Key RV Park (Gone)
Florida Keys, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

This was one key that didn’t belong in your pocket. The giant neon display at Key RV Park made a fitting roadside landmark in the Florida Keys, turning the name into an unmistakable image beside the Overseas Highway. Its illuminated outline gave travelers something memorable to spot after dark.

Located in Marathon, the park served visitors arriving with campers and recreational vehicles, offering a different kind of island stay from the neighboring motels. The waterfront setting appealed to travelers bringing boats or planning time on the water. The oversized key neatly tied together the business name and its surroundings without requiring a complicated advertising message.

UPDATE: The former RV destination became the resident-owned Key by the Sea community. The giant neon key has been removed, ending its role as a familiar highway marker. The property continues in residential use, but the glowing roadside invitation pictured here is gone. 07-26

McNamara Pontiac (Demolished)
Orlando, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The McNamara Pontiac sign put on quite a show after dark. Turquoise neon and the illuminated Pontiac profile gave the enormous marquee a presence along Orlando’s Colonial Drive. It was the kind of dealership advertisement you could appreciate without having any intention of trading in your car.

The business opened in downtown Orlando in 1961 and moved to Colonial Drive in 1965. Its bold, Googie-style sign suited the competitive world of roadside automobile sales, where an eye-catching display helped establish a dealership’s identity. Isuzu later joined the lineup, but the older Pontiac imagery remained the feature that made the marquee especially memorable.

UPDATE: McNamara Pontiac closed around 2010 following the discontinuation of the Pontiac brand. The property was sold in 2015 and subsequently demolished. The landmark sign no longer stands along Colonial Drive; its eventual disposition has not been confirmed here. 07-26

Colonial Photo
Orlando, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The neon sign at Colonial Photo & Hobby supplied an extra reason to notice this Orlando store. Above the lettering, the illuminated clock offered a service even to motorists who weren’t shopping for a camera. Along Mills Avenue, the combination made the business recognizable well beyond its regular customers.

Founded in 1954, the store later occupied a former Publix supermarket, retaining the building’s sign and clock as part of its own identity. Photography equipment shared space with model trains and hobby supplies, giving customers plenty to browse. The reused display proved especially appropriate for a business where looking closely was part of the appeal.

UPDATE: Colonial Photo & Hobby remains family owned, and its landmark neon sign and clock continue to mark the Mills Avenue location. Good to see a longtime specialty retailer carrying on beneath a display that has become as familiar as the business itself. 07-26

U-Haul Rental (Demolished)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy John V Cinchett

One of the first U-Haul Rental locations in the state of Florida was found in Tampa. Check out the look of this marquee in this photo from 1951 as well as the neon map. Many thanks to John V Cinchett for info. 11-08

The Hillsborough Avenue operation belonged to U-Haul’s network of independent dealers, which helped the company expand during the postwar moving boom. Tampa’s Cinchett Neon Signs created the display, bringing the same local craftsmanship found at restaurants and other businesses to a practical rental service. The map imagery made an appropriate advertisement for customers preparing to take their belongings down the highway.

UPDATE: This early U-Haul location has disappeared, and its custom neon sign is gone. Later commercial development replaced the original business. The photograph preserves an interesting chapter from before standardized branding made most rental locations look much alike. 07-26

Southside Cleaners
Lakeland, FL
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

The starburst above Southside Cleaners gives South Florida Avenue in Lakeland a welcome splash of roadside color. Seafoam green and yellow panels, sweeping lines, and neon make the display more memorable than an ordinary dry-cleaning advertisement. It’s the sort of sign worth noticing whether you have a bundle of laundry with you or not. 10-09

The business opened in 1954 as Florida Drive-In Cleaners before adopting the Southside name. Its distinctive sign followed in 1962, reportedly from a design Greg Myers created at just twelve years old. The family’s humorous reader-board messages supplied another attraction. After Hurricane Ian damaged the display in 2022, the brief message “Ouchie!” kept that sense of humor intact during repairs.

UPDATE: Southside Cleaners remains open, and its restored neon sign returned to service in 2023. The starburst continues to brighten the avenue, carrying on both the original design and the playful personality that made this neighborhood business a Lakeland landmark. 07-26