Mountaineer Inn (Closed)
Asheville, NC Photo courtesy Doug Harvey
You can't miss the giant mountain man towering above Tunnel Road. Leaning on his rifle with backward letters spelling out "Mountaineer," the famous sign for the Mountaineer Inn has been welcoming travelers to Asheville since the roadside heyday. It's one of those signs that's worth the drive all by itself. 08-06
The motel opened around 1940 as the Mountaineer Court, giving vacationers an inviting place to stay on their way into the mountains. For decades it remained a family-run operation, and its towering hillbilly sign became one of Asheville's best-known roadside landmarks. Even if you never spent the night, chances are you remembered the sign.
UPDATE: The motel is now closed and sits vacant behind fencing. Plans to restore the property fell through, and foreclosure proceedings have placed the future of both the motel and its iconic sign in doubt. 08-26
Perry Plaza Motel (Rem.)
Hot Springs, AR Photo courtesy Tony Craig
There was a time when this motel had one of the most eye-catching signs in Hot Springs. Topped by a neon diving girl, the marquee for the Perry Plaza Motel was hard to miss as travelers rolled into town along Park Avenue. By the time this photo was taken, the sign had already lost some of its sparkle, but it was still a reminder of the city's roadside resort days.
The motor court opened in the late 1940s and welcomed generations of visitors headed for Hot Springs' famous bathhouses and attractions. Its clean, modern design made it stand out from many of the older tourist courts along the route, and the swimming pool only added to its appeal during the family road trip years.
UPDATE: After years of decline, the property was completely restored and reopened in 2022 as a rental complex. The motel survives, but the famous diving girl sign has been removed. 08-26
Star Motel
Cave City, KY Photo courtesy Emily Steele
Some motel signs leave no doubt about where you've arrived. The giant five-pointed star in front of the Star Motel is about as straightforward as roadside advertising gets, and that's exactly what makes it so memorable. Sitting along old U.S. 31W in Cave City, it's the kind of sign that's hard to drive past without taking another look. 10-07
For generations, this stretch of highway has welcomed travelers headed for nearby Mammoth Cave, and little motels like this were once a familiar sight along the route. The Star Motel fit right in, offering a convenient place to spend the night before continuing the trip. Even though the neon no longer shines, the oversized star still does its job, standing out against the Kentucky sky just as it has for decades.
UPDATE: The Star Motel remains open as a budget-friendly stop, and its distinctive star-shaped roadside sign continues to greet passing motorists. The motel is rather plain these days. 08-26
OK Court (Gone)
Bonneville, KY Photo courtesy Emily Steele
This old roadside sign was one of the last things left standing at the O.K. Court. Sitting along U.S. 31W in Bonnieville, it was a reminder of the days when the Dixie Highway was lined with family-owned motels waiting for the next carload of vacationers to pull in. 10-07
The O.K. Court opened during the postwar travel boom and offered both motel rooms and a restaurant, making it an easy stop for travelers headed toward Mammoth Cave and other Kentucky attractions. Like many businesses along the old Dixie Highway, it depended on passing traffic until Interstate 65 changed the route for thousands of motorists.
By the time this photo was taken, the sign had outlasted the motel itself and was about all that remained to catch the eye of people driving by.
UPDATE: The motel and restaurant have since been demolished, and the roadside sign has been removed. 08-26
Grand Motel (Demolished)
Dentsville, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
In Dentsville was the Grand Motel sign. Talking to the owner, this place had for some time been a rent by the hour motel. He was slowly restoring the motel back to a normal family place and intends to have the sign brought back to it's 1950's look. According to an old postcard picture, the star is not original. He turned on the neon so I could see how it looked. He wants to replace the flashing bulbs in the star with LED's and said the old blinking bulbs need to be replaced far too often. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-08
Long before you reached the driveway, the towering sign for the Grand Motel let you know it was coming up. Rising high above Two Notch Road, it was one of those classic roadside marquees that seemed impossible to ignore. Even as the years caught up with the motel itself, the sign never lost its ability to catch the eye of passing motorists.
Grand Motel
Dentsville, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Grand Motel opened during the 1950s, when U.S. Route 1 was one of the busiest routes into Columbia and independent motor courts lined the highway. Travelers heading north or south had plenty of choices, but a tall sign like this was often enough to earn a second glance. As newer highways diverted long-distance traffic, the Grand gradually shifted from serving overnight guests to functioning as apartments, though its familiar marquee remained a constant presence along the roadside.
By the time this photo was taken, the motel looked like it had seen better days, but the sign was still doing exactly what it had been built to do decades earlier. It's easy to imagine families spotting it from the car and knowing another night's stop was just ahead.
UPDATE: The motel was demolished in 2023 to make way for Grand Village, a new affordable housing community. Thankfully, the iconic roadside sign was preserved and incorporated into the entrance, where it continues to welcome people traveling along Two Notch Road. 08-26
Martonian Motel (Demolished)
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Nature was slowly reclaiming this old motel when the photo was taken. Surrounded by weeds and brush, the sign for the Martonian Motel still stood along U.S. 441, almost refusing to give up even as the buildings around it slipped deeper into abandonment. Just a few miles south of Cherokee, it was the kind of roadside scene that made it worth pulling over for a closer look. 03-08
Years earlier, this stretch of highway welcomed a steady stream of travelers heading to the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee. Small independently owned motels like the Martonian gave visitors a convenient place to spend the night before continuing through the mountains. By the time this photo was taken, however, the motel had long since closed, leaving only the weathered sign and empty buildings to hint at its busier days.
The overgrowth almost became part of the attraction. It wrapped itself around the abandoned property while the old marquee continued standing beside the road, quietly catching the attention of curious travelers passing by.
UPDATE: The Martonian Motel has since been demolished, and the vacant property has been cleared for future redevelopment. The old roadside sign is gone. 08-26
Soco Valley Motel (Demolished)
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Just down the road from Harrah's Cherokee Casino stood the weathered Soco Valley Motel, a place that looked like it had been waiting for travelers from another era. The old marquee had lost most of its neon by the time this photo was taken, and with several letters missing, the sign almost appeared to read "Soco Alley Motel." Even in its faded condition, it was still hard to drive past without taking a second look. 03-08
For years this stretch of U.S. 19 welcomed vacationers heading into the Great Smoky Mountains, and small roadside motels like the Soco Valley gave them a convenient place to spend the night. As newer hotels arrived and the area changed, the little motel gradually faded into the background, but its worn sign remained one of those roadside sights that photographers couldn't resist.
UPDATE: The motel was demolished in late 2018, and the old marquee disappeared with it. Today there's little to suggest a vintage roadside motel once stood along this busy Cherokee highway. 08-26
Perry Plaza Motel (Rem.)
OK Court (Gone)
Grand Motel (Demolished)
Grand Motel
Martonian Motel (Demolished)
Soco Valley Motel (Demolished)
