Here are 15 iconic neon signs in Sacramento: Vote on the best
The Sacramento region has some notable neon signs, with the word already being out on some of them.
The large marquee for Gunther’s Ice Cream on Franklin Boulevard got a showy shot in the film “Sacramento,” which had a character working at the shop. When the exterior of Tower Theatre, in all its neon glory, popped up in “Lady Bird” it drew excited reactions from people watching the film at that very theater.
The question now is if Sacramento’s best neon sign, past or present, is one like what is at Gunther’s or Tower — namely, a sign that people already celebrate — or if it’s something more obscure. We are asking readers to help us decide.
We have created a poll of 15 of the best neon signs around the region. There is also a write-in option for anyone who doesn’t see their favorite sign among the list. Vote on which of these signs should reign supreme above all others locally.
Here are the signs we have chosen for the poll:
Coronet Portraits: One of six signs displayed at Golden 1 Center, this one celebrates a photo studio that existed in Sacramento’s central city for many years, first at 904 J St. and later 2116 21st St. according to the Center for Sacramento History.
The Crest Theater: Some neon signs are fun but rather rudimentary in design. Such is not the case with the iconic K Street theater, whose front marquee boasts an array of colors.
Franke’s Drugs: Another Golden 1 Center sign, this one is actually a “shadow sign,” per the Center for Sacramento History. “It’s called a shadow sign because if viewed at an angle, it is possible to see the raised contours – or shadows - of the original embossed ‘Walgreen’ under the red paint,” the center notes.
Gunther’s Ice Cream: An institution since 1940, Gunther’s is fairly nondescript on the outside with one exception — the giant sign on the roof of the business, showing a man tossing a scoop of ice cream to a cone.
Jim Denny’s: Located on 12th Street, which feeds cars from Highway 160 into downtown, this diner has the kind of sign that could have gotten drivers to stop in its heyday. The business had trouble in recent years, closing in February 2020 and again in July. It remains permanently closed as of this writing.
Joe Marty’s: This historic bar was closed for years following a mid-2000s fire. When the building finally reopened roughly a decade later, the dank bar was gone and much about the place was different. But preserved was the neon sign which features a baseball, a tribute to the business’s namesake, who played Major League Baseball in the 1930s and ‘40s (and was once thought to be a better prospect than Joe DiMaggio.)
KCRA: This television station’s sign was re-lit in 2023. At the time, Ariel Roblin, the general manager and president of KCRA and My58 told a reporter for the station that the sign hadn’t been lit in more than 30 years.
Mercury Cleaners: When the 16th Street building that this sign was on was torn down, the sign was brought across the street and attached to a new building, where it still stands.
Newbert Hardware: The Center for Sacramento History noted that this sign was made of porcelain enamel, with a heavy iron base and layers of powder class coating. The porcelain, the center added, made the sign rarer than more modern signs made of aluminum or tin.
Original Tower Records sign: People on Sacramento’s subreddit wondered a year ago what had become of the sign for the original Tower Records location, which was in a drugstore where Tower Cafe is today. One Redditor suggested the Center for Sacramento History had the sign stored. A center rep didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Sacramento News & Review: The future for this sign is unknown, with SN&R’s former headquarters at 1124 Del Paso Blvd. currently being converted into a Sacramento Public Library location. The SN&R sign is still on the building at the moment.
Shakeys Pizza Parlor: The Shakey’s chain started in Sacramento and grew to 500 locations before shrinking considerably in the U.S. over the years. The sign from its original location, which opened in 1954 at 5641 J St. went to Golden 1 Center, though, the Center for Sacramento History noted.
Sleeper Stationery: This sign, which is also at Golden 1 Center, was for a family business at 27th and J Streets that for generations, according to the Center for Sacramento History, “made stamps and seals for fraternal lodges, businesses, and government agencies.”
Tower Records: Gone are the days where children of the 1980s or ‘90s could troop over to a Tower location on Christmas Day with gift cards they’d received and purchase cassette tapes or, if they were feeling flush, CDs for $17.99. The chain went bankrupt in the mid 2000s, though the sign from its first standalone location, which was at 2514 Watt Ave., is preserved at Golden 1 Center.
Tower Theater: The Los Angeles area has the Hollywood sign. In Sacramento, this honor arguably might go to either the large water tank along Interstate-5 near the city’s southern border, or the historic theater, whose neon helps it be seen from the Capital City Freeway.
Not seeing the neon sign you think is best? Be sure to write it into the poll and note it in the comments here.
This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
