East Park Motel
Burley, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's the marquee for the East Park Motel, located in the Idaho town of Burley. Check out that starburst orb atop the sign.

The starburst perched above the sign gives it a distinctly space-age look and transforms what could have been an ordinary motel marquee into something much more memorable. It's a small detail, but it's the kind of thing that catches your eye when you're driving down the road.

The East Park Motel was a familiar sight for travelers passing through Burley, and the distinctive orb helped set it apart from the many roadside motels that once lined America's highways. 09-06

UPDATE: The property remains standing and continues to operate as an extended-stay lodging facility. While the motel has evolved over the years, the vintage roadside sign and its distinctive starburst orb continue to serve as reminders of the property's mid-century roots. 06-26

Towne Center Motel (Closed)
Mountain Home, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Towne Center Motel is located in the middle of the town of Mountain Home, Idaho.

What caught my attention here is the classic motel sign. There's nothing overly flashy about it, but it has the kind of straightforward mid-century design that was once common along America's main streets and highways. Signs like this were built to be seen from a passing car and to let travelers know exactly what they had found for the night.

The motel occupied a prominent location in downtown Mountain Home and served generations of travelers passing through southern Idaho. As chain hotels became more common, independently owned motels like the Towne Center became increasingly rare. 09-06

UPDATE: The Towne Center Motel has permanently closed. The property remained a fixture in Mountain Home for many years before ending operations. As of 2026, the future of the site remains uncertain. 06-26

Capitol Motel (Demolished)
Salt Lake City, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Salt Lake City is home to the appropriately named Capitol Motel. Check out the little capitol building perched atop the sign as well as the staggered lettering, a design style that was quite popular on motel signs during the mid-century era.

What I like about this sign is that it manages to be both simple and distinctive. The capitol dome immediately tells you the motel's name, while the staggered letters give the sign a little extra character. It's the kind of roadside design that helped independent motels create their own identity long before chain branding took over.

The Capitol Motel was one of Salt Lake City's longtime roadside lodging properties and was a familiar sight along State Street for many decades. 09-06

UPDATE: The Capitol Motel is permanently closed and has been demolished. The sign was taken down some time prior to 2011. The historic property was cleared in 2020, ending nearly ninety years of roadside lodging at the site. Today, the former motel property has been redeveloped for affordable housing, although the Capitol Motel sign remains a memorable piece of Salt Lake City's roadside history. 06-26

Branding Iron Motel
Twin Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Branding Iron Motel is home to a marquee that always reminded me of the type of sign you might find in front of a bowling alley. You can almost imagine the circular "BI" emblem on top as a bowling ball.

That's what makes this sign stand out. It doesn't really look like a typical motel marquee. Between the shape, the lettering, and the circle perched on top, it has a personality all its own. Sometimes it's the signs that don't quite fit the mold that end up being the most memorable.

Whether it was intentional or not, I've never been able to look at this sign without thinking about a mid-century bowling alley sitting somewhere nearby. 09-06

UPDATE: The good news is that the Branding Iron Motel is still around. Better yet, the vintage roadside sign remains standing out front, continuing to welcome travelers to Twin Falls just as it has for decades. 06-26

Boulevard Motel
Boise, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Boulevard Motel in Boise, Idaho advertises its TV service quite prominently on the marquee. It's always fun to see what amenities motel owners felt were important enough to put on their signs. 09-06

What really stands out to me today is that the sign is still here. On a recent visit to Boise, I was excited to see it lit up after dark. After spotting it from the road, I worked my way through a line of cars and into the parking lot just to get a closer look. It was one of those moments that reminded me why I still enjoy chasing old signs after all these years.

The sign may advertise television, but these days it's the neon itself that steals the show.

UPDATE: The Boulevard Motel no longer operates as a motel, but the property was preserved and converted into affordable housing. Better yet, the historic sign was restored and remains standing today. Seeing it illuminated at night is a reminder that not every classic roadside sign has been lost to time. 06-26