Chelsea Motel
Chelsea, OK
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Chelsea Motel is one of those Route 66 landmarks that immediately transports you back to the early days of American road travel. Although the motel has been closed for decades, its weathered neon sign still stands watch over the old highway, serving as a reminder of a time when small, family-run motor courts welcomed travelers from across the country.

Built between 1936 and 1939 as the Chelsea Court, the six-unit motel occupied a triangular corner lot right along Route 66. In 1947, owners Ted and Mildred Noland added the distinctive neon pole sign that still defines the property today. Complete with a large directional arrow, a "No Vacancy" panel, and an "Air Conditioned" advertisement, the sign reflected the modern comforts motorists expected during the golden age of highway travel. 09-08

Like many small Route 66 motels, the Chelsea Motel struggled after the Turner Turnpike opened in 1953 and diverted much of the cross-country traffic away from downtown Chelsea. The motel ultimately closed in 1976, but unlike many of its contemporaries, both the buildings and the sign survived.

Today, the faded paint, rusted metal, and broken neon tubes only add to the sign's character. Rather than diminishing its appeal, decades of weathering have turned it into one of Oklahoma's most photographed Route 66 relics. The motel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, recognizing its importance as one of the state's best surviving examples of an early roadside cabin court.

UPDATE: The Chelsea Motel remains privately owned and is no longer open to guests, but both the original motel buildings and the iconic 1947 neon sign still stand along Route 66. While time has taken its toll on the marquee, it remains one of Oklahoma's most evocative reminders of the Mother Road's golden era. 06-26

America's Value Inn
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

You couldn't miss America's Value Inn while cruising Route 66 through Tulsa. The motel's tall roadside sign stood well above the traffic, but the real eye-catcher was the atomic starburst on top. It always made me wonder what the original sign looked like before it was covered with the plastic-faced panels that replaced the old neon.

The property originally opened in 1959 as the Saratoga Motor Hotel during Route 66's heyday, when Tulsa's East 11th Street was lined with motor courts competing for travelers. Its Googie-style sign reflected the era, using bold angles and a large starburst to grab the attention of passing motorists.

Years later, the motel became America's Value Inn. While the original neon disappeared, the sign's distinctive steel frame and starburst survived, giving a small glimpse of its mid-century past. 08-17

Brookshire Motel (Demolished)
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Brookshire Motel had one of those classic Route 66 signs that was hard to drive past without taking a second look. By the time I photographed it, the neon had been dark for years, but you could still imagine the "No Vacancy" lettering flashing on and off back when the motel welcomed travelers along Tulsa's busy stretch of the Mother Road.

The motel dates to 1950, when Cecil and Gusetta Brooks purchased the property and gave it a name inspired by their family. Like many independent motels lining East 11th Street, it catered to the steady stream of motorists traveling Route 66 during the postwar years. Even after 11th Street was widened in 1955, forcing the demolition of several motel units, the Brookshire continued serving travelers for decades.

Its roadside sign was a simple but memorable design, featuring single-tube neon lettering without a lot of extra ornamentation. Sometimes the simplest signs are the ones that stick with you the longest.

UPDATE: The motel closed around 2010 and sat vacant before a series of fires severely damaged the property beginning in 2019. The buildings were demolished in 2020, and the historic sign had already been dismantled and sold off piece by piece the year before. Today the site is a vacant lot, and another classic Route 66 motel sign has disappeared. 06-26

Crystal Motel
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's a simple but cool sign for the Crystal Motel on Tulsa's stretch of historic Route 66. It may not be the flashiest motel sign around, but it has managed to survive while so many others along the Mother Road have disappeared.

The motel originally opened in 1953 as the Frontier Motel, welcoming travelers arriving from nearby U.S. 66 and the Turner Turnpike. Like many motels of the era, it advertised modern conveniences such as free television, a coffee shop, and family rates. Out front, a grassy lawn now occupies the space where a swimming pool once gave road-weary guests a place to cool off.

The original roadside sign was much larger than the one standing today, but the current marquee still carries on the property's roadside tradition. It's another reminder that even modest motel signs can become familiar landmarks for generations of Route 66 travelers.

UPDATE: The motel remains open as an independently operated budget property. While the original Frontier Motel sign has been replaced, the current roadside marquee continues to greet travelers along Tulsa's historic Route 66. 06-26

Western Inn
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Another of the roadside motels found along Route 66 in Tulsa, the Western Inn continues to welcome tired travelers. The current sign is simple enough, but years ago this property was home to one of the more memorable motel signs on this stretch of the Mother Road.

The motel opened in 1955 as the Flamingo Motel, one of several similarly named motels scattered across the Midwest. Like many new motor courts of the era, it offered amenities that were considered modern luxuries at the time, including air conditioning, televisions, telephones, and later, a swimming pool.

Unfortunately, the motel's original neon flamingo sign didn't survive. It was destroyed during a windstorm in 1987 and replaced with the much simpler sign that stands today. Even so, the original motel buildings remain, making the Western Inn one of the surviving reminders of Tulsa's busy Route 66 motel era.

UPDATE: The Western Inn remains open as an independently operated motel. Although the original flamingo sign and swimming pool are gone, the 1955 motel buildings are still standing and continue serving travelers along historic Route 66. 06-26