This guy is at the still-operating Frisch’s Big Boy in West Chester, OH:

This mastodon is in Sharonville, OH:

This former A&W (now The Root Beer Stand) is also in Sharonville, OH. The folded plate canopy was turned into a dining room in recent years.

The Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church with its rocket ship steeple is in Cincinnati:

This streamline moderne former Nehi Beverage bottling plant in Cincinnati is currently vacant:

This Dairy Queen in St. Bernard, OH started out with a flat roof walk-up stand, probably with a neon sign on top, and was remodeled later to this split gable style & lips pole sign:

This former gas station with its porcelain enamel tile slanted roof was originally a Pure Oil station. It is in Cincinnati:

This sign in Cincinnati originally had neon and a bulb-studded arrow:

This sign is also in Cincinnati:

The Tasty Bird in Cincinnati was part of a soul food restaurant chain. This photo from the Cincinnati Enquirer is from 2003:

And what the signs look like at this point:

I spent a good part of the day revisiting the American Sign Museum (and visiting with Tod) in Cincinnati. If you love signs, it’s an absolute-must destination. The signs below are just a tiny sampling of the hundreds of signs. It you want a better idea of what’s there, see these pages at my website: https://www.roadarch.com/signs/ohasm.html

This is one of my favorites: ripple tin panels AND colored opal glass letters at the top:

Just another incredible backlit, colored opal glass sign:

A couple of super old jewelry signs: a bulb-lit ring-shaped sign and a backlit, perforated metal sign below:

A really nice Federal Electric bulb sign with lots of porcelain enamel detail and sectional “MEAT” letters:

The recently acquired Frisch’s Big Boy Mainliner sign from Fairfax, OH which is being restored right in the middle of the museum:

This one came from Beaver, UT:

This one came from Brooklyn, NY:

The camera below came from Loomis Camera in Elyria, OH — my photo from 2007:

These signs came from New York City. The museum features a simulated main street with signs on the facades and other related signs in the display windows:

And lastly — from Toledo, OH — my photo from 2011:

and now gloriously restored at the museum:

One full day’s shooting left with more stuff from Cincinnati coming up in the next blog post.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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The last day of Indiana for this trip. Let’s start with the Jim Hipp Nursery in Haubstadt which has dozens of statues including these:

Also in Haubstadt — at the Weather Rock Campground which has about a dozen statues:

The Joe Palooka sculpture in Oolitic:

An Art Deco detail from the former Elks Lodge/now Grover Museum in Shelbyville:

The former Central Library in Evansville — now the Children’s Museum:

A former Biff-Burger in Evansville:

The former Whirlpool Employees Federal Credit Union in Evansville:

A Frosty Boy in New Palestine:

The long-closed Walnut Theatre in Lawrenceburg:

A sputnik-style sign at the Nick Nackery in Evansville. More about these signs at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/sca/roto3.html#Brown

Wilson’s General Store & Cafe in Evansville closed around 2019 but the sign collection is still there. This sign came from Mt. Pleasant, TN:

This sign is in Versailles:

Smith Jewelry in Princeton has been closed/vacant for years but this sign remains:

The Expressway GM dealership in Mt. Vernon has a few vintage signs inside:

This sign is installed on the side of the Gerst Haus restaurant in Evansville:

This sign is in Greensburg. It looked prettier in green and when it had neon. I believe there was a different name at the bottom originally:

The Cork Liquors sign in Shelbyville is modern. The chain has only been around since 1982 and some of the other locations have these neon signs:

This was taken in horrible light with the sign directly behind. This pet shop in Evansville has five neon animals — probably modern. But the store was just bought out by a pet food chain and I’m fearful these signs will be removed:

I believe this sign in Evansville is from the 1950s:

Evans Motors in Evansville was established in 1978 but this sign is clearly earlier than that:

And lastly, another one from Evansville — at the Lewis Bakery which produces Bunny Bread, Sunbeam, Butternut, and other breads. Yes, this one operates at night– with sequentially lit ears:

There’s just a tiny bit more of Indiana to go and then we’ll be moving on to some Ohio stuff.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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Let’s start with this giant bug at Midwest Antiques & Collectibles in English, IN. There’s also a bat on the canopy (see directly behind him):

This skull in Louisville used to be driven around during the Halloween parade before it was installed on Caufield’s Novelties roof. It was mounted on a driving lawnmower. Note the snake coming out of his teeth then — from this website: https://ohioshaunted.com/halloweenparade010pics/

Larry Bird, the basketball player, is big in Indiana. This bust is in French Lick, IN where he played in high school:

This magician grave marker is in the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville:

This scrap metal sculpture entitled “I Am Your Mother” is in Jeffersonville, IN:

This Rosie the Riveter statue is in Clarksville, IN (Louisville is just across the river):

Santa Claus statues abound in Santa Claus, IN. This one is in front of the volunteer fire department:

This snowman in Santa Claus, IN was part of a fountain at a mini golf. There’s now a pizza restaurant there but I’m sure glad they are keeping this guy:

A former Phillips 66 cottage gas station in Huntingburg, IN:

The restored and now-operating Candy Castle from 1935 in Santa Claus, IN:

A fairly intact Krispy Kreme sign and building in Louisville:

A former Dog n Suds sign in Dale, IN:

This sign in Jeffersonville, IN originally had “Pawn Shop” in the middle of the text panel and those 3 gold balls associated with pawn shops on the upper right:

The 38-foot-wide former Colgate clock in Clarksville, IN was restored earlier this year with LED instead of neon:

This sign is also in Clarksville, IN:

This bowling sign in Evansville, IN originally advertised for Colonial Lanes when it opened in 1959:

It was later adapted with the smaller pin and bowling ball:

River City Recreation’s adaptation when it opened in 1988:

The Twig and Leaf restaurant sign in Louisville:

This sign is in St. Meinrad, IN:

This one is in Edwardsville, IN:

Fischer’s is in Tell City, IN:

Schimpff’s Confectionery in Jeffersonville, IN opened in 1858 and moved to this location in 1891:

Schreck’s Baxter Liquors is in Louisville. Advertisements from the late 1950s read “Look for the Winking Colonel”:

The Kaelin’s sign in Louisville was restored in 2018:

And lastly, this unique American Legion sign is in Ferdinand, IN:

Back to more Indiana for the next post.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

A little trip across the border into Kentucky for about a day and a half. The photos in this post are all from Louisville unless I mention otherwise.

This Ceratosaurus is at the Penn Run Golf Course. I have no idea what it’s doing there:

The Concrete Lady in Clarksville, IN has thousands of statues on-site:

Lottie the Triceratops:

A giant bat at Caufield’s Novelty:

A relaxed Lincoln:

The former Rocket Cleaner rocket. It originally had animated neon rings on top:

A five-story tall upturned bottle pours bourbon into a glass below at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience:

The former Bernheim Distillery, a whiskey bottling plant, has been boarded up since at least 2015:

The former WHAS radio transmitter building:

A concrete hyperbolic paraboloid next to the WAVE TV station:

A former Frostop:

A former McCrory’s department store:

The two Dairy Del ice cream stands:

The Barrel of Fun ice cream stand:

The Lucky Tavern is closed but this sign remains:

Al’s Bait House is also closed but this sign remains:

This wooden sign was uncovered in 2012 and has been preserved:

The Iroquois Manor Shopping Center:

Hauck’s was originally a general store — now a bar & restaurant:

This camera store sign in the parking lot is intact…:

… while its storefront sign has been adapted at least a couple of times:

The Collier’s Court neon sign and its taller/later/former Superior Motel sign

And lastly, the restored Teamsters Union Hall sign at the back of the building in its protective cage:

Back to Indiana for the next post.

Happy Trails & Happy Thanksgiving!
dj & the dogs

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Let’s start with this giant cow at the Crossroad Farms Dairy in Indianapolis. Three pages of this “left-leg-forward” type at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/cowsleft.html

The Mr. Bendo in Indianapolis which used to hold a muffler:

This giant Converse sneaker is in Columbus:

This Tiffany lamp is inside the more than amazing Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor from 1900 in Columbus:

This Poco the Oil Drop car is in Edinburgh:

Expo Bowl in Indianapolis (now a Royal Pin) has two giant pins and a nifty plastic sign:

This former Stuckey’s gas station & convenience store is in Edinburgh:

The Barton Tower apartment building is in Indianapolis:

The Oasis Diner, a 1954 Mountain View, is in Plainfield:

The Artcraft Theatre is in Franklin:

The closed Reed Drapery Service is in Indianapolis:

The former Wonder Bread plant sign is in Indianapolis:

This former Dog n Suds sign is in Indianapolis:

The Land o Nod Motel is in Franklin. The candle’s flame had two-part animation:

The Columbus Bar is in Columbus:

This sign in Columbus is from 1981:

This sign in Indianapolis remains a mystery. It is installed on the former G.C. Murphy department store building but I believe it came from somewhere else and was adapted:

This sign in Indianapolis was built and installed at the White Rabbit Cabaret in 2010:

This sign in Plainfield originally had a Superior Motel affiliation and a mass-produced plastic top panel like this one in Indianapolis:

This sign is at Mike’s Speedway Lounge in Indianapolis. It was obviously adapted from a previous business but, after much searching, I don’t know what it was:

Lastly, one of a few surviving and adapted Roselyn’s Bakery signs in Indianapolis. The sign would have looked similar to this one originally (minus the readerboard, with the little girl in the plastic panel on top). Vintage photo snagged from this webpage with the defunct bakery’s history: https://historicindianapolis.com/roselyn-bakeries/

Back soon with even more Indiana – about five more days worth.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start with this bronze tribute to Larry Bird in Terre Haute:

This cougar statue in Roachdale at the North Putnam Middle School was one of about 14 made for Lincoln Mercury dealerships to advertise for their Mercury Cougar cars. I believe only 6 survive — at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/cats.html

These draft horses were produced with tractor inner tube tires over a frame — at Boot City in Terre Haute:

This giant bowling pin is at the Terre Haute Bowling Center in Terre Haute. Many more of these pins at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/mim/sports2.html

A former Tastee-Freez in Brazil – identifiable by that curved roof in front of the take-out window:

This is one of two Dairy Queens in Terre Haute with neon rooftop letters:

This theatre is in Rockville:

The Musical Arts Center below is at Indiana University in Bloomington:

This former First Church of God in Bloomington was used by the University for a while but I believe it’s vacant now:

This sign in Redkey disappeared around 2013 when the station closed — my 2010 photo below:

I had been told that it was moved to the station in Putnamville. However, I don’t know think it ever was. This sign there appears to be new and has a different shape, letters, tubing holes, etc.:

The former Von Lee Cinema (now restaurant and shops) in Bloomington:

This sign is in Greencastle:

A Big Red Liquors (the only one of many that I know of that has a vintage sign – though it might be from the early 1970s) in Bloomington:

Let’s close with Mason’s Root Beer in Washington. Mason’s Root Beer was mass-produced and seems to be a defunct brand. This drive-in still uses the name and produces its own root beer now:

Back soon with even more Indiana – about six more days worth.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start with this banana split boat in Anderson at the Uranus Fudge Factory:

… and this astronaut at the same place:

These flying moose statues are the mascots for Manac trailers. This one is in Lebanon:

This Pirate Cat Memorial is a tribute to a departed, community cat in Indianapolis:

A giant trowel at a former Habig garden store in Indianapolis — repainted for an event venue :

I believe this building in Indianapolis was originally a Buick dealership and then later became an A&P grocery store:

This building is in Anderson. It may have been used as an employment agency originally:

A restored former Pure Oil gas station in Indianapolis:

This former Phillips 66 in Indianapolis was deemed historic — so it was remodeled by putting a giant canopy right over the existing “batwing” canopy:

This former White Castle #3 in Indianapolis from 1927. It’s been vacant since at least 2019:

The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis:

The Lebanon Armory in Lebanon:

The still-operating Frisch’s Big Boy in Anderson:

Originally, the Anderson House of Stone in Anderson. It became the House of Reagin in 1959:

This sign in Indianapolis is from around 2009:

This scaffold sign in Whitestown was built in 1958. The auto salvage business closed around 2004. In 2018, a new development was scheduled to take place with a hotel, apartments, “Wrecks Park,” and restoration of this sign. But those plans fell through.

This scaffold sign in Indianapolis is one of a pair of rooftop signs (one facing north, one facing south). There were originally “Hotel” letters on the right of both signs which were probably removed around 1983 when the building became apartments:

This 50-foot-tall Nesquik bunny sign was installed in Anderson in 2008 next to the Nestle plant on I-69:

This Buster Brown Shoes sign in Yorktown is part of a private collection installed in front of a residence. I don’t know where this sign came originally. The top appears to read “Shu Stop.” The bottom paint was readable as “X-Ray Fitting” a few years ago but I don’t know if that was the original wording:

This sign in Lafayette was built around 1963. Around 2022, the dealership moved, restored this sign, and installed it at the new location:

Syd’s Bar in Noblesville opened in 1945. This sign was probably installed in the 1950s:

The Toast Cafe in Anderson opened in 1954. Around 2018, this sign was “updated” by removing the neon and installing LED tubing. Here’s a 2010 photo that I took before that happened:

… and now. Note the crappy, wiggly lines of the LED on top (bordering and filling the letters) and on the bottom:

These signs on the Franklin Square Theatre building in Indianapolis were installed around 1994 when the building was developed for multiple businesses. I don’t know where the “Restaurant” sign came from but the “Bowling” sign was supposedly installed originally in Springfield, OH:

More Indiana coming soon.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start with this tin man in Muncie:

There are only three Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants left in Indiana and only two of them have the statues. This one is in Richmond:

The Uranus Fudge Factory in Richmond has two of these Rex Uranus statues:

This Trojan statue is in New Castle:

This giant basketball shoe is also in New Castle:

This giant candle is at the Warm Glow Candle Company in Centerville:

The store has added a garden shop and this watering can is on the roof:

This giant chair is at a furniture store in Richmond:

This former Sinclair gas station is also in Richmond:

The downtown Richmond Power & Light office (in Richmond):

And the corporate headquarters on the outskirts of town:

Sad as this little building in Muncie is, it’s one just a handful left from the nationwide Picture Island photo developing company. Yes, similar to the slightly larger/different roof/base planters Fotomat kiosks, you dropped off your film to have it turned into printed photographs. The universe has sure changed since then! There are only about four of these kiosks in New York and I believe this is the only one in Indiana.

This sign in Cambridge City as it looked originally – my photo from 2009:

Well, the name has changed and the nice corrugated panel replaced but at least the bottle and neon bubbles are still there:

This sign is in Winchester:

Also in Winchester — this nice tile mosaic sign over the ground floor:

Let’s close with this bowling alley is in Connersville:

I’ll be back soon with even more Indiana. I still have about a week’s worth to go.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start with this concrete sculpture from Bluffton from 1936. There was originally an airplane gas station on the property but that’s been gone for many, many decades — but the tree lives! The only photo that I can find of it:

A knight at the Vandermark Sign Co. in Larwill:

This mastodon is at Purdue University in Fort Wayne – the home of the “Dons:”

The Strauss Building (now the Murphy Building) in Fort Wayne from 1908 got an early 1950s facade remodel. This penthouse residence and offices were added to the top of the building for A.M. Strauss:

This well-preserved Sunoco in North Manchester is STILL operating with modern pumps in front:

This Dairy Queen in Huntington has the only example of a sign with a sundae instead of a cone:

The Roller Dome in Fort Wayne list its freestanding rooftop letters a few years ago..:

… but it still has this funky fun sign:

City Glass in Fort Wayne has a wonderful vitrolite facade and a fantastic sign. This vintage (1950s?) shows the now-missing letters above the entrance… and that the stained glass in the windows was added later:

This fun 1960s? sign is in Columbia City:

This one in Huntington could use some paint but, thank god, those neon rings on top are still there:

This sign in Muncie was restored and moved around 2013 and is still looking good:

This sign was originally installed in Muncie for the Cintas uniform company. The guy in the truck was named “Tim” — my photo from 2009:

In 2020, the sign was adapted for Madjax and Tim got a new uniform:

I’m not a fan of the purple airbrushy background but I’m glad this sign in Fort Wayne is being taken care of. My 2009 photo:

… and now:

The neon on this sign in Fort Wayne was removed, tubing holes patched, and repainted recently:

This Humpty Dumpty Drive-in in Fort Wayne closed and was demolished decades ago but the sign remains:

This V.F.W. sign is also in Fort Wayne. This vintage photo shows the sign before the neon portion was boxed in and covered up with plexi and the “Fort Miami” was painted over:

and now:

The Bowling Center in Bluffton which had opened by 1947 was renamed EZ Bowl in 2018. Around 2024, the words “The” beneath the pins and “Center” below bowling were painted over:

This ice cream stand is in Albany. I think this sign may have been installed on the roof originally:

Let’s close with a couple of night photos from Muncie. Yes, these Arby’s hat signs are dwindling but I’ve still got a bunch from around the country at my website: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/arbys3.html

These McDonald’s signs are even rarer. The only one left in situ besides this one in Muncie is in Green Bay, WI. Then, there are only three at museums (American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ford Museum in Dearborn, and the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka which is now in storage indefinitely).

I’ll be back soon with even more Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

This giant ear of corn is at the Wilson Farm Market in Arcadia:

This elephant statue in Peru was mass-produced by Plycrete. More of them at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/ele.html#Barbour

This orangutan is in Delphi. More of these guys at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/apes2.html#Olin

This praying mantis, named KokoMantis, is in Kokomo:

This pocket watch headstone is in Greentown:

This former Enco station is in Logansport:

The Caston School Corporation is in Rochester:

This sign is at the Triple XXX drive-in in West Lafayette:

This Masonic sign with backlit glass globes is in Fairmount:

This sign in Kokomo has rare embossed metal panels. Unfortunately, the neon is gone:

This former A&W in Logansport (that’s where the neon below came from, I think) is now a BK Root Beer drive-in. I’ve got 4 full pages of BK drive-ins here:
https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/rbeerbk.html

This one is in Kokomo:

Another big deal in Indiana: Penguin Point. All of their locations closed in 2023. Many are still vacant and some of the signs survive like this one in Plymouth. There was a neon penguin sign on top of the sign which is gone now.

One more big chain in Indiana: Pizza King. I’ve got a bunch here: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/in2.html

This one is in Marion:

… and this one in Kokomo. This sign was at another location in town and when they moved, this sign was brought to the new place:

A one-off: Budge’s Drive-in in Lafayette:

Probably not all that old — but this one is in Rochester:

The Suburban Lanes in Tipton opened in 1960. By 2023, this loopy, cheap LED tubing was added to the pins:

Another one-off in Peru:

This one is at the New Moon Bar & Grill in Marion:

This one is at Best’s Bowling Center in Monticello:

The Himark is in Kokomo:

This sign is in Marion:

This sign is inside Grindstone Charley’s restaurant in Kokomo:

And lastly, a wonderful skeleton sign in Marion. Usually, these panel-less signs are installed in windows but maybe this one was always on the building:

Back soon with ever more Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram