Cosmorama
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Here is a neon sign for the Cosmorama that is a real eye catcher located in a small shopping center on Park Avenue. The two blue rings revolve around the ball at the top of the sign. It's only been in place for a few years, but it's a fascinating reminder of the more elaborate neon signs of years gone by. Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 07-06

The center actually started life as the Park Manor shopping center and was once home to Bruno's By-Ryt grocery store. By 2001, the aging center was given a complete makeover and renamed Park Cosmorama, with bright colors and neon added to bring back a little mid-century roadside flavor.

It's newer neon pretending to be old neon, but who's complaining? Cruising down Park Avenue after dark, the Cosmorama still gives you a good reason to take another look.

UPDATE: The Park Cosmorama became a Game Stop on Park Avenue, and its colorful retro signage still survives. 08-26

Ice Cream Cone
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Here's one sign that gets right to the point. Hanging on the wall of a Dixie Queen in Memphis is this great multi-colored neon ice cream cone, glowing away and letting everyone know there's something cold waiting inside. 09-06

Dixie Queen has been a Memphis favorite since 1949, serving up burgers along with milkshakes, sundaes, cones, and its popular Humdingers. With locations scattered around town, the old drive-in style shops have been a familiar sight to generations of Memphis motorists.

But you don't need a big roadside marquee when you've got a neon ice cream cone on the wall. Once the different colors come on after dark, this one looks good enough to eat.

The exact Dixie Queen location shown here hasn't been confirmed. If anyone recognizes this particular neon cone, send along a note.

Pugh's Flowers
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Okay, this one takes a second. The sign for Pugh's Flowers features a happy little skunk holding a bouquet of flowers. Skunk... Pugh's... "Phew!" Now it makes sense. 09-06

Pugh's has been selling flowers around Memphis since 1976, and that skunk became the perfect roadside mascot for the family business. Instead of the usual roses and fancy lettering, somebody decided a flower-carrying skunk would get more attention. They were probably right. The Pugh family has kept the business going for generations, expanding to several locations around the Memphis area. The skunk followed along too, appearing on signs, delivery vehicles, and other Pugh's advertising.

It's hard to beat an old roadside sign with a little humor. And at least this skunk comes bearing flowers.

UPDATE: Pugh's Flowers remains in business around Memphis, and the skunk continues to serve as the company's longtime mascot. 08-26

Blue 4 Liquor
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Not sure if the name of this liquor store is really Blue 4 Liquor or not.  The arrow moves down and the rings on top spin around.  Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 09-06

Blue 4 opened here around 1969 and spent decades serving the Whitehaven neighborhood, not too far from Graceland. The store also handled check cashing over the years, but it was that unusual sign out front that made this place worth another look.

Once the neon came on and those rings started spinning, there wasn't much chance of driving by without noticing. Apparently a simple LIQUOR sign just wasn't enough.

UPDATE: Blue 4 Liquor has closed at its longtime Winchester Road location. The current status of the old spinning roadside sign is uncertain. 08-26

Happy Day Cleaners (Gone)
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Here's one cleaner sign that's hard to forget. The Happy Day Cleaners sign on Union Avenue features what looks like a glowing shirt and bowtie suspended out by the roadside. In the daytime it's strange enough. After dark, it gets downright eerie. 09-06

The business opened in 1946 and eventually grew into a small Memphis chain, but it was this unusual sign that really set the Union Avenue location apart. It wasn't every day you found a dry cleaner with such a creative piece of roadside advertising. It's the kind of sign that makes you pull over just to figure out exactly what you're looking at.

UPDATE: A devastating fire destroyed the building in 2016. The sign survived the blaze but was removed during the cleanup the following year. 07-26

Fox Meadow Liquors (Gone)
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

The Fox Meadow Liquors is located in the Fox Meadows area of Memphis.  The "Fox" lettering is burned out in the sign. Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 09-06

The neighborhood liquor store had been around since the 1980s, serving the Fox Meadows area of southeast Memphis. The tall roadside sign had apparently seen plenty of nights by then, and the missing neon gave it just a little more character.

Sometimes a partially working sign is more interesting than one where everything still lights up. You could still tell what it was supposed to say, even if the fox wasn't cooperating.

UPDATE: Fox Meadow Liquors has closed, and the location now operates as Mendenhall Liquor & Wine. The old Fox Meadow neon sign is gone. 08-26