Bob's Shoe Repair
Rapid City, SD
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's a fine roadside sign for Bob's Shoe Repair in Rapid City. With its classic neon lettering and oversized shoe hanging above the sidewalk, it's the kind of sign that reminds you of a time when nearly every downtown had a neighborhood shoe repair shop.

Before inexpensive, mass-produced footwear became the norm, repairing a good pair of shoes was simply part of everyday life. Local cobblers kept boots, dress shoes, and work shoes going for years, and eye-catching signs like this helped customers find their way. A giant shoe out front left little doubt about what was waiting inside.

Signs like this have become increasingly rare as shoe repair shops have disappeared from many downtowns. Fortunately, Bob's classic marquee still serves as a reminder of a trade that was once a fixture of Main Streets across America. 08-17

UPDATE: Bob's Shoe Repair remains a familiar downtown Rapid City landmark. The business continues to serve customers, and its distinctive neon sign with the oversized shoe remains one of the city's best surviving examples of classic trade advertising. 06-26

Joyland Amusement Park (Demolished)
Wichita, KS
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

This Joyland sign is a rather nicely kept-up one. Check out the large wavy "S" in the marquee. This one is definitely up there in terms of amusement park signage.

Joyland Amusement Park opened in 1949 and grew into the largest amusement park in Kansas, entertaining generations of families with rides like the wooden roller coaster, Whacky Shack, Ferris wheel, and miniature railroad. Long before you reached the midway, though, this colorful sign let you know you had arrived.

With its sweeping lines, bright neon, and rows of chasing bulbs, the marquee captured the excitement that waited just beyond the entrance gates. It's easy to imagine how many kids spotted this sign from the back seat and knew a memorable day was about to begin. 08-17

UPDATE: Joyland closed in 2004, and the amusement park was later demolished after years of abandonment. Fortunately, the iconic entrance sign was removed and preserved in 2014 by the Historic Preservation Alliance of Wichita and Sedgwick County. It remains in storage awaiting restoration, preserving one of the Midwest's most recognizable amusement park signs. 06-26

Jesus Saves
Bristow, OK
Photo courtesy Charles Brock

Check out this Jesus Saves sign standing prominently along Route 66 near Bristow. With its simple block lettering and towering wooden support, it's one of those roadside landmarks that's almost impossible not to notice as you travel the Mother Road.

Signs carrying messages like this became a familiar part of the American roadside during the automobile age. Long before interstate highways bypassed small towns, hand-painted religious signs shared the landscape with motels, diners, gas stations, and tourist attractions, each hoping to catch the attention of passing motorists in its own way.

Whether you stop to read the message or simply admire another piece of roadside Americana, signs like this have become part of the character of Route 66. Their simple construction and homemade appearance are reminders that not every memorable roadside attraction was built for commercial purposes. 08-17

UPDATE: The Jesus Saves sign remains standing along Route 66 outside Bristow, continuing to greet travelers just as it has for decades. Weathered by years of Oklahoma sun and wind, it remains one of the many distinctive landmarks that give the Mother Road its unique personality. 06-26

Don's Sport Shop (Gone)
Muskogee, OK
Photo courtesy Charles Brock

This old worn-out sign belongs to Don's Sport Shop in Muskogee. Somehow the peeling paint and faded lettering just seem to add character. Not every sign needs a fresh coat of paint to tell a good story.

For years, independent sporting goods stores like this were part of everyday life in towns across Oklahoma. Whether you needed fishing tackle, hunting gear, or a new baseball glove, the local sport shop was usually the first stop. Signs like this were built to last, standing outside through decades of Oklahoma sun, wind, and rain.

Today, weathered signs like this are becoming just as interesting as the businesses they once advertised. The faded finish serves as a reminder of a time when local, family-owned shops lined Main Streets and highways across the country. 08-17

UPDATE: Don's Sport Shop is no longer in business. The current status of the vintage sign has not been confirmed, but photographs like this preserve a classic example of the hand-crafted commercial signs that once dotted Oklahoma's roadside landscape. 06-26

Faucet
Oklahoma City, OK
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This faucet sign is a real head-turner, found in Oklahoma City. Sitting high above a rooftop, the oversized three-dimensional faucet looks like it's about to pour water onto the street below.

Novelty signs like this became popular during the mid-20th century, when businesses discovered that a giant version of the product they sold was often more memorable than a traditional billboard. Whether advertising plumbing supplies, hardware, or plumbing services, a sign like this was almost impossible for passing motorists to ignore.

Simple, creative roadside advertising like this has become increasingly rare over the years, making unusual survivors like this giant faucet all the more fun to discover. Sometimes one oversized object says everything a business needs to say. 02-08

UPDATE: The current status of the giant rooftop faucet is unconfirmed. Whether it still overlooks the Oklahoma City skyline or has quietly disappeared over the years, it remains one of the city's more unusual examples of novelty roadside advertising. Fortunately, photographs like this preserve a memorable piece of Oklahoma City's roadside history. 06-26

H.L. Moss (Demolished)
Tulsa, OK
Photo courtesy Greg West

Check out the giant coffee percolator sign at H.L. Moss in Tulsa. Not sure how many percolators get repaired these days, but it's always nice to see an old-time appliance repair shop that catered to just about anything with a plug.

Founded in 1948 by Herbert L. Moss, the little shop became a Tulsa institution. Customers came looking for hard-to-find appliance parts, electric razor repairs, sharpened sheep shears, and just about anything else that needed fixing. Even if you never stopped in, chances are you remember the oversized coffee pot out front—or perhaps the giant horse, Hereford steer, and sheep that greeted customers in the parking lot.

Businesses like H.L. Moss were once common, repairing household items instead of replacing them. The giant percolator was the perfect roadside advertisement, letting everyone know exactly what kind of place they had found. 10-05

UPDATE: H.L. Moss closed after serving Tulsa for more than 50 years, and the longtime building was later demolished. Fortunately, the iconic coffee percolator sign was saved before demolition, preserving one of Tulsa's most recognizable examples of novelty roadside advertising. 06-26