Tee Pee Curios Neon Sign Wood Print

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Tee Pee Curios is such a magical and quirky piece of roadside architecture that I must confess; it gave me a thrill just to walk through the teepee door when I visited the store during the day but it also deserves a nighttime visit to truly appreciate its magnificent vintage neon.

One of New Mexico's last original curio shops along The Mother Road, Tee Pee Curios in Tucumcari, New Mexico, is a Historic Route 66 icon.

It originally opened in 1944 as a Gulf service station, grocery store, and souvenir shop. When US Route 66 was widened from two lanes to four in 1959, they removed their gas pumps and added the whimsical teepee entrance to the front of the building.

The neon sign was added sometime in the mid-1960s. It is, in my opinion, one of the best neon signs along Route 66 and one of nine neon signs to be restored during the 2003 New Mexico Route 66 Neon Sign Restoration Project.

Did you notice the different spelling of TeePee on the sign? Mistake o...

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...