Boyette's Fish Camp (Closed)
Chunky, MS
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Something fishy is hiding along the back roads near Chunky. Tucked away off Old Highway 80 is this great sign for Boyette's Fish Camp, complete with a big fish pointing the way. You might have to look a little harder to spot this one from the road.

The place started out years ago as a little hamburger stand serving fishermen along the Chunky River before growing into a full-fledged fish camp. The Boyette family took over in 1983, and the restaurant became a popular local stop for fried fish, hushpuppies and coleslaw.

Boyette's later became Chunky Shoals Fish Camp before eventually closing. The old riverside restaurant is no longer open to the public.

UPDATE: The former fish camp property is now privately used and no longer operates as a restaurant. The current status of the old Boyette's roadside sign is unknown. 08-26

Red Hot (Gone)
Meridian, MS
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's one of those roadside signs that leaves you wondering what used to be there. Sitting by itself in a vacant lot in Meridian is the big Red Hot sign, its turquoise face and red lettering still catching your eye from the highway. Turns out there was quite a bit more here than just the sign.

The Red Hot Truck Stop opened in 1955 along the old route of Highways 11, 80 and 45. D.W. and Ruth Carr ran the place, serving truckers, travelers and plenty of locals. With the fairgrounds nearby, even professional wrestlers were known to stop in for a big meal before heading off to their matches.

The coming of Interstates 20 and 59 eventually changed the traffic patterns, and the Red Hot closed in 1999. The truck stop itself was demolished in June 2000 as the property around it was redeveloped.

Somehow the best part was left behind. The lower TRUCK STOP and GOOD FOOD panels disappeared, but that big RED HOT sign remained standing by the road. So if you've ever passed through Meridian and wondered why there's a lonely Red Hot sign sitting near the Walmart, now you know.

UPDATE: The Red Hot Truck Stop is long gone, but its weathered and unlit roadside sign still stands along South Frontage Road. 08-26

Dine at Kolbe (Closed)
New Orleans, LA
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

Hungry? Here's an old New Orleans sign that still invites you inside even though dinner hasn't been served here in years. Hanging over St. Charles Avenue is the weatherbeaten Dine at Kolbe sign, complete with the once-important promise of AIR CONDITIONED. In New Orleans, that probably wasn't a bad thing to advertise.

The sign belonged to Kolb's Restaurant, a longtime German restaurant that opened in 1899. Inside were dark wood, old beer steins and plenty of German favorites like schnitzel and sauerbraten mixed in with New Orleans dishes. Kolb's was also well known around town for its turtle soup.

After nearly a century of serving downtown New Orleans, Kolb's closed in 1994. The tables are long gone, but the faded old sign is still hanging above the sidewalk. Weatherbeaten? Definitely. But that just makes it look better.

UPDATE: Kolb's remains closed, but the old Dine at Kolbe sign still survives along St. Charles Avenue. 08-26

Dollywood
Pidgeon Forge, TN
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

You can't spend much time around Pigeon Forge without running into Dolly Parton somewhere. Dollywood sits tucked into the Smoky Mountains, with rides, music and plenty of Dolly waiting inside.

The park actually started out as Rebel Railroad in 1961, complete with a steam train running through the hills. After a couple of name changes, Dolly Parton joined the operation in 1986 and Dollywood was born. That old steam train is still running today as the Dollywood Express. If you're passing through Pigeon Forge with the family, follow the signs. Dolly herself pretty much guarantees you'll have a good time.

UPDATE: Dollywood remains open and continues to grow, with new attractions joining the old favorites for the 2026 season. 08-26

Howard Curry Shoes (Gone)
Lexington, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Here's a great old shoe store sign that once lit up the walkway in Lexington. The neon Howard Curry Shoes For Children lettering glowed against the brick wall on Southland Drive, letting everyone know this was the place to bring the kids for a new pair of shoes.

Howard Curry opened the business in 1948, and the store moved to Southland Drive in 1958. Inside was an unusual local favorite called the "Talking Tree." Employees could secretly talk through an intercom, making the tree appear to speak to children while they were getting fitted for shoes. Now that's one way to keep the kids entertained.

Howard Curry Shoes stayed here for 51 years before moving to Nicholasville Road in 2009. The old neon wall sign was removed with the move, but the shoe store itself is still going strong.

UPDATE: Howard Curry Shoes remains open at its Nicholasville Road location. The old Southland Drive neon sign photographed here is gone. 08-26

Falls City Theatre Equipment Co. (Demolished)
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Now here's a sign that looks like it belongs outside an old movie palace. The streamlined neon sign for Falls City Theatre Equipment Co. once hung along Third Street in downtown Louisville, complete with sweeping curves and plenty of mid-century style.

The company got its start in 1939 and supplied the things moviegoers rarely thought about, projection equipment, theater fixtures, marquees and even equipment for drive-ins around Kentucky and Southern Indiana. In other words, these were some of the folks helping keep the movies rolling.

The old business eventually disappeared, but that great sign remained attached to the building for years afterward.

UPDATE: The Falls City building was demolished in 2015 during redevelopment of the block for the Omni Louisville Hotel. The old neon sign was removed before demolition, restored and later installed on the new hotel. 08-26

Nally's Barber Shop
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Need a haircut? Just look for the candy stripes. The old  Nally's Barber Shop sign in Louisville has a great barber pole design worked right into the marquee, complete with neon to light up the sidewalk.

The shop got its start around 1940 and moved to this Wallace Avenue location in 1952. Back in its busy days, advertisements even promised "6 Barbers to Serve You." More than 70 years later, you can still stop in for a haircut.

Best of all, that old striped sign is still hanging outside. It was restored in 2015 and put right back where it belongs.

UPDATE: Nally's Barber Shop remains open on Wallace Avenue, and the vintage neon barber sign continues to hang above the storefront. 08-26

Clarksdale Sales
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Remember when you could actually take a television somewhere to have it fixed? Clarksdale TV Sales & Service in Louisville is a throwback to those days, complete with a great old neon sign hanging outside the shop.

Clarksdale has been around since 1938, long before televisions became something you tossed out and replaced. Over the years the little neighborhood shop has kept repairing TVs and other electronics while most places like it slowly disappeared.

And that old roadside sign is still doing its job. The big Clarksdale lettering, along with TV SALES & SERVICE, still hangs over South Shelby Street and even lights up at night.

UPDATE: Clarksdale TV Sales & Service remains open on South Shelby Street, and its vintage neon sign is still glowing outside. 08-26