Banks aren't usually known for flashy signs, but this one certainly breaks the mold. The Columbia Bank marquee doesn't just display the bank's name. It also includes a large illustration that gives the whole sign a little extra personality, something you don't see very often anymore.
There was a time when businesses of every kind, even banks, weren't afraid to have a little fun with their roadside advertising. Instead of relying on plain lettering and corporate logos, many added artwork, symbols, or other eye-catching features to help motorists remember them. It made the drive a little more interesting.
This sign is a good reminder that even an everyday neighborhood bank could become a roadside attraction with the right design.
Badcock Home Furnishing (Gone)
Tampa, FL Photo courtesy Andy Callahan
Stop by the Badcock Home Furnishing Center in downtown Tampa to
either pick up furniture or check out the vintage sign.
Furniture stores don't usually make the sightseeing list, but this Badcock Home Furnishing Center was worth a look for its vintage roadside sign alone. Standing along 7th Avenue in Ybor City, the bold lettering was hard to miss while driving through one of Tampa's most interesting neighborhoods.
Badcock had been a Florida name since 1904, furnishing homes across the South for generations. This location carried on that tradition while adding a little roadside character of its own. The sign fit right in with the mix of old brick buildings, neon, and classic storefronts that made cruising through Ybor such a treat.
UPDATE: The Badcock chain went out of business in 2024 following its parent company's bankruptcy. The Ybor City store has closed, and the vintage sign is no longer part of the streetscape. 08-26
Crown Wigs
Tampa, FL Photo courtesy Andy Callahan
Need a disguise? Then Crown Wigs looked like it had you covered. Whether you were actually shopping for a new hairstyle or just passing by, the vintage sign was enough to earn a second glance from the road.
Shops like this used to have plenty of personality. Instead of blending into the background, they advertised exactly what they sold with big, easy-to-read signs that couldn't be missed from behind the wheel. A wig shop may not sound like much of a roadside attraction, but a sign like this made it one.
Sometimes it's the unexpected places that make a drive memorable. After all, not every vintage roadside sign points to a motel or diner.
Miller High Life (Demolished)
Tampa, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
I had driven by the old neon Miller beer sign on Kennedy
Boulevard in Tampa thousands of times, but it never really sunk in. It
took a visit from a New England friend and roadside observer before I
consciously realized its presence. As she so gingerly exclaimed when we
passed it, “Great sign, crappy beer.” Point well taken. It
may be why the sign still rises to the rooftop, but the bottling plant
has packed it in. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.
Some signs become part of the scenery, so familiar that you hardly notice them anymore. That was the case with the giant Miller High Life sign overlooking Kennedy Boulevard. It watched over the road for years, and plenty of Tampa drivers probably passed beneath it thousands of times without giving it much thought. Although many people assumed it marked a bottling plant, the building actually served as a Miller beer distribution warehouse.
UPDATE: The warehouse closed after J.J. Taylor moved its operations in 2003. The building was later demolished, and the famous rooftop sign disappeared along with it. 08-26
Foto Fast 1 Hr Photo (Gone)
Ocala, FL Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Need some film? The giant Foto Fast 1 Hr Photo marquee along Silver Springs Boulevard made it easy to know where to stop. The sign didn't rely on flashy graphics or clever slogans. One big word, "FILM," was all it took to catch the attention of drivers heading across Ocala.
Back when every vacation and family gathering ended with a roll of 35mm film, places like Foto Fast stayed busy. Travelers passing through on their way to Silver Springs could drop off their film and often have their pictures ready the same day. Long before digital cameras and smartphones, that seemed pretty impressive.
The simple marquee was a perfect example of roadside advertising from the era. It said exactly what the business offered, and it was easy to read from behind the wheel. Sometimes that's all a sign needed to do.
UPDATE: As digital photography replaced film processing, one-hour photo shops like Foto Fast gradually disappeared. The Ocala location eventually closed, and the familiar "FILM" marquee is no longer part of the Silver Springs Boulevard streetscape. 08-26
Stamie's Beach Wear (Gone)
Daytona Beach, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Driving into Daytona Beach, your eyes couldn't help but drift upward. Perched above Stamie's Beachwear was a giant diving girl in a bright red swimsuit, frozen forever in mid-air as though she was about to leap into the Atlantic just a block away.
The fiberglass figure first appeared on the roof in 1965 and quickly became one of Daytona's best-known roadside landmarks. Beneath her, Stamie's had been selling swimsuits and beachwear since 1947, making it a favorite stop for generations of vacationers heading for the sand. Whether you needed a new swimsuit or not, the rooftop diver was reason enough to slow down for a look.
She became just as much a part of Daytona Beach as the boardwalk, the ocean, and the steady stream of visitors arriving for Bike Week and race weekends. It was one of those signs that let you know you had arrived.
UPDATE: Stamie's closed in 2017 after 70 years in business. The Ocean Avenue store is gone, but the famous diving girl can still be seen at One Daytona. 08-26
National Trailer Rental Co. (Gone)
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. Many thanks to John V Cinchett for info.11-08
Long before moving trucks became a common sight, motorists could rent a trailer like this and hitch it behind the family car. The towering National Trailer Rental Co. marquee along Hillsborough Avenue made sure travelers knew where to stop before heading out on the road.
The sign dates to the 1950s and has all the personality you'd expect from the era. Built by Tampa's Cinchett Neon Signs, it turned a simple trailer rental lot into a memorable roadside landmark. At the time, businesses like this were helping a growing Florida welcome new residents, vacationers, and families setting off on their next adventure.
National Trailer Rental was one of the early competitors in the trailer rental business before many locations eventually became U-Haul dealers. It's easy to imagine a station wagon pulling in, a trailer being hooked up, and another road trip getting underway.
UPDATE: The rental lot disappeared years ago, and the distinctive marquee is no longer part of the Hillsborough Avenue landscape. 11-08
Columbia Bank
Badcock Home Furnishing (Gone)
Crown Wigs
Miller High Life (Demolished)
Foto Fast 1 Hr Photo (Gone)
Stamie's Beach Wear (Gone)
