Lunar Station (Gone)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along Sacramento’s Fruitridge Road, the sign for Lunar Station looked ready for a night out in the space age. An arrow directed visitors toward the lounge, a little moonlike piece sat at the top, and a martini glass offered a more familiar reason to stop. It was an unlikely combination, but the pieces fit together beautifully. Even after the neon stopped lighting up, the sign had enough shape and character to make it worth a photograph.

The name suited the times. Lunar Station opened around 1960, when rockets and moon missions were capturing the public imagination. Inside was a neighborhood cocktail lounge and card room, a place for drinks and a game rather than a trip into orbit. Outside, the sign did the dreaming for everyone. It brought a bit of the Space Race to an ordinary Sacramento street corner, with the martini glass standing by in case a visitor preferred to stay on Earth.

UPDATE: The lounge closed years ago, and its sign is no longer on Fruitridge Road. The building has also disappeared, leaving photographs as the way to see this peculiar pairing of moon and martini glass. It is easy to wish the neon had received one more chance to glow. 09-26

Happy Hour (Closed)
Auburn, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Happy Hour Club sounds like a pretty good reason to make a stop in Old Town Auburn. Its old sign hangs along Lincoln Way, spelling out “Happy Hour” above the little “Club” lettering. Right beside it is the sign for the California Club, giving this stretch of sidewalk two vintage signs to catch in one photo.

The Happy Hour Club opened in 1933, and its sign appears to date from the 1950s. The bar has been gone for years, but the sign stayed put. It’s the sort of roadside find that can make someone stop walking, back up a few steps, and wonder whether there’s still a happy hour behind the door.

Take a look at the two signs together. They sit so close that it would be easy to assume they belong to the same place, though each advertised its own club. The California Club next door is still serving drinks, so there’s a chance to enjoy the old Auburn bar atmosphere after getting that sign photo.

UPDATE: The Happy Hour Club remains closed, while its sign still hangs outside. The neighboring California Club is open. For a little sign spotting in Old Town Auburn, this pair is still worth a pause along Lincoln Way. 09-26

Foster's Bighorn
Rio Vista, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A colorful sign with a bighorn ram catches the eye along Main Street in Rio Vista. It belongs to Foster’s Bighorn, and it’s worth a photo before heading inside. The sign also offers a small hint that this is no ordinary place to grab a bite.

Bill Foster opened the restaurant and bar in the early 1930s. During his travels, he collected big game trophies that eventually filled the walls inside. There’s a moose above the long bar and even an African elephant head. Someone stopping in for lunch could easily spend more time looking around than looking at the menu.

The sign adds its own piece of roadside character to the visit. Its bright colors and ram illustration stand out along the street, offering a little preview of what waits indoors. This is one of those stops where taking a photo outside and then heading in makes for two very different views of the same place.

UPDATE: Foster’s Bighorn remains open, and the old sign has been restored. The taxidermy collection has been offered for sale, though it remains part of the restaurant for now. Anyone making the trip to Rio Vista can still see the sign out front and the remarkable collection inside. 09-26

Nite Hawk Club (Closed)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

An arrow cuts right through the sign for the Nite Hawk Club on Sacramento’s Del Paso Boulevard. It’s a clever bit of roadside direction: the name gets your attention, then the arrow points toward the door. The sign looks right at home along this old stretch of U.S. Route 40 and 99E.

The place opened in 1934 as the Nite Hawk Bar-B-Q Cafe and later became a neighborhood tavern. Its projecting sign may date from the 1950s, when a big arrow was just the thing to catch a driver’s eye after dark. Even with the lights off, it’s worth slowing down for a closer look.

UPDATE: The Nite Hawk has been closed for many years, and the building has since been converted for residential and studio use. The old sign remains on the building, still pointing the way to a club that’s no longer there. 09-26

Town House (Closed)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

On a nighttime pass through Midtown Sacramento, a glowing martini glass made a good argument for slowing down. It belonged to Town House, a neighborhood bar on 21st Street with yellow neon lettering and a sign that seemed ready for a toast. Even from across the street, there was no mistaking what sort of place waited inside.

The Town House opened in the late 1950s, and its signs came from that era. Over the years, the bar became a gathering spot for the neighborhood, with drinks downstairs and music upstairs. The martini glass kept watch outside while the scene around it changed.

UPDATE: Town House closed in 2013. The space later became the Starlite Lounge and then the Holy Diver music venue, with the signage changed along the way. Holy Diver closed in 2021, and the building has since been listed for redevelopment. The glowing martini glass in this photo is no longer on 21st Street. 09-26

The Palomino Room (Gone)
Red Bluff, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A mix of lettering makes the neon sign for The Palomino Room Room stand out along Main Street in Red Bluff. “The,” “Palomino,” and “Room” each seem to have their own style, yet somehow they all get along. The place has been part of downtown since 1946, giving that sign plenty of years to catch a passing eye.

Take a moment to look at the whole sign instead of just the name. The changing letter shapes give it a playful rhythm, like three different signs agreed to share one spot. It’s the sort of detail that rewards a second photo before heading on down Main Street.

UPDATE: The Palomino Room reportedly closed in September 2026. Its old sign was still outside after the closure, though what happens next to the building and its neon is unclear. For now, it remains a colorful reminder of a longtime Red Bluff stop. 09-26

Tips
Red Bluff, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Another neon martini glass turns up on a Red Bluff street corner. This one belongs to Tip's, where the old sign hangs above the entrance at Walnut and Jefferson Streets. It’s an easy one to spot from down the block, especially when the glass is lit.

The sign has just the right look for a neighborhood bar: bright lettering, a cocktail overhead, and the door directly beneath it. Tips has been a Red Bluff fixture for decades, with pool, shuffleboard, and plenty of regulars passing through. Stop for a sign photo and there’s still a bar to visit afterward.

UPDATE: Tips remains open, and its neon sign is still in place. The property has been listed for sale and is under contract, so a change of ownership may be ahead. For now, the martini glass continues to mark the corner. 09-26

H Bar B Saloon
Oakdale, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

A western themed sign marks the H Bar B Saloon along F Street in Oakdale. In a town that calls itself the Cowboy Capital of the World, it fits right in. Take a look at the sign out front, then step inside for more local character than a passing driver might expect.

The H-B has been an Oakdale gathering place since 1939. Saddles, rodeo photos, and other cowboy keepsakes fill the interior, giving visitors plenty to look at between a drink and a meal. The saloon is especially lively when the annual Oakdale Rodeo comes around.

UPDATE: The H-B Saloon is still open, with its western sign outside and food and drinks inside. The back room even hosts a monthly Irish music gathering, adding an unexpected tune to this cowboy town stop. 09-26