Iceland Skating Rink (Closed)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the tower-like facade and neon lettering at Iceland Skating Rink in North Sacramento. This Art Deco landmark opened on November 4, 1940, giving generations of skaters a place to practice their turns beneath a roof and a glowing sign. Even without a pair of skates, there was something to admire from the boulevard.

Iceland operated continuously for nearly 70 years before a five-alarm arson fire devastated the rink on March 28, 2010. Fortunately, the metal pipes beneath the ice survived. That little bit of old construction helped make a return possible, and Iceland came back as a seasonal outdoor rink. Skating under the stars became part of its next chapter.

UPDATE: The 70 year old art deco Iceland Skating Rink was destroyed the morning of March 28, 2010 by a five-alarm fire. According to The Sacramento Bee, the fire was determined by the Sacamento Fire Department to have been intentionally set. According to the Sacramento Press, the Iceland will be reborn as the Iceland Ice Rink in November 2010 as an open air rink without a roof. 10-10

UPDATE: Iceland is currently closed while plans move forward for a new roof and restoration of the historic facade. Its website now announces rebuilding in 2026, with city-approved funding that includes roughly $1.3 million for the roof and $125,000 for the facade. A firm reopening date hasn’t been announced. This old skating landmark is still working toward another comeback. 10-26

Union Gospel Mission Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the glowing “JESUS SAVES” cross outside Union Gospel Mission Sacramento. With red neon tracing its shape, “JESUS” across the crossbar, and “SAVES” running down the stem, this sign gets its message across in true roadside fashion. There’s even a smaller illuminated cross up top. Quite a sight against the nighttime sky.

Behind the neon is a Sacramento institution that began in 1962, providing meals, clothing, shelter, and recovery services to people in need. Its Bannon Street headquarters dates to 1969, giving this corner of the city a history that stretches back well before many of the surrounding changes.

UPDATE: The mission remains open, and the “Jesus Saves” cross is still part of the scene outside its entrance. The organization continues providing shelter, meals, and recovery programs more than six decades after its founding. Good to see this Sacramento neon landmark still connected to the place it advertises. 10-26

West Coast Furniture (Gone)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Furniture shopping came with a little nighttime scenery at West Coast Furniture in Oakland. Check out the illuminated sign, giving the store a presence along San Pablo Avenue after sunset. Sofas and bedroom sets might have been the reason to stop, but the neon offered an attraction of its own.

Furniture stores once supplied plenty of big roadside lettering, making sure motorists knew where to look when it was time to furnish a room. West Coast added its name to that glowing commercial landscape.

UPDATE: The former West Coast Furniture location now operates as Dimensional Outlet Furniture, so furniture shopping continues under another name. The blade sign disappeared from the roadside landscape sometime around 2015. 10-26

Jay-Vee Liquors
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here’s a nice nighttime look at Jay-Vee Liquors, listed in the original photo notes as Oakland. The vintage marquee gives the shop a little more character than a plain storefront panel. A stop for a bottle could come with something else worth looking at out front.

The Jay-Vee name appeared at several East Bay locations, which makes pinning down this particular shop a little tricky. Familiar lettering doesn’t always mean the same address, especially when old signs keep hanging around through changes in ownership.

UPDATE: Not sure which Jay-Vee location is shown here or whether its neon still lights up. Other East Bay stores have used the name, but this particular roadside find still needs a closer look. Hopefully, there’s some glow left in it. 10-26

Procida Florist (Gone)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Looking for flowers from a neighborhood shop? Check out the glowing sign for Procida Florist in Sacramento. The bouquets were inside, but the neon gave passing motorists something to appreciate without waiting for a birthday or anniversary.

A florist’s sign could make the shop easier to spot when an occasion called for a quick stop. This one added its own nighttime color to the downtown storefronts, with a little roadside appeal beyond the flowers in the window.

UPDATE: Procida Florist is listed as closed, though the final closing date hasn’t turned up. Not sure where the old neon ended up either. Hopefully, someone saved the sign when the last bouquets moved out. 10-26

Al. Nielsen Big O Tires
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Who can pass up a giant neon tire? The Al Nielsen Big O Tires sign in Sacramento gave motorists a pretty clear idea of what was for sale. The wheel-shaped display brought a little extra movement and color to the roadside, even when the customer’s car was standing still.

Built in 1951 by Electrical Products Corporation, the vintage sign predates its later Big O panel. That newer addition appears to have covered an earlier tire-brand name, giving an existing marquee another chapter rather than replacing the whole thing.

UPDATE: Not sure whether the old wheel still puts on its nighttime show. Hopefully, this big neon tire has plenty of mileage left. 10-26