into a plastic lightbox. It was repainted and its neon restored around 2021, with the horse design preserved. A later roadside record documents the renewed sign, giving this distinctive Illinois landmark a much happier ending. 07-26

Pastika's Sport Shop (Gone)
Hayward, WI
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

That big fish pointed anglers toward Pastika's Sport Shop in Hayward, Wisconsin. With colorful lettering advertising live bait and tackle, the sign looked right at home in the Northwoods. You knew what kind of supplies were waiting inside. 03-06

Pastika's became a favorite among generations of fishermen, particularly those pursuing muskies. Its tackle selection gave customers plenty to consider before heading to the lake. A contemporary 2012 account described its closure after roughly 85 years, suggesting a history beginning in the 1920s rather than firmly establishing the supplied 1921 date.

UPDATE: Pastika's had closed by summer 2012, and the familiar roadside sign has been removed. Its whereabouts remain uncertain. The shop's disappearance left anglers without a longtime local stop, although the big fish remains a memorable part of Hayward's roadside history. 07-26

Heinz Furniture (Rem.)
Carlinville, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

Here's the old Heinz Furniture sign in downtown Carlinville, Illinois. Projecting above the sidewalk, it suited the historic brick storefronts and made a longtime local business easy to recognize. 04-06

German immigrant Peter Heinz established the business in 1854, putting his carpentry skills to work making furniture. The family also operated a funeral business, a combination once common among furniture makers. Later generations continued serving Carlinville from the historic square, adapting the merchandise while retaining the familiar family name.

UPDATE: Heinz Furniture remains in business. Its old projecting sign has been removed, but a 2023 exterior restoration brought back features reflecting the building's nineteenth-century appearance. The restored storefront gives the company's long history another visible expression, even without the marquee that once hung overhead. 07-26

J.H. Glaser (Gone)
St Louis, MO
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson

Here's J.H. Glaser & Son Marine Supply Company along Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis, Missouri. The business appeared to have been closed for some time, but its old advertising still marked the storefront. 12-06

Natural Bridge was an important commercial route, providing visibility for businesses serving customers across the metropolitan area. A marine-supply shop didn't need waterfront frontage: boat owners could purchase equipment and parts before heading elsewhere to launch. The sign recalled a specialty retailer amid the corridor's other neighborhood businesses.

UPDATE: The marine-supply business is gone, and the sign has been reported removed.. 07-26

Kmart (Demolished)
Commerce, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Sometimes the roadside attraction isn't the sign, it's what's parked underneath it. In this case, the classic Kmart sign in Commerce, MI, shares the spotlight with a beautiful 1964 Pontiac Bonneville, making this one of those photos that perfectly captures a moment in time. 02-07

The tall Kmart sign was a familiar landmark for shoppers heading to the store, but the vintage Bonneville steals the show. Together they create a scene that feels like it could have come straight out of the 1960s, even though the photo was taken decades later. It's a reminder that sometimes the best roadside photos happen when two pieces of Americana unexpectedly meet.

Not long after this photo was taken, the Kmart joined the growing list of stores that disappeared as the chain slowly faded away. Today, both the store and its towering sign are gone.

UPDATE: The Commerce Township Kmart closed in 2009, and the building was eventually demolished to make way for a Kroger Marketplace. The roadside sign disappeared along with it, leaving this photo as a nice reminder of a classic Michigan Kmart. 07-26