Wurlitzer Arcade
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

Now here's an entrance that's hard to drive past. The Wurlitzer Arcade was dressed up to look like one giant old Wurlitzer jukebox, complete with the familiar rounded top, colorful trim, and plenty of lights.

And yes, that's actually the building. The entrance was designed to resemble one of those classic Wurlitzer jukeboxes that once seemed to be sitting in every diner and roadside joint in America. It's the kind of novelty architecture that doesn't really need much explanation. Make the building look like a jukebox and chances are somebody is going to stop for a look.

The best part came after dark, when the whole thing lit up. With the glowing facade and jukebox styling, this must have been quite a sight at night.

Unfortunately, the exact location of this one has been lost from the RoadsidePeek files. If anyone recognizes this giant Wurlitzer, send along a note. We'd sure like to know where it was and if it's still around.

Beale Street
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

In Memphis Tennessee, Beale Street is the main attraction. The traffic is closed off on Saturday nights as the boulevard is filled with the sights and sounds of blues musicians and street performers. A veritable neon smorgasbord awaits the visual senses. Many thanks to Jay Lin for info.

Known as the Home of the Blues, Beale has seen everyone from W.C. Handy to B.B. King pass through over the years. There's plenty of history here, but it's all those glowing signs that keep the camera busy.

Beale Street went through some rough years before coming back to life in the 1980s. Today the crowds are back, the music is playing, and there's still plenty of neon lighting up the Memphis night. 08-26

Big Daddy's (Gone)
New Orleans, LA
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

Only on Bourbon Street. The Big Daddy's sign was hard enough to miss, but add a pair of fishnet-covered legs swinging above the sidewalk and you had one of New Orleans' more risque neon landmarks.

Big Daddy's opened in 1967 and became one of Bourbon Street's longest-running strip clubs. Those famous mechanical legs eventually became almost as recognizable as the club itself, even turning up in Clint Eastwood's 1984 movie Tightrope and Aerosmith's "Rag Doll" video.

For anyone wandering Bourbon Street after dark, this was certainly one sign that got your attention.

UPDATE: Big Daddy's closed in October 2008, and the neon sign and swinging legs were removed. 08-26

The Pearl (Closed)
New Orleans, LA
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

There's no mistaking the big vertical neon for The Pearl hanging over St. Charles Avenue in downtown New Orleans. The towering sign with PEARL spelled out in glowing letters was the kind of old restaurant neon that looked even better after dark.

The Pearl dated back to the late 1920s and spent more than 80 years serving up the sort of New Orleans food you'd hope to find behind a sign like this. Oysters, gumbo, turtle soup, crab cakes, and roast beef po-boys were all longtime favorites. Inside was an old-fashioned counter and plenty of retro atmosphere to go along with the neon outside.

The restaurant even found its way into New Orleans crime novels, including books by James Lee Burke. Covers from books mentioning The Pearl once decorated the walls.

UPDATE: The Pearl closed in September 2015 after more than 80 years in business. The restaurant remains gone, but its great old vertical sign still hangs above 119 St. Charles Avenue. 08-26

5 Points Pontiac
Albemarle, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's one great old Pontiac sign that's still doing its job long after the cars stopped rolling out of the showroom. The neon sign at 5 Points Pontiac in Albemarle features the old Indian Chief Pontiac logo, complete with glowing neon that really comes alive after dark.

The building dates back to the early 1900s and was home to Morgan Motor Company, the local Pontiac dealership. Its old showroom sat right at the busy five-way intersection that gave the place its 5 Points name.

The dealership is long gone, but fortunately the building and its Pontiac sign stuck around. The old automotive space was restored and later became Five Points Public House, with plenty of reminders of its dealership days still visible. And when that old Pontiac chief lights up at night, you almost expect to see a row of shiny new Pontiacs sitting out front.

UPDATE: The former dealership remains home to Five Points Public House, and the vintage Pontiac neon sign still lights up downtown Albemarle. 08-26

Liberty Laundry
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The Liberty Laundry, also located in Louisville, sports a marquee that lights up the roadside. Check out the little coin image on this sign. 10-05

After dark, the neon really lit up the roadside, making this ordinary neighborhood laundromat hard to miss. It's one of those signs that probably didn't get much attention from the folks dropping off their laundry, but certainly caught the eye of anyone looking for old roadside neon. Not much is known about Liberty Laundry today, including its exact Louisville location. If anyone remembers this place or knows what happened to the sign, send along a note.

Paul Miller Ford (Rem.)
Lexington, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

You'd have a hard time driving past this one without noticing it. The towering neon marquee for Paul Miller Ford stood high above New Circle Road in Lexington, glowing brightly enough to make sure everyone knew where the Fords were. 10-05

Paul Miller started the dealership in 1953 and moved it out to New Circle Road in 1964, back when the area was still well outside the main business district. Ford reportedly wasn't too sure customers would make the drive, but that certainly didn't last long.

The dealership itself was pretty hard to miss, with its unusual sweeping concrete roof and that giant Ford sign standing out front. Once the neon came on at night, there was no mistaking where you were.

UPDATE: Paul Miller Ford remains in business at its longtime New Circle Road location. The tall sign structure survives, but the vintage neon photographed here has been replaced with modern signage. 08-26

Farmer's Jewelry
Lexington, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Need a watch or maybe something that sparkles? The tall neon sign for Farmer's Jewelry has been standing along Euclid Avenue in Lexington for years, making this neighborhood jewelry store pretty hard to miss. With the letters stacked high above the sidewalk, it's the kind of sign that looks even better once the sun goes down. 10-05

Bill and Jean Farmer opened the store here in 1950 after Bill finished watchmaking school in Louisville. More than 75 years later, the family business is still right where it started at 821 Euclid Avenue. Three generations of the Farmer family have worked behind the counter, selling jewelry and watches to generations of Lexington customers.

And while plenty has changed along Euclid Avenue since 1950, that great old vertical sign is still hanging outside. The double-sided neon was made for passing traffic, letting everyone coming down the street know exactly where to find Farmer's. It's nice to find an old neon sign that's not hanging over an empty storefront. Stop by Farmer's after dark and you can still see this one doing the same job it has been doing for decades.

UPDATE: Farmer's Jewelry remains open at its longtime Euclid Avenue location, and the vintage neon sign still lights up the storefront. 08-26

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