Pet Milk (Gone)
Burlington, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

If you're a fan of oversized roadside advertising, this Pet Milk carton was hard to beat. Rising above the roadside in Burlington, it looked just like a giant milk carton, only large enough for passing motorists to spot from Interstate 85. 05-08

Novelty signs like this were once a common way for companies to stand out along America's highways, and Pet Dairy certainly succeeded. Whether you were looking for it or not, the giant carton was almost impossible to miss and became a familiar landmark for travelers passing through Burlington.

As distribution centers modernized and old dairy facilities disappeared, so did this giant carton. It's another reminder of the days when even something as ordinary as a carton of milk could become an unforgettable roadside attraction.

UPDATE: The giant Pet Milk carton has been removed and is no longer part of the Burlington roadside. 08-26

Coble Milk
Mt Ulla, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

You don't expect to find a giant milk carton at the end of a country road, which is exactly what makes this Coble Milk sign so much fun. Tucked away near Mount Ulla, it marks the entrance to a family farm and is one of those hidden roadside surprises that reward travelers willing to wander off the main highway. 05-08

The oversized carton didn't start life here. It once stood outside a Coble Dairy distribution center before being rescued from the scrap pile by a local dairy farmer. Rather than letting a piece of North Carolina dairy history disappear, he hauled it home and gave it a new job welcoming visitors to the farm.

Parked beside a cow-spotted mailbox, the giant carton looks right at home in the countryside. It's a reminder that some of the best roadside attractions aren't found along busy interstates. Sometimes they're waiting at the end of a quiet back road.

UPDATE: The giant Coble Milk carton continues standing at the entrance to the farm near Mount Ulla. 08-26

Wytheville Office Supply (Closed)
Wytheville, VA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

There's no wondering what was sold inside Wytheville Office Supply. The giant yellow pencil hanging from the front of the building told the whole story before you even reached the front door. 06-10

Installed in the early 1960s, the oversized pencil became one of Wytheville's best-known roadside landmarks. Stretching about 30 feet long, it pointed toward the entrance and gave the downtown storefront a bit of personality that chain stores could never match. It even caught the attention of cartoonist Bill Griffith, who featured it in his long-running Zippy the Pinhead comic strip.

The office supply store served the community for more than 75 years before closing following a corporate acquisition in 2024. Thankfully, the giant pencil didn't disappear with it.

UPDATE: Although the store has closed, the giant pencil still hangs above Main Street in downtown Wytheville. 08-26

Pet Milk
Mount Airy, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

If you're driving through Mount Airy, keep an eye out for the giant Pet Milk carton spinning above the dairy. Standing high on its pole, this oversized milk carton has been turning heads for generations and is one of North Carolina's classic roadside advertising signs. 06-10

Built in the 1940s for Coble Dairy, the giant metal carton promoted the simple idea that bigger signs sold more milk. As the dairy business changed hands over the years, the familiar carton changed right along with it, carrying the names Coble Dairy, Flav-O-Rich, and today, Pet Milk.

The sign has survived changing owners, changing times, and even a damaging fire at the dairy in 2017. More recently, it was taken down, restored, and returned to its perch looking as good as new. It's another reminder of a time when even a carton of milk could become a roadside landmark worth pulling over to see.

UPDATE: The restored Pet Milk carton continues spinning above the dairy in Mount Airy. 08-26