Anchor Motel
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A glowing anchor marks the spot at the Anchor Motel in Anaheim. Integrated into the neon marquee, the nautical emblem gives motorists along Lincoln Avenue a recognizable landmark to watch for after dark.

Built in 1957, the motel joined Orange County’s growing collection of roadside lodging soon after Disneyland opened. Its straightforward motor-court layout offered budget-conscious travelers a convenient place to park and spend the night.

The sign supplied a little extra personality out front. An anchor might seem more at home near the waterfront, but here it helped distinguish one inland motel from the next.

UPDATE: The Anchor Motel remains in operation at 1538 E. Lincoln Avenue, with its historic neon pylon reported to remain illuminated. Its lodging history dates to 1957. 10-26

Silver Moon Motel (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A grinning crescent moon once lit up the roadside at the Silver Moon Motel in Anaheim. Red-and-blue neon lettering and that cheerful face made this Beach Boulevard marquee one of the memorable sights along the drive.

Opened in the late 1950s, the motel advertised a heated swimming pool, tiled showers, and selected suites with kitchens. Families visiting Orange County’s attractions had a few comforts waiting after a day away from the room.

For roadside photographers, the moon was the feature to check out. Its expression gave the sign a personality that stayed in the memory long after the motel disappeared.

UPDATE : The Silver Moon is no more after being torn down.

UPDATE: Anaheim acquired and demolished the Silver Moon Motel in 2002, but saved its neon marquee. After two decades in city storage, the sign was donated to the Museum of Neon Art in July 2022. The buildings are gone, though the smiling moon escaped the bulldozer. 10-26

Riviera Motel (Gone)
Stanton, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Along Beach Boulevard in Stanton, the Riviera Motel once greeted motorists with flowing neon script and a starburst-topped marquee. The layered sign gave this small roadside stop plenty of character, especially when the tubing lit up after dark.

Built in 1959, the 21-room, two-story motel borrowed a name associated with seaside vacations. Its later years were spent primarily serving weekly residents, while deteriorating conditions brought increasing safety and maintenance concerns.

In 2022, Stanton, Orange County, and Jamboree Housing partnered to acquire the property through California’s Project Homekey initiative. A $6 million state grant supported the purchase, followed by a $13.1 million conversion from motel rooms to permanent supportive housing.

UPDATE: The Riviera no longer operates as a motel. Its buildings were adapted rather than demolished, reopening in 2024 as Aurora Vista, with kitchenettes, a clubhouse, and supportive services for veterans and people transitioning out of homelessness. The original neon pylon was dismantled during construction in 2023. 10-26

Don's Turf Motel
Los Alamitos, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A tall neon marquee marks the spot at Don’s Turf Motel in Los Alamitos. Flowing script and an invitation to “Enjoy Our Pool” give motorists along Katella Avenue a familiar roadside greeting, with the nearby racetrack providing a fitting setting for the name.

Opened in 1959 at 4732 Katella Avenue, the motel was built about 200 yards from the entrance to Los Alamitos Race Course. The track had begun quarter horse racing in 1951, bringing horse owners, trainers, jockeys, and spectators into the area.

That racing connection gave Don’s Turf a steady reason to remain in business beyond the usual vacation traffic. Its two-story layout, outdoor pool, and distinctive marquee recall the years when independent motor courts were a familiar part of an Orange County drive.

UPDATE: Don’s Turf Motel remains a family-run lodging property in Los Alamitos, with its pool and historic neon marquee retained. 10-26

Magic Lamp Motel (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A glowing genie once advertised the Magic Lamp Motel in Anaheim. Rising from a lamp above the roadside, the neon figure gave Katella Avenue travelers a memorable invitation to stop for the night.

The supplied history dates the motel to 1961, placing it among the themed lodging properties built around Disneyland during its early years. An Arabian Nights identity offered families another bit of fantasy after a day at the park.

UPDATE: The Magic Carpet Motel saw its genie marquee removed back in 1999. The motel was redone and the motel there is now called the Anabella. 10-13

UPDATE: The Magic Lamp Motel was reportedly closed and demolished during the Disneyland Resort expansion in the late 1990s, and its genie marquee was removed. 10-26

Villa Motel
Stanton, CA
Photo courtesy Michelle K

The Villa Motel in Stanton is another roadside stop whose sign received the backlit plastic treatment. The replacement gets the name across, though the earlier neon offered a different greeting to motorists along Beach Boulevard.

Established in 1956, the motel used a single-story arrangement that let guests park close to their room doors. It was a practical layout for travelers arriving with luggage and a car full of vacation supplies.

Custom neon once added some personality above that straightforward motor court. Later alterations removed the glass tubing and substituted a flat illuminated panel, changing the nighttime view from the road.

UPDATE: The Villa Motel is reported to remain in operation, with its original building profile surviving beneath later updates. Its neon marquee was replaced, but a date for the alteration was not supplied. 10-26

Samoa Motel Now the Fantasy Inn (Gone)
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A little South Seas atmosphere once greeted travelers at the Samoa Motel off Katella Avenue in Anaheim. A large carved tiki figure stood out front, while tropical foliage, rock-textured walls, and a glowing script marquee gave guests something more memorable than an ordinary motel entrance.

Completed in 1962, the Samoa joined Southern California’s enthusiasm for Polynesian-themed restaurants, lounges, and lodging. Just blocks from Disneyland, it offered vacationers a tropical-looking retreat after a day at the park. No island flight needed to find this bit of roadside scenery.

In 2003, the property became the Fantasy Inn. The original neon marquee came down, and the outdoor tiki figures were removed, taking away some of the features that had distinguished the motel for decades.

A few years later, an affiliation with Americas Best Value Inn brought further changes. Stucco covered the volcanic rockcrete frontage, and the tropical gardens were cut back. The rooms continued serving travelers, but the old South Seas welcome had largely disappeared.

UPDATE: Around 2003, the Samoa changed the name to the Fantasy Inn and took down the neon sign. A couple years ago, when they became part of the America's Best Value Chain, they stuccoed over the rockcrete out front and cut down the tropical foliage inside. Now it looks like a boring old Motel 6 type of a place with nothing to indicate its tiki pedigree. Many thanks to Matthew Yates for update. 08/07

UPDATE: The former Samoa Motel’s 1962 building frame remains in lodging use beneath later alterations. Its transformation began with the Fantasy Inn rebranding in 2003, followed by changes that removed nearly all outward reminders of its tiki beginnings. 10-26