Owl Club
Roseville, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Wandering through Old Town Roseville, it is hard to miss the owl perched above the sign for the Owl Club. The bird sticks out from the marquee, giving the place a recognizable silhouette even when the neon is off. Come back after dark and the sign puts on a different show, right down to the owl’s blinking eyes. It is the sort of sign that deserves a look both ways.

The tavern has been part of the neighborhood since the 1930s. The building first housed a grocery store, while the Owl Club started in a portion of the ground floor before expanding into the rest of it. Generations of patrons have since passed beneath the owl on Church Street. An old bar with a watchful bird overhead seems about right.

UPDATE: The Owl Club closed for a time in 2014, then reopened under new management. It remains a place to stop for a drink in Old Town Roseville, and the restored sign is still there to greet visitors. The owl has kept its perch through it all. 09-26

Al's Redwood Room (Closed)
Willits, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Rolling through downtown Willits, the big arrow for Al’s Redwood Room points toward the entrance, while a neon martini glass makes another suggestion. There is plenty to take in, from the stacked lettering to the glass perched at the top. Even in daylight, this is one of those signs that can make a passing driver circle the block for a better look.

The Redwood Room began in 1901 at the old Hotel Willits and moved around town before settling on South Main Street. Al Greenberg added his name after taking over the bar in the late 1930s or early 1940s. The place carried a lot of Willits history through its various moves. In later years, it offered an especially memorable combination: an old neighborhood tavern where Thai food came out of the kitchen. A martini or a plate of noodles? The sign only advertised one part of the decision.

UPDATE: Al’s Redwood Room closed in 2023 after more than a century in business. The bar is gone, but its arrow and martini glass remain on the building, keeping a bit of that Main Street character in view. The neon sign still points the way, even though there is no longer a drink waiting at the other end. 09-26

The California
Auburn, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Walking along Lincoln Way in Old Town Auburn, the red and white neon for The California Club catches the eye. The sign simply says “The California,” which is enough to make a passerby curious. Step inside and it is an old neighborhood tavern, with drinks, a jukebox, and pool tables waiting beyond the glow.

The club says it has been serving Auburn since 1929. Its projecting sign appears to date from the 1950s or 1960s, when a bright bit of neon helped a bar stand out along the road. It has an interesting neighbor, too: the sign for the long-closed Happy Hour Club still hangs beside it. Two vintage tavern signs in one glance is a pretty good reason to slow down.

UPDATE: The California Club remains open, and its neon sign is still part of the Old Town streetscape. The Happy Hour Club next door is gone, but both signs remain overhead, recalling a time when this stretch of Lincoln Way offered more than one place to stop for a drink. 09-26

Pink Elephant (Closed)
Monte Rio, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Passing through Monte Rio, it is hard to miss the pink elephant perched above Pink Elephant. The neon critter gives the old saloon a look all its own, especially after dark when it glows over Main Street. Even if there is no time to stop for a drink, this is one worth stopping to photograph.

The bar opened in the 1930s and became a colorful gathering place along the Russian River. Locals, summer visitors, and the occasional biker all found their way inside. There was even a jungle mural behind the bar showing a man with a martini fleeing a charging pink elephant. Apparently one elephant outside was not enough.

UPDATE: The Pink Elephant closed in 2009, though its neon sign has remained on the building. Restoration efforts have continued, and the space opened briefly for a community history event in June 2026. A regular reopening has not been confirmed, so for now the glowing elephant is the attraction visitors can count on seeing. 09-26

Klub Klondike
Lakehead, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Heading north of Redding, look for the old signs at Klub Klondike. The name alone is enough to raise an eyebrow, and the neon arrow adds a reason to pull off the road. Despite its frequent Redding label, the club is actually in Lakehead.

Klub Klondike opened in 1948 as a gas station, bar, and restaurant. The building even housed Lakehead’s first post office and library. Its roadside signs have stuck around through the years, including an arrow that reaches beyond the sign panel in neon.

UPDATE: Klub Klondike remains open as a Lakehead bar and restaurant, with its vintage signs still outside. If the unusual spelling does not catch your attention, the arrow just might. 09-26

Pop Inn
Alameda , CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along Alameda’s Park Street, the neon sign for Pop Inn made its suggestion easy to follow. The narrow bar was a longtime neighborhood stop, known for inexpensive drinks, familiar faces, and karaoke nights. Popping in for one drink might have turned into a longer stay. Best to leave the driving for another time.

Pop Inn operated here from 1937 until 2007, though the building’s history as a bar stretches back to at least the 1890s. Its vertical neon sign dates to the 1930s, giving the modest storefront a presence well beyond its width. After Pop Inn closed, the Churchward Pub took over the space, but the old sign stayed put. It must have puzzled a few newcomers looking for the bar named above the door.

UPDATE: The space later became Mo’s Wine Bar, which opened in 2023 and closed in September 2024. The Pop Inn sign remains part of Alameda’s collection of vintage roadside signs, still recalling the days when the name on the marquee matched the watering hole inside. 09-26