11 Most Iconic Neon Signs in Austin

Austin after dark is lit by glowing tubes of red, blue and gold.

Austin Monthly calls neon signs an essential part of Austin's identity, right up there with live music and Tex-Mex.

Some of these signs go back to the 1930s. Others were built by local sign makers who made new ones look like they had always been there.

Here are 11 of the most iconic signs in Austin, and exactly where to find each one.

1. Austin Motel

This is the sign everyone photographs on South Congress, and it has been there since original owners Earnest and Jenny Eck Stewart built the motel in 1938, according to Austin Monthly.

Yes, people joke about its shape. The motel's front desk manager told Austin Monthly the owners meant it to look like a key.

Look closely and you will see it is held up by a ship's mast, Austin Monthly reported.

2. The Continental Club

The Continental Club opened in 1955 as a swanky supper club, according to its website.

The club says it was renovated in 1987 to look as close to its 1950s self as possible, and a photo on its website shows the restored Continental sign ready to go back up that year.

Its website calls it one of the oldest continuously running clubs in Austin.

3. The Broken Spoke

James and Annetta White opened the Broken Spoke in 1964, and owner James White estimated there have been about four different signs out front since then, Austin Monthly reported.

According to Austin Monthly, it was his wife's idea in the early 1970s to make the sign neon so it would pull in customers after dark.

The original 1960s sign now hangs in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, the magazine says.

4. The Paramount Theatre

The Paramount opened as the Majestic Theatre in 1915, and showman Karl Hoblitzelle bought it and renamed it the Paramount in 1930, according to the Handbook of Texas.

Its tall blade sign came down in 1963, supposedly for repairs, and was never seen again.

For the theater's 100th birthday in 2015, a replica blade went up with 1,397 light bulbs, and Austin Monthly says employees screwed them in by hand.

5. Matt's El Rancho

Matt's El Rancho has served Tex-Mex since 1952, according to its website, and Austin Monthly says it moved to South Lamar in 1986.

The giant sign out front was built to match the larger-than-life personality of founder Matt Martinez, his daughter told Austin Monthly.

The one you see today is a copy. Austin Monthly reports the original was destroyed in a wind storm in 1995.

6. Chuy's on Barton Springs Road

The first Chuy's opened on April 16, 1982, in an old barbecue joint on Barton Springs Road, the company says.

Sign maker Evan Voyles found the sign on a motel in Anson, Texas, and kept its shape, including the curved arrow that became a Chuy's signature, according to Austin Monthly.

After a truck hit the sign, the restaurant had a replica made, the magazine reported.

7. Sandy's

Sandy's has been serving burgers and frozen custard on Barton Springs Road since 1946, according to its website.

Austin.com includes its sign on its list of old Austin signs that are still standing.

8. Stubb's

Stubb's started in Lubbock in 1968 before coming to Austin, according to Austin.com.

Austin Monthly reports that Evan Voyles built its Red River sign from a repurposed vintage sign out of San Antonio and designed the lettering to look timeless.

9. Top Notch

In 1971, Ray and Frances Stanish bought Burkhart's Motor Dining on Burnet Road and reopened it as Top Notch Hamburgers, according to Austin.com.

It is the drive-in from Richard Linklater's 1993 film Dazed and Confused, the Texas Film Commission notes.

Visit Austin says the neon marquee and remote ordering posts are essentially unchanged from the 1992 shoot.

10. The Americana at Yarborough Library

The Americana was a 1960s theater, and today the building is a branch of the Austin Public Library, according to Austin.com.

Its sign shows up in Dazed and Confused, and Visit Austin says the freshman hazing scene was filmed in the parking lot.

11. The Elephant Room

This one is easy to miss. The Guide to Austin Architecture says the jazz club is marked by a small neon sign flickering at sidewalk level.

The club sits in a basement on Congress Avenue and has hosted live jazz since 1991, according to its website.

Ready to explore?

Which Austin sign is your favorite? Tell us in the comments.