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Dairy Queen (page 6)

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The next several pages in this section document later Dairy Queen buildings as well as novel, rare, and plastic signs. They are organized by type rather than alphabetically by state.

Dairy Queen
Williams, AZ
This Dairy Queen in Williams opened in the 1950s. It features an unusual embossed plastic pole sign. This sign is vintage and was evidently mass-produced but I have never seen another one like it. The sign is probably from the 1960s or 1970s. The building's roof appears to have been retrofitted in the 1970s to look similar to a more modern type. [map]

Dairy King [gone]
Richmond, VA
Dairy Queen
Benson, AZ
I don't know how many of these round neon Dairy Queen signs are original, altered, or recent replicas. This Dairy King sign in Richmond probably advertised for Dairy Queen originally. Despite the name change, this sign might have been the least transformed of those shown here since it matches this 1950s sign in Boston, MA pretty closely. This photo is from 2007. By 2013, this location had closed and the sign was gone.

The first photo of this Dairy Queen sign in Benson is from 2007. The second photo is from 2012. In 2008, the stand became the Old Benson Ice Cream Stop. The neon was removed and the sign was adapted. The "est. 1953" on the sign must refer to when the Dairy Queen opened. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Dairy Queen [gone]
Detroit, MI
Dairy Queen
Columbus, OH
This Dairy Queen sign in Detroit appears to be unique. The cone is very small and I doubt those uneven bulbs were part of the original design. The building was clearly built as a Dairy Queen. This sign was removed around 2020.

This Dairy Queen sign in Columbus was adapted for a nail salon. The rectangular piece was was an addition. The building was adapted as well. [map]

Dairy Mart Drive Inn
Mineral Wells, TX
Carol's Dairy Bar
Fitchburg, MA
The Dairy Mart Drive Inn sign looks like an imitation Dairy Queen sign. [map]

Carol's Dairy Bar was apparently a Dairy Queen originally. The sign has been adapted. [map]

Ray's Dairy Diner
Fairfax, MO
Ray's Dairy Diner may have opened as a Dairy Queen in 1955. If the Dairy Queen was at a different location in town, this sign likely came from there and was moved to Ray's Dairy Diner which had opened by 1963. [map]

Snookies Malt Shop
Des Moines, IA
Snookies Malt Shop looks like it was built in the 1950s or 1960s. This sign appears to be an adapted Dairy Queen sign. However, the building does not look like a Dairy Queen. My guess is that Snookies acquired this sign at some point after they opened and had it reworked. The sign was installed in 1986. In 2020, the sign was hit by a car and crashed to the ground. The city ordinance would not have allowed the sign to be reinstalled once it was repaired. However, it was designated a landmark and put back on display. For more, see this website. [map]

There were other pole signs with projecting cones in Nebraska City, NE and Rushville, NE which are gone now.

Dairy Queen
Holbrook, AZ

2012:

2017:
The neon sign at this Dairy Queen is apparently unique. I have never seen a Dairy Queen sign promoting hamburgers before. This location opened in the early 1950s. The sign is supposedly from then or was at least there by 1957. It was originally installed by itself on a much shorter pole. The plastic lips logo sign was probably from the 1960s. Dairy Queen developed the lips logo in 1960. The Drive Thru sign and arrow were probably built in the 1960s well. The towering sign pole makes the sign visible from I-40. The neon sign was nearly removed by corporate headquarters in 2016. However, after pressure from the public, the sign was allowed to stay. The lips logo sign at the top of the pole was replaced with new panels with the new logo. New logo signs were also added to the front of the building and the pole was painted black. The lips logo sign is now displayed at the Casa Grande Neon Sign Park in Casa Grande, AZ. For more, see this website. [map]

Dairy Queen [gone]
Holdrege, NE
Dairy Queen
Newberg, OR
Dairy Queen
Austin, IN
Dairy Queen [gone]
Sioux Falls, SD
The Dairy Queen sign in Holdrege featured a tilted cone on an abstract background panel. I have never seen this style anywhere else. The modern lettering indicates that this was a modern or updated sign. This photo is from 2006. The Dairy Queen is still there but this sign was gone by 2009. For more, see this website.

The Dairy Queen signs in Newberg and Austin are the only two that I know of with this design. [Austin map]

The Newberg location opened around 1947. This sign had been built by the early 1950s and might have been built when the location first opened. It was originally a walk-up stand. The sign is one-of-a-kind and was built locally. While it has the classic swirl on top, the ice cream is much more compressed on top than other Dairy Queens signs. Originally, the sign had four sequentially lit arrows extending off the panels, creating an "L" pattern around the cone. A fifth arrow was added later. The painted lines on the cone were originally curved and the lettering was squarer. The logos at the bottom of the cone were added much later. In 2015, the Newberg location was gutted by fire. This photo was taken that year when the building was surrounded by chain link fencing. The location was rebuilt and reopened in 2016. The sign was also restored at that time to its original look with curved cone lines. The neon was recreated to match the original rose and white colors. The sign's restoration was done by Eugene Sign and Awning in Eugene, OR. The arrows were not recreated since their original colors were not known and animation would conflict with the city's sign code. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map]

I believe this Dairy Queen sign in Sioux Falls was another modern and unique creation. I have not seen a neon sign with the lips logo before. This photo is from 2008. By 2011, the sign was replaced with a standard plastic Dairy Queen sign. For more, see this website.

Dairy Queen [gone]
Verona, PA
Dairy Queen
Bowling Green, OH
Dairy King
Norwalk, CT
I believe this Dairy Queen sign in Verona was unique. I have never seen another like it in real life or vintage photos. This photo is from 2012. By 2016, the sign was gone. It was replaced with a modern, plastic Dairy Queen sign. The building had been either remodeled or rebuilt.

According to the the owner, Meredith Myles, this Dairy Queen in Bowling Green has been here since the 1940s. However, this uniquely-shaped sign must be modern or refurbished. Both this and the Verona signs have a modern font style especially noticeable in the "Y"s. In vintage Dairy Queen signs, and even in some of the replicas, the Y's are flat in the middle. This photo is from 2007. Sometime after 2015, the sign was repainted a lighter blue. A new, plastic Dairy Queen logo is now in the spot where the Myles text was. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

This Dairy King sundae sign, faded as it is, is clearly a former Dairy Queen sign. It is probably from the 1960s or 1970s. These signs are very rare. The only other ones that I know of are in Hibbing, MN and Lincoln, IL. [map]

Dairy Queen [gone]
Wilmington, OH
Dairy Queen
Duluth, MN
This round Dairy Queen sign in Wilmington was either modern or refurbished. Note the unusual mention of "customer parking". The font size of "Dairy" was smaller than "Queen". The neon on the sign was protected behind clear plastic panels. Although the sign proclaimed "established in 1947", this building appeared to be from the 1960s. This photo is from 2009. This location was closed by 2012. The sign was still there then. By 2015, the building and sign were gone.

I believe all three of these Dairy Queen signs in Duluth are modern creations created in a vintage style. [map]

Dairy Queen
Columbia Heights, MN
This Dairy Queen sign is definitely a modern reproduction. I don't know how old this location is. [map]

Dairy Queen
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Dairy Queen
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Dairy Queen
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Dairy Queen
(page 4)
Dairy Queen
(page 5)
Dairy Queen
(page 7)
Dairy Queen
(page 8)
Dairy Queen
(page 9)
Dairy Queen
(page 10)

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