Disneyland Marquee (2nd Generation)

Valley Thrift (Closed)
San Bernardino, CA
Photo and info courtesy David Carrasco

Here's the old roadside sign for Valley Thrift in San Bernardino, where the bargain hunting began beneath a marquee that was worth a second look itself. Before getting around to the clothing racks and secondhand merchandise, roadside fans had something to check out above the entrance.

The Valley Thrift sign fit right into that spirit of keeping older things useful. Its prominent lettering gave the store an identity beyond the merchandise inside, making it a familiar sight for shoppers and motorists passing through San Bernardino. For sign photographers, the best find could be outside before any shopping took place.

UPDATE: The former Valley Thrift location later became Eco Thrift. The roadside sign was updated with the successor's name, carrying on its job of attracting bargain hunters beneath a different set of lettering. 10-26

Eastside Furniture (Gone)
Colton, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here is a photo of the venerable Eastside Furniture marquee, which is located in Colton CA. The Eastside Furniture sports a nice yellow arrow for this classic and colorful sign. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

Furniture stores once made good use of signs like this, advertising large showrooms to motorists who needed enough warning to turn into the lot. The arrow adds personality to a practical task, making the entrance part of the display rather than leaving customers to work it out at the last moment.

UPDATE: The older Eastside Furniture marquee has reportedly been removed following changes to the property. 10-26

City Glass Co. (Gone)
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

As you pass through San Bernardino, you'll come across this sign for the City Glass Co. This sign features a space age satellite ball on top. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

Sputnik-style ornaments became familiar features of roadside design during the space-race years. They turned up above restaurants, bowling alleys, and shops, adding a suggestion of motion and modernity without requiring the building below to leave the ground.

UPDATE: The City Glass sign and its satellite ornament have reportedly been removed. This view preserves a bit of San Bernardino’s space-age commercial scenery from before the old marquee disappeared. 10-26

Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

This old sign marks a quieter roadside destination at Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery in Huntington Beach. Along busy Beach Boulevard, the entrance leads to grounds where generations of families have remembered dogs, cats, and a surprisingly wide assortment of other companions.

Established in 1961, Sea Breeze was Orange County’s first pet cemetery. Its first burial was Major von Luckner III, better known as “Old Sarge,” a celebrated Marine Corps dog whose memorial remains part of the cemetery’s history.

Beyond the entrance, the individual markers tell stories of their own. Names, photographs, and affectionate inscriptions recall animals that were very much members of the family, giving this small property a place in the area’s history beyond its roadside sign.

UPDATE: Sea Breeze continues to operate as a pet memorial park in Huntington Beach. The old entrance sign identifies a place that has served grieving pet owners for more than sixty years. 10-26

M&M Generators (Gone)
Colton, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Even an automotive electrical shop could put some color along the roadside. This old sign for M&M Generators in Colton gives a practical trade business an advertisement worth noticing, with bright panels that stand apart from the surrounding street.

Generators, starters, and alternators aren’t usually the most glamorous part of a car, at least until one stops working. Independent repair and rebuilding shops supplied an important service for motorists trying to keep older vehicles on the road, often offering another option before replacing the whole unit.

Outside, the sign did the simpler job of helping customers find the shop.

UPDATE: The photographed M&M Generators sign has reportedly been removed. The exact closing history of this particular shop remains unconfirmed, so the later fate of the business is left separate from the loss of its older marquee. 10-26

Shoes Boots (Gone)
Anaheim, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A familiar sight along Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim was the huge Work Shoes and Boots sign. The oversized lettering made sure passing motorists knew where to look for some sturdier footwear. Whether it actually inspired any sudden turns into the parking lot is another question, but it certainly knew how to get noticed.

Workwear stores served the practical side of the neighborhood shopping strip, supplying footwear meant to handle more than a stroll around the block. Their signs could be just as substantial, with bold words that remained easy to read among the surrounding businesses.

UPDATE: The old Work Shoes and Boots sign has been removed. Another familiar piece of Lincoln Avenue’s roadside scenery is gone, leaving this photograph from the days when the enormous lettering still advertised a stop for a new pair. 10-26

Dance Studio
Gardena, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

The weathered lettering on this Dance Studio sign in Gardena looks as though it has watched plenty of students come and go. Its worn surface gives the marquee a character that a fresh replacement would have trouble reproducing, with years of exposure written across the metal.

Neighborhood dance studios were familiar destinations for lessons, rehearsals, and the occasional nervous performance. Outside, a projecting sign could guide families toward the entrance while becoming part of the everyday scenery for everyone passing down the block.

This one offers a reminder that a sign doesn’t have to be freshly painted to deserve a photograph.

UPDATE: The older dance-studio sign was still on this building back in 2025. Not sure if it's still there. 10-26

The Starlet Apartments
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

A name like The Starlet Apartments seems right at home near Toluca Lake and the movie studios. The fancy marquee adds its own touch of show-business style, giving an apartment entrance the sort of greeting that might be expected outside a small theater.

Built in the late 1950s in Burbank, the complex stands near Warner Bros., placing it among the residential buildings that grew alongside the area’s entertainment industry. There’s no need to assume every tenant was waiting for a screen test, but the name certainly leaves room for the imagination.

UPDATE: The Starlet remains a residential apartment complex, and its distinctive marquee survives. The sign carries on a little of the studio neighborhood’s mid-century glamour near Toluca Lake. 10-26