The humble mom-and-pop Dairy Queen with its vintage 1950s neon sign is a beloved symbol of roadside Americana. On Saturday, this gorgeous Dairy Queen sign at the shop in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, was destroyed in a powerful storm that swept through the region. The storm broke the back of a hot day – and broke the sign, alas.
The sign had survived so much – from earlier threats from Mother Nature to misguided corporate directives to have it removed. But the sign made it all the way to June 6, 2026.
This store opened in 1963 and was already an instant throwback, as the red barns of the “Country Fresh” campaign were beginning to proliferate. The sign came from another Dairy Queen in nearby Masontown, and was said to date to 1953, according to roadarch.com, so it made it to 73 years. A good run, sure, but not long enough.
Wrecked in Saturday’s storm, the sign was removed by Sunday morning, and the owners – the porcelain enamel sign has long been tenderly cared for by the same family - must now decide what will replace it. One can only hope the sign can be fixed up or a replica created. (Below, enjoy Rick Sebak’s wonderful ode to this sign and the family that owns the Dairy Queen.)
My photos are from a visit during the off-season in February 2020. Two weeks ago, I was near Perryopolis at dusk, driving west on my road trip to California, and for a second I considered a detour to shoot the neon at night. I decided instead to push on. How I regret that decision now.
My condolences to the owners and to the community that has treasured that sign for decades, who have celebrated Little League victories (or licked wounds - and soft serve – after stinging losses) under its warm neon glow. Those memories are impervious to a wicked storm or a corporate directive. We keep those memories forever, and that’s why places like the Dairy Queen in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, are such treasures — and why they matter.
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