The El Con Mall sign is a very well recognized sign in Tucson. The El Con Mall is Tucson's first mall debuting in1961. The mall located to the El Conquistador Hotel which was originally supposed to be a part of this mid-century mall. The first configuration was as an outdoor shopping center with establishments such as Levy's department store, Montgomery Ward, and Woolworth. The El Conquistador Hotel was torn down in 1968 to help expand the mall. So the very hotel that earned the mall its name ended up being space within the mall. 06-23
See more at Roadside Peek's Spotlight on the El Con Mall.
Dog Racing (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
There was no missing the giant “DOG RACING” arrow pointing motorists toward Phoenix Greyhound Park at 40th and Washington. The track opened in 1954 and once attracted crowds of more than 4,000 people on a busy night. It later became tangled in the investigations of murdered Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles.
UPDATE: Recently, the greyhound park was sold to the city of Phoenix, for the use of Sky Harbor Airport. The park will be open for about another 5 years, then torn down to make way to parking and extended airport services. The sign was
replaced by a really ugly plain sign and all the
character was lost. The park is still packing them in
though. I do not know the fate of the sign, or if it even it still exists. Light rail construction might have caused the sign to come down. Many thanks to Adam Falk for update. 01-07
UPDATE: The old Phoenix Greyhound Park closed in 2009. The building still stands and the lot is the home of the Phoenix Park & Swap that features a swap meet and amusement park rides. According to Arizona Central, dog racing at the park was quite popular for a while until animal cruelty cases became raised in the 1990s and early 2000s. Alas, live greyhound racing became prohibited in 2017 and no longer exists in Arizona. Too bad as the Phoenix Greyhound Park featured the American Totalisator, which "guaranteed accuracy". Not sure how it worked but it sounds really cool 11-20
UPDATE: Live racing ended in 2009, the neon sign was removed and the grandstand was demolished in 2022. Today, both the greyhounds and that big roadside arrow are gone. 09-26
Quality Liquors
Yuma, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A giant white swooping arrow points the way into Quality Liquor along Yuma’s busy 4th Avenue. With an arrow this large, there is little chance of cruising past without knowing exactly where to turn. The old drive-in liquor store and its eye-catching marquee are classic reminders of the days when roadside signs did most of the talking.
The sweeping shape almost seems to reach down toward the entrance, directing thirsty travelers right to the front door. It is the kind of oversized roadside advertising that feels perfectly at home in Yuma, where drive-thru convenience comes in especially handy during those scorching desert afternoons.
UPDATE: Quality Liquor Drive-In remains open and continues to serve customers from its longtime 4th Avenue location. The big arrow sign also survives, although years of repainting have taken away some of the colorful character seen in earlier days. At least that wonderful swooping shape is still pointing the way. 09-26
