A Gallery Of the Best Vintage Neon Business Signs in Upstate NY!

There was a time, not too long ago, when a garish, flashing gaily-colored neon sign in front of your business was a commonplace calling card for travelers along the backroads and highways of Upstate New York.

Especially found in areas like the Catskills and Adirondacks, these signs welcomed weekenders to campsites, motels and diners with neon Indian heads, flashing stars and sunbursts, and even kitschy Jetson-style "modern" spaceship designs.  Most of these are long gone.

But there are some, and we will feature many of them in this and future galleries.

Here is a first collection of awesome neon (and other) signs still blinking and dazzling after all these years.  We love them.  A neon chef with a hatchet in his hand chasing a harried chicken?  That one is awesome.  A retro colored sign for a lounge that highlights "Go Go Girls."  What?  Yes, and both of those signs are in the same Upstate New York city (see photo).  How about a neon cowboy beckoning you into a 60+ year old diner with a hearty "Howdy Folks!".  It is in the Albany area.

There is no doubt that you can still find these vintage-style signs, particularly in the resort area of Upstate's mountains and lake regions, as well as in tourist meccas like Niagara Falls, New York.  Have you seen any of these signs along your travels?

We will add more to our list in future galleries.  But, because we just know there are many more hidden out there that we are not aware of, if you know of a great old-fashioned neon sign, whether it is on a bar, hotel, motel, ice cream drive-in, or anything else, please let us know over on our Facebook page.  It will be fun to see whatever any of our listeners can send in and share with us!