The Cherokee Trader
Cherokee, NC
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Shoot an arrow in any direction in Cherokee, NC and it will probably hit an Indian gift shop. The Cherokee Trader stands out above others in its tribe with a beautifully lit dancing warrior. If you concentrate hard enough, you can almost hear the distant sound of pounding drums between its neon blinks. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

The Cherokee Trader has been selling gifts, crafts and souvenirs to travelers for decades. The shop was started by Lois Queen Farthing, and that great roadside sign went up in 1964. More than 60 years later, the business is still operated by her family.

Inside you'll find everything from pottery and jewelry to Native American crafts and plenty of vacation souvenirs. But for roadside fans, the old neon out front might be reason enough to pull over.

UPDATE: The Cherokee Trader remains open at 1136 Tsali Boulevard, and its vintage 1964 roadside sign still survives. 08-26

Carter Drugs
Barnesville, GA
Photo courtesy Kevin Powers

Cruising through downtown Barnesville, check out the old Carter Drugs storefront and that big DRUGS lettering built right into the top of the building. The two-block downtown still has plenty of life to it, and this old drug store looks right at home among the historic storefronts.

Carter Drugs opened here in 1948, complete with the neighborhood pharmacy and soda fountain that once made places like this a regular gathering spot. Barnesville itself was once known as the "Buggy Capital of the South," turning out horse-drawn buggies long before automobiles took over the roads.

The pharmacy stayed in the Carter family for three generations and lasted more than 60 years. Even after some of the old storefront was hidden behind a modern aluminum awning during the 1970s and 1980s, the original facade eventually came back into view.

UPDATE: Carter Drugs closed on December 30, 2011, after 63 years in business. The old building still stands at 203 Main Street, and that great DRUGS lettering remains high above the downtown street. 08-26

The Stage
Nashville, TN
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

You can't miss this one while wandering down Broadway. The neon lettering and giant guitar make The Stage on Broadway a real head turner among all the lights competing for attention in downtown Nashville.

Located at 412 Broadway, The Stage sits right in the middle of Nashville's Honky Tonk Highway. The big vertical sign spells out THE STAGE in glowing neon, but it's that oversized guitar perched on top, complete with its cowboy hat, that really makes the sign.

Inside you'll find plenty of live country music, dancing, and walls covered with country music memorabilia and murals. There's even a rooftop bar overlooking Broadway. But from the sidewalk, it's still that guitar glowing over the street that makes this place worth another look.

UPDATE: The Stage remains open and the neon sign and guitar are still lighting up Broadway. 08-26

Jim Reed Chevrolet (Gone)
Nashville, TN
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Now here's a roadside character that's hard to forget. The marquee for Jim Reed's Truck Center in Nashville featured "Ol' Jim," a smiling neon cowboy who looked ready to wave passing motorists right into the lot.

Jim Reed Chevrolet was a longtime fixture along Nashville's Broadway auto row, selling cars and trucks from its sprawling dealership complex. During the 1960s and 1970s, this stretch of Broadway was filled with automobile dealers, and Ol' Jim gave the Reed operation a little extra personality.

With his cowboy hat, big grin, and animated neon, Ol' Jim was the kind of character sign that once seemed perfectly at home above a car lot. You certainly knew where to stop if you needed a truck.

UPDATE: The old Jim Reed dealership operation is gone from Broadway and the Ol' Jim neon sign has been removed. The former dealership property has been altered and redeveloped over the years. 08-26

Monteleone Hotel
New Orleans, LA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Need a place to stay in the French Quarter? This great old neon sign points the way to the garage, entrance, and lobby of the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street. With its glowing arrows and colorful lettering, even finding the parking garage gets a little extra New Orleans style.

The Monteleone has been welcoming guests since 1886, when Antonio Monteleone purchased a small hotel at Royal and Iberville. It grew considerably over the years and became a favorite stop for writers including Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote.

Before heading back outside, check out the hotel's Carousel Bar. Installed in 1949, the circular bar actually rotates while you sit, making one slow trip around the room about every 15 minutes. Only in New Orleans.

UPDATE: Hotel Monteleone remains open at 214 Royal Street, and its vintage neon continues to brighten this corner of the French Quarter. 08-26

Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Nashville, TN
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

This neon guitar leads you to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville, TN. This shop has been selling records on Broadway
for over 50 years. Many thanks to Paul Bauke for info.

Here's one neon guitar that has been lighting the way for country music fans for generations. The big guitar-shaped sign for the Ernest Tubb Record Shop hangs above Broadway, complete with plenty of neon and the name of one of country's legendary performers.

Ernest Tubb opened his first record shop in Nashville in 1947, moving the operation to 417 Broadway in 1951. The store became much more than a place to buy records. Tubb's famous Midnite Jamboree radio show helped make it a gathering place for country performers and fans, with names like Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton passing through its long history.

The record shop closed in 2022, leaving that familiar guitar hanging over a much quieter storefront for a while. During renovations in 2024, the neon sign was taken down and restored before returning to its longtime spot above Broadway.

UPDATE: After several closures and management changes, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop reopened again in 2026. The restored neon guitar is back where it belongs, glowing above 417 Broadway. 08-26

Berry's Loan (Gone)
Nashville, TN
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Need a few bucks? You couldn't miss the red neon glow of Berry's Loan hanging over 4th Avenue in downtown Nashville. The tall old sign practically covered the side of the storefront, with LOANS spelled out in big letters for anyone passing down the street.

Berry's got its start in 1941 and became a longtime downtown stop for loans, jewelry, watches, musical instruments, and just about anything else you might expect to find in an old-fashioned pawn shop. With Nashville's music scene just around the corner, there was probably always something interesting waiting inside.

But it's the sign that really made this place worth a second look. Glowing red against the downtown buildings, it was exactly the sort of neon that could turn an ordinary pawn shop into a roadside find.

UPDATE: The old Berry's Loan storefront on 4th Avenue North has closed, and its familiar neon sign has been removed. 08-26