Johnnie's Motel (Rem.)
McConnellsburg, PA
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

Here's one that's hard to miss. The Johnnie's Motel sign in McConnellsburg is decked out in neon tubing, with plenty of old roadside personality packed into one tall marquee. Even better, it still advertises things like "Rooms with Private Showers" and "Free TV," which tells you right away what era you're looking at. 01-08

Johnnie's opened along the old Lincoln Highway in the 1940s, right near the fork of Route 30 and Route 16. The little red brick motel had 14 rooms and catered to travelers heading through the mountains long before chain motels took over the road.

There was also Johnnie's Diner next door, giving motorists a place to grab something to eat without wandering too far from the room. Old postcards bragged about Simmons furniture, foam rubber mattresses, radios and hot air heat. Pretty fancy stuff for the time.

UPDATE: Johnnie's Motel is still open, and that great old neon sign is now gone and is just a panel that says motel. 08-26

Holiday Motel (Gone)
Hagerstown, MD
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

The Holiday Motel, located in Hagerstown, MD, was once a familiar sight for travelers looking for lodging right near the heart of town. 01-08

Originally opening its doors in 1964 as the Mid-Town Motel, this place stood out as Hagerstown's only true downtown motor court, giving motorists the classic park-at-your-door convenience without having to stay out on the highway bypasses. The complex had a really unique look, combining an ornate 19th-century brick mansion at the corner of North Prospect and West Washington streets with a modern, multi-story motel wing built out behind it, accented with colorful panels lining the exterior walkways. Out front, a tall mid-century marquee greeted passing cars and pointed the way into the property.

UPDATE: After operating in its later decades as the Holiday Motel and Restaurant, the lodging closed down and the modern motel additions were torn down by the city in 2013, with the old marquee removed from the corner. 08-26

Park's Motel (Gone)
North Versailles, PA
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

Here's an old roadside sign that once stood along Route 30 in North Versailles. The Park's Motel marquee proudly advertised "Color TV" and "Air Conditioning," two amenities worth shouting about from the roadside back in the day. 01-08

The motel dated to the 1950s, when this stretch of the Lincoln Highway was lined with motor courts and other businesses aimed at travelers heading toward Pittsburgh. The sign had that familiar mid-century look, with stacked panels and big lettering meant to catch your eye from the highway.

By the time this photo was taken, Park's Motel was already gone. The old sign disappeared too, leaving one less piece of Route 30 roadside history along this once-busy strip.

UPDATE: The Park's Motel and its sign are both gone. 08-26

Malden Motel (Demolished)
Malden, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the neon lettering on the Malden Motel marquee along Broadway in Malden. Nothing too fancy here, just that glowing script spelling out the name and doing exactly what a good old motel sign was supposed to do. 02-08

The motel sat along Route 99, one of the old commercial roads heading north out of Boston toward Saugus and the North Shore. This whole stretch once had plenty of roadside character, with old motels, neon signs and places like the Kowloon Restaurant not too far away.

The Malden Motel itself was a simple mid-century roadside place, built for travelers who wanted a room without heading into downtown Boston. The sign was really the eye-catcher, especially with those cursive neon letters glowing out by the road.

UPDATE: The original Malden Motel has since been demolished, and the old neon sign is gone. A newer motel building later occupied the site under other names. 08-26

New Englander Motor Court (Gone)
Malden, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s another roadside motel sign from Broadway in Malden. The New Englander Motor Court had one of those tall old signs that was hard to miss when heading through town. Plenty of lettering, plenty of roadside presence, and just the thing to catch the eye of passing motorists. 02-08

The New Englander dated back to the mid-century motel boom and sat along Route 99, not far from the old Route 1 strip through Saugus. Early postcards advertised things like air conditioning, telephones, continental breakfast and even “flameless electric heat.” Sounds pretty modern for the day.

The motel itself was a two-story roadside place with parking right out front, just the way travelers expected it. Its big sign probably did most of the work getting people to pull in.

UPDATE: The New Englander Motor Court later became the Broadway Inn, and the old roadside sign was removed. 08-26

Ferns Motel (Demolished)
Saugus, MA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Ferns Motel is an eye catching marquee found off the highway in Saugus, Massachusetts. The motel is located right off a busy stretch of U.S. Route 1 (Broadway) heading through town. 02-08

Opening in 1953, the motor court debuted during the post war boom along one of the most famous neon and Googie corridors in New England. Historically marketed as Ferns Deluxe Motel, early postcards and promotions touted modern conveniences like in room TVs and whirlpool tubs to entice motorists making the drive north of Boston. Out front, the colorful geometric roadside marquee stood right along the highway edge, making sure drivers cruising the packed commercial strip would spot it from afar.

UPDATE: The motel buildings fell into decline and were completely torn down around 2015, but the freestanding roadside sign was spared and still stands out front on the vacant Route 1 lot. 08-26