Best Neon Sign in Portland, OR ? Palms Motel!

The Palms Motel neon sign in Portland OR is a must-see for any Retro Roadmapper visiting the city!

Isn't that just fabulous?!!!

So many colors of neon! Motor Hotel! Free TV! Neon Monkey! Breezeblock! Roses! (Mod Betty collapses...)

Whenever I have a question about a sign, I consult the experts - and in the field of vintage signs my go-to source is Debra Jane Seltzer of RoadsideArchitecture.com. She has tirelessly taken it upon herself to document as many cool vintage signs, buildings, sputniks and roadside ephemera as she can, and we're all the luckier for it. My hat is often off to her dedication, not only in finding and photoing, but cataloging so we can find out about them in a split second.

From DJS and her site I learn that the motel itself opened around 1949, the sign added 1952. Renovated and repaired in 2012 it is a beacon in the night.

You should also click here to see all of the other signs in Portland she's spotted and posted on RoadsideArchitecture.com

Speaking of Clicking and Seeing - if you click here on my pal Mr. Tiny's  Wacky Tacky writeup of the Palms sign, you'll see a vintage postcard of the motel with sign from some time in the 1050s.

I can't comment on the Palms as someplace to stay, as we did not stay there - but if you're there for the sign, you'll do just fine!