Turquoise Tepee
Williams, AZ
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Turquoise Tepee is a colorful curio shop found along Route 66 in downtown Williams. Its glowing neon sign and stone storefront offer travelers a cheerful welcome as they arrive in town. 11-07

The shop was opened by Gordon “Buck” and Dorothy Wheeler during the 1970s after they began selling Native American goods from their vehicle. It became a family business and has now been passed down through four generations.

The building dates to the mid-1940s and previously housed the Beacon Cafe and Frontier Cafe. Today, the shop continues to offer turquoise jewelry, pottery and other Southwestern souvenirs.

UPDATE: Turquoise Tepee remains open at 114 W. Route 66, and its vintage neon sign continues to shine. 09-26

8 Drive-in Liquor
Yuma, AZ
Photo courtesy Bill Herzog

Check out t his dusk shot of the 8 Drive-in Liquor store, which is a classic neighborhood liquor store at 1100 W. 8th Street in Yuma. Its neon sign looks especially good around dusk, glowing against the fading colors of the Arizona sky. 12-06

The business has served Yuma for more than 60 years and still retains its convenient drive-in layout. Customers can pull up and make a purchase without having to leave the comfort of their vehicle.

The name was often shortened to 8 Drive-in Liquor, a simple reference to its location on Eighth Street.

UPDATE: Eighth Street Drive-in Liquor remains open, and its classic roadside sign continues to survive. 09-26

Courtesy Chevrolet
AZ
Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas

Courtesy Chevrolet has one of the great surviving roadside signs in Phoenix. The towering arrow has been lighting up Camelback Road since the dealership moved here in 1957.

According to dealership history, co-founder Edward Fitzgerald’s wife, Millie, first sketched the dramatic design on a cocktail napkin. The 30-foot sign became a Phoenix landmark with its blue neon and thousands of chasing bulbs.

UPDATE: Courtesy Chevrolet remains open. The sign was restored with LED lighting in 2022 and continues to shine. 09-26

Arizona Water Company
Miami, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Now here is a sign that seems awfully happy about supplying the local water. The cheerful little fellow and playful lettering made the Arizona Water Company office stand out along Sullivan Street in downtown Miami, especially against the old copper-mining surroundings.

Arizona Water Company has served communities around the state since 1955 and continues to provide water to the Miami area.

UPDATE: The company has moved its Miami operations to a newer office along Highway 60. The current status of this happy old sign is unknown. 09-26

Grand Canyon Hotel
Williams, AZ
Photo courtesy Tim Hewett

The Historic Grand Canyon Hotel looks especially inviting after dark, when its vertical neon sign and little vacancy panel glow along Route 66 in Williams. 10-06

The hotel first opened as the Boyce Hotel in January 1891, more than two decades before Arizona became a state. Over the years, its guest list reportedly included naturalist John Muir, General John J. Pershing and even the King of Siam.

The old hotel closed around 1970 and remained dark for more than three decades. A major restoration brought it back to life in 2004, preserving one of the oldest hotel buildings still operating in Arizona.

UPDATE: The Grand Canyon Hotel remains open and its restored neon sign continues to welcome overnight travelers. 09-26

Wigwam Curios (Gone)
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo courtesy Alan Culley / 1992

The Wigwam Curios marquee once hung over the sidewalk across from the Santa Fe depot in downtown Flagstaff. Photographed here in 1992, the colorful neon and wonderfully detailed lettering made this old Route 66 curio shop hard to pass without taking a closer look. Despite the original caption, this sign was located in Flagstaff, not Winslow. 03-08

The Wigwam operated for more than 50 years, back when downtown was filled with travelers arriving by train or rolling through town along Route 66. Inside, the shop offered Native American jewelry, artwork and plenty of Southwestern souvenirs to take home from the road. The sign was still hanging above the storefront as late as 1999, one of those familiar pieces of downtown Flagstaff that seemed as if it had always been there.

UPDATE: The Wigwam has since closed and its distinctive neon marquee has been removed. The old storefront remains and has been repurposed for other downtown businesses. 09-26

Monte Vista Hotel
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Even though the Hotel Monte Vista is one block off Route 66, you can still hear the Santa Fe railroad trains passing through mid-town (I know - I stayed there) and you can't miss this sign sitting atop the 4 story hotel. The Monte Vista opened its doors on January 1, 1927. Many thanks to Paul Bauke for info.

The hotel also has its share of ghost stories. Guests have reported a phantom bellboy knocking at Room 210, while Room 220 is said to be haunted by an eccentric former lodger known as the “Meat Man.” Sleep tight!

UPDATE: The hotel remains open and its restored rooftop neon continues to light up the Flagstaff skyline. 09-26

Powerhouse Museum
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Sitting right alongside Route 66 in Kingman, the Powerhouse Museum certainly lives up to its name. The massive brick building was constructed between 1907 and 1911 as a power plant, supplying electricity to mines and nearby communities including Chloride and Oatman. 10-08

Power generation ended around 1938, leaving the old industrial landmark vacant for decades. A community restoration brought it back to life in 1997, and the Arizona Route 66 Museum opened inside in 2001. Today, visitors can check out vintage vehicles, highway displays and plenty of Mother Road history without wandering far from the pavement.

UPDATE: The historic Powerhouse remains open as the Kingman Visitor Center and Arizona Route 66 Museum. Its rugged industrial exterior and signage continue to welcome travelers along Route 66. 09-26