Angler Motel
Royal, AR
Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell

Take a look at the vintage marquee for the Angler Motel along U.S. 270 in Royal, Arkansas. The sign has been catching the eyes of travelers since the motel opened in 1955, and the "World Famous" slogan certainly doesn't lack confidence. With Lake Ouachita just up the road, it's easy to imagine plenty of fishermen and vacationers pulling in here after a long day on the water.

The motel has received a major makeover in recent years, adding a swimming pool, a large party deck, and an outdoor music stage while keeping its classic roadside sign out front. The old marquee still gives the place plenty of character, proving that sometimes one good sign is all it takes to make you hit the brakes for another look.

UPDATE: The Angler Motel remains open after its extensive renovation and continues welcoming travelers exploring the Hot Springs and Lake Ouachita area. 08-26

Detroiter Motel (Gone)
AR
Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell

Even the 18-wheelers seem to pass by without giving it a second glance. The faded marquee at the Detroiter Motel still reaches out toward the highway, looking like it's waiting for travelers who stopped coming years ago. With peeling paint, empty rooms behind it, and weeds beginning to take over, this is the kind of place that makes you wonder what it looked like on a busy summer evening when the vacancy sign was lit and every room had a car parked out front.

By the time Stewart Isbell photographed the motel, its best days were clearly behind it, but the old sign still had plenty of personality. It's the sort of roadside find that almost makes you slow down for one last look, even knowing there's no place to check in anymore. Sometimes an old motel doesn't need bright neon or fresh paint to catch your eye. A weathered marquee and a little imagination are enough.

UPDATE: The motel is gone today, and the old roadside marquee has been removed. 08-26

Best Motel
Hot Springs, AR
Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell

Take a look at the diver perched above the marquee at the Best Motel in Hot Springs. Motels with diving figures were once a familiar sight along America's highways, and this one was hard to miss while cruising down Ouachita Avenue. The sign alone was enough to make you wonder if there was a vacancy.

The motor court opened in 1933, making it one of the oldest roadside lodging spots in Arkansas. Over the years it picked up the eye-catching diver sign that became its best-known feature, giving the motel a little extra personality among the many places to spend the night in Hot Springs.

UPDATE: The motel has been beautifully restored and continues operating today as Best Court. Its original diver marquee is gone, replaced in 2018 by a new sign inspired by the property's earliest roadside design. 08-26

Talbotton Motel (Closed)
Talbotton, GA
Photo courtesy Kevin Powers

If you're traveling U.S. 80 through west Georgia, keep an eye out for the old Talbotton Motel. The vintage roadside marquee is still standing, proudly advertising "Air Conditioned" and "TV," two amenities that once drew countless motorists off the highway. Today those words feel more like a time capsule from the great days of roadside travel.

The motel has the look of a classic highway stop where a good night's sleep was never too far away. Even though the rooms no longer serve passing travelers, the old sign still gives you a pretty good idea of what this stretch of U.S. 80 must have looked like when independent motels lined the road and every town had a few places to spend the night. It's the kind of sign that's worth slowing down for, even if you're just passing through.

UPDATE: The motel has since been converted into apartments, but its familiar roadside marquee continues greeting traffic along U.S. 80. though it is now blank. 08-26

Lorraine Motel
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

The bright turquoise sign at the Lorraine Motel catches your eye long before you realize you're standing at one of the most significant places in American history. At first glance it looks like another well-preserved roadside motel from the 1950s, but a closer look at the second-floor balcony tells a very different story.

Originally opening in the 1920s, the motel became a favorite stop for Black travelers during the segregation era and was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book. Many musicians performing and recording in Memphis also stayed here over the years. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while standing outside Room 306, where he had been staying during his visit to support the city's striking sanitation workers.

Today the motel is preserved as part of the National Civil Rights Museum. The familiar roadside marquee still welcomes visitors, and the courtyard has been carefully maintained to resemble the way it appeared on that tragic evening, making it one of the most unforgettable roadside stops in America.

UPDATE: The Lorraine Motel remains preserved as the centerpiece of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. 08-26

Eastgate Motel (Demolished)
Chattanooga, TN
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

The East Gate Motel occupies a bustling block along Brainerd Road in Chattanooga, TN. It is about five miles outside the downtown area. Across the street is Sir Goony's Fun Center which offers bumper boats, laser tag, go-karts and paint ball. The real draw however is its many folksy characters that serve as obstacles on two 18-hole miniature golf courses. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

Just a few miles east of downtown Chattanooga, the Eastgate Motel once greeted travelers along busy Brainerd Road. Sitting across the street from Sir Goony's Family Fun Center, it was easy to imagine families spending the afternoon on the miniature golf course before calling it a night at the motel. The roadside marquee did its job, letting passing motorists know there was another place to pull off the highway.

Like many independent motels that lined America's highways, the Eastgate eventually disappeared as the corridor changed around it. Today it's hard to picture a motel ever standing here, but old photos like this preserve a roadside stop that was once part of the drive through Chattanooga.

UPDATE: The motel has been demolished, and the roadside marquee was removed when the property was redeveloped. 08-26