Uptowner Inn (Gone)
Parkersburg, W.VA
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

Check out the colorful roadside marquee for the Uptowner Inn in Parkersburg, West Virginia. With its stacked panels, bright lettering, and very 1960s look, this one probably stood out pretty well along 7th Street. The mix of colors gives the whole sign a little extra personality too.

The Uptowner opened in 1963 with 108 air-conditioned rooms and advertised itself as having a "resort atmosphere." Guests could also enjoy a heated swimming pool, coffee shop, dining room, direct-dial phones, and even on-site dog kennels. Sounds like they were trying to cover just about everything.

The motel closed in 1987, and the building then sat vacant for about 25 years. For a long time, the old Uptowner was one of those downtown places that looked like it had seen much better days. Eventually the building got a second life. After a major renovation, it reopened in 2017 as a TownePlace Suites by Marriott.

UPDATE: The original Uptowner marquee was removed during the property's redevelopment, but the old motel building itself was saved and reused. 08-26

Penn Aire Motel
Breezewood, PA
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

Check out the collection of signs outside the Penn Aire Motel in Breezewood. The main marquee even sports the old Superior Motels four-leaf clover, along with signs advertising family rooms, cribs, and TV. Plenty to catch the eye along the Lincoln Highway.

The Penn Aire opened in the mid-1950s when Breezewood was becoming quite the motel town. The 35-room motor court offered park-at-your-door rooms and even a swimming pool out front. It sat just west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-70, so there was certainly no shortage of travelers passing by.

UPDATE: The Penn Aire closed in the 2000s and sat abandoned for years before the motel was demolished. The old roadside signs are gone too. 08-26

Crown Motel (Gone)
Atlantic City, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out the colorful sign for the Crown Motel in Atlantic City. The bright pinks, blues, and yellows are pure Jersey Shore, and that crown sitting up top gives the whole thing a little extra flair.

The motel stood at Pennsylvania and Pacific avenues, just a couple of blocks from the Boardwalk. It was a small 34-room place, but the sign did most of the talking out along the street.

The Crown name eventually disappeared as the property became a Red Carpet Inn & Suites. The old building is still there, though the colorful Crown marquee is gone.

UPDATE: The former Crown Motel continues operating as the Red Carpet Inn & Suites, but the original roadside sign has been removed. 08-26

Empress Motel
Asbury Park, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out that big rooftop sign over the Empress Motel in Asbury Park. You really couldn’t miss this one. The giant lettering rising above the motel and pool area is pure early-60s Jersey Shore roadside style.

The Empress opened in 1961 as a 101-room oceanfront motel with balconies, a big central pool courtyard and plenty of modern resort flair. Here’s a fun bit of local history: a teenage Bruce Springsteen reportedly worked around the pool as a busboy during the summer of 1962. The motel later fell on hard times and closed in the late 1980s. Music producer Shep Pettibone eventually bought the property and helped bring it back, reopening the hotel in the 2000s along with the Paradise nightclub. Best of all, that big rooftop Empress sign still watches over the pool deck.

UPDATE: The Empress Hotel remains open in Asbury Park, with the familiar rooftop sign still part of the scene. 08-26

New Towers Hotel and Diner (Gone)
West Nanticoke, PA
Postcard courtesy Jay Lin

Here’s a clean-looking roadside stop from the old Route 11 days. The New Towers Hotel and Diner  in West Nanticoke had the motel rooms, diner and roadside signs all lined up and ready for travelers passing through Pennsylvania.

The property went back to the mid-century highway era, and the diner was reportedly a 1948 Paramount unit. Later on, the whole place became known as the Flamingo Motel and Diner, with the diner developing its own local following. By then the roadside scene looked quite a bit different from this postcard. The motel eventually closed and sat abandoned for years.

UPDATE: A fire destroyed the old diner in January 2020, and the New Towers/Flamingo complex is now gone. The original roadside signs have also been removed. 08-26

Colonial Motel (Gone)
Hagerstown, MD
Photo courtesy Moon Mullins OX-76

his Colonial Motel also features a restaurant. It's interesting to see how many motels were named Colonial. Located along Pennsylvania Avenue (U.S. Route 11) just a few miles north of downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, this roadside stop was situated right by the regional airport, with the historic Fairchild Aircraft manufacturing complex sitting directly in the background.

During the heyday of mid-century highway travel, the motor court greeted weary motorists rolling along the busy Route 11 corridor with classic park-at-your-door convenience, an outdoor swimming pool, and an adjoining dining room serving up hot meals. Out front, the colorful roadside neon marquee prominently touted the lodging and restaurant combo, making it a welcoming beacon for both road-trippers and local plant workers after a long day.

UPDATE: While the motel units have long since transitioned into residential apartments and the vintage neon marquee has been replaced, the original roadside dining building remains alive and well, operating as the popular, long-running Colonial Bar & Grill. 08-26

Shore Point Inn Motel (Demolished)
Hazlet, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

This marquee points the way to the Shore Point Inn Motel in New Jersey. Located along State Route 35 in Hazlet, this classic motor inn and dining stop was once a prime destination for seasonal travelers heading down the shore. 06-05

During the mid 20th century, especially in the pre Garden State Parkway days when Route 35 carried the brunt of vacation traffic, the Shore Point Inn served as a welcome roadside oasis. Featuring a distinctive C shaped layout with a mid century formstone facade, the complex offered park at your door rooms alongside a popular full service restaurant known for piping hot seafood dinners and steaks. Out front, the large, bold roadside marquee stood as an unmissable beacon guiding motorists in off the highway corridor.

UPDATE: The original Shore Point Inn Motel complex has since been demolished and redeveloped for modern commercial retail, and its iconic roadside sign is no longer standing along Route 35. 08-26

Motel Deska
Wernersville, PA
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

This marquee and old lantern are hard to miss along Route 422 in Wernersville. The Motel Deska has that classic roadside look, with a big geometric sign pointing the way to a row of rooms just off the highway. 06-05

The motel dates back to the mid-century days when this stretch of road carried plenty of travelers between Reading and Harrisburg. Old postcards even advertised the place as the “Pennsylvania Hotel Deska Motel,” complete with a colorful brick exterior that looked a little fancier than your average roadside stop.

UPDATE: The Motel Deska is still operating, and the old roadside sign and lantern remain standing out front. 08-26