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ARCHEOLOGY

Advocates for America’s
Roadside Heritage

SOCIETY for

COMMERCIAL

ARCHEOLOGY

Advocates for America’s
Roadside Heritage

SOCIETY for

COMMERCIAL

ARCHEOLOGY

Advocates for
America’s
Roadside Heritage

On the road since 1977

We invite you to join hundreds of neon lovers, diner fans, history buffs, and roadside explorers.

SCA memberships start at $55 a year or just $5 a month.

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GIFT MEMBERSHIPS NOW ON SALE

Loved by everyone, from soon-to-be college graduates seeking a professional foothold to recent retirees seeking adventure.

Only $55 a year

or just $40 for students!

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On the road since 1977

We invite you to join hundreds of neon lovers, diner fans, history buffs, and roadside explorers.

SCA memberships start at $55 a year or just $5 a month.
Join UsWhat You GetAnnual Appeal

SCA Gift Membership Graphic

GIFT MEMBERSHIPS NOW ON SALE

Only $55 a year

or just $40 for students!

BUY NOW

SCA EVENTS & MORE

<span style="color: red">ZOOM EVENT:</span> Evan Stern - The Voices of Route 66

ZOOM EVENT: Evan Stern – The Voices of Route 66

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 @ 8:00 PM Eastern: In the fall of 2021, Evan Stern grabbed a microphone and took two months to drive Route 66 from Oklahoma to the Santa Monica Pier. Along the way, he spoke with over 100 people for his podcast Vanishing Postcards. In The Voices of Route 66, Evan combines personal reflections with select footage from a few he met along this journey. More Info | Register
Sketches of Beverly Sign Co

ZOOM RECORDING: Andrew and Kelsey McClellan: The Golden Age of Sign Design – The Rediscovered Sketches of Beverly Sign Co.

Recorded Wednesday, November 12, 2025: Join Andrew and Kelsey McClellan, the Chicago sign painters who operate Heart & Bone Signs, as they discuss their sign preservation efforts as well as their journey into self publishing the book, The Golden Era of Sign Design. Watch Video
<span style="color: red">ANNOUNCING SCA 2026 Road Trip:</span> From Googie to Glamour - LA’s Roadside Stars

ANNOUNCING SCA 2026 Road Trip: From Googie to Glamour – LA’s Roadside Stars

The SCA is heading to the City of Angles! Mark your calendars for July 10-13, 2026 for “From Googie to Glamour: LA’s Roadside Stars,” featuring three full days of touring the architectural gems across Los Angeles and Hollywood. Registration Coming Soon

ZOOM RECORDINGS

ROADSIDE NEWS

UPDATED! THE JIM SEELEN MOTEL IMAGES COLLECTION

20,000 MOTELS

SCA member Jim “Motel King” Seelen’s motel images collection is now part of our library. This database contains more than 23,000 images with details on more than 20,000 (21,507 to be exact) motels that once operated in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

View Database

SCA ARTICLES

<span style="color: red">JOURNAL SNEAK PEEK:</span> Astral Fountains and Rocket Throwers

JOURNAL SNEAK PEEK: Astral Fountains and Rocket Throwers

By Gloria R. Nash: The 1964–65 fair’s theme, “Peace Through Understanding,” focused on achieving world peace through global interdependence. Exhibits featured 80 nations, 24 states, and 45 corporations. After the fair closed, most pavilions were demolished. Some pavilions, such as those of the United States, DuPont, and Greyhound, waited for years to be repurposed but were eventually razed.
5 Faves: Grapevine, Texas

5 Faves: Grapevine, Texas

By Peter Glaser: I had never heard of Grapevine, Texas, until my wife asked if I wanted to tag along to a conference she attended there last year. A suburban city situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine was a revelation.
<span style="color: red">ANNOUNCING SCA 2026 Road Trip:</span> From Googie to Glamour - LA’s Roadside Stars

ANNOUNCING SCA 2026 Road Trip: From Googie to Glamour – LA’s Roadside Stars

The SCA is heading to the City of Angles! Mark your calendars for July 10-13, 2026 for “From Googie to Glamour: LA’s Roadside Stars,” featuring three full days of touring the architectural gems across Los Angeles and Hollywood. Registration Coming Soon
<span style="color: red">GALLERY:</span> SCA’s 48th Annual Conference in Niagara Falls

GALLERY: SCA’s 48th Annual Conference in Niagara Falls

The SCA welcomed more than 80 guests to its first international conference in the roadside mecca of Niagara Falls. Featuring tours of both the American and Canadian roadside, we explored all kinds of crazy SCA attractions, took a drenching ride under Horseshoe Falls, hosted a fascinating paper symposium, and enjoyed great food and great company. It was a barrel of fun! See Photos
<span style="color: red">EDITOR’S WORD: </span>The SCA Goes International to get Wet ’n Wild at Niagara Falls

EDITOR’S WORD: The SCA Goes International to get Wet ’n Wild at Niagara Falls

By Douglas Towne: In the 1890s, Americans and Canadians had different development aspirations for their respective cities divided by the Niagara River. With its grander vistas of the three cascading waters, Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls, Canadians viewed it as a natural wonder and created a vacation destination. In contrast, Americans considered hydropower generation the most critical asset and focused more on harnessing these water sources to fuel industry.
<span style="color: red">JOURNAL SNEAK PEEK:</span> The River Attractions of Niagara Falls

JOURNAL SNEAK PEEK: The River Attractions of Niagara Falls

By Peter Glaser: In the lead-up to 2025’s SCA conference in Niagara Falls, Canada (but with a day spent on the American side), this article explores the classic river attractions at the Falls and along the Niagara River. While some of these charms pre-date the automobile era, they prospered with its arrival and remain largely unchanged today.

Dr. Patrick’s Postcard Roadside

SCA at Larkinville Diner

Dr. Patrick’s Niagara Recap Part 2

Everybody, back on the bus! Part 2 of guide Kevin Patrick’s Niagara Conference recap covers the third day tour of the New York side of the falls. Read Recap
Blue and White Restaurant, Warren, Pennsylvania, vintage postcard

DR. PATRICK’S POSTCARD ROADSIDE: The Blue and White Restaurant

Constantine Spiridon and his two brothers opened the Blue and White Restaurant at 211 Liberty Street in downtown Warren, PA, in 1925. It was one and a half blocks north of US 6, certainly the coast-to-coast reference on this postcard showing its 1937 Art Moderne remodel.
Transatlantic Steamship Terminal postcard

DR. PATRICK’S POSTCARD ROADSIDE: New York City’s West Side Piers

A circa-1960 postcard shows New York City’s Transatlantic Steamship Terminal in the Hudson River between 44th and 54th streets ...

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