Houston's most famous signs, marquees and billboards

TIME TRIPPIN': Houston's favorite old signs

The Colorado Bar & Grill's epic neon sign still stands along the Southwest Freeway. It was not part of Houston's purge of Vegas-style signage after an ordinance was passed against them.

See more of Houston's most popular signs through the years... less The Colorado Bar & Grill's epic neon sign still stands along the Southwest Freeway. It was not part of Houston's purge of Vegas-style signage after an ordinance was passed against them. TIME TRIPPIN': Houston's favorite old signs

The Colorado Bar & Grill's epic neon sign still stands along the Southwest Freeway. It was not part of Houston's purge of Vegas-style signage after an ordinance The Colorado Bar & Grill's epic neon sign still stands along the Southwest Freeway. It was not part of Houston's purge of Vegas-style signage after an ordinance ... more Photo: Http://thecoloradobarandgrill.com Photo: Http://thecoloradobarandgrill.com Image 1 of / 102 Caption Close Houston's most famous signs, marquees and billboards 1 / 102 Back to Gallery

Stop and think about some of the most evocative, memorable signs that you grew up seeing in Houston, or the ones you see daily now.

Although a great deal of those signs likely now only exist in our minds, the real things long dismantled and removed from view, they are still as big of life in our imaginations.

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Maybe it's a sign that evoked joy, like the old marquees outside of the Astrodome that reminded us about games and monster truck shows. They can be mundane, too, like a snarky billboard on the side of the road.

When you're small, iconography goes a long way. Look at how we plaster our sports team logos on everything we touch. A Columbia blue oil derrick evokes nostalgia and sadness in the same second.

And true, most of our most memorable signs, marquees and billboards were all selling us something, but they became a part of the collective experience, rich or poor.

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They became landmarks anyway, right next to the San Jacinto Monument, the Sam Houston Monument in Hermann Park or the Astroworld Astroneedle.

Here in Houston plenty of natives' eyes might light up at the sight of something as simple as a glowing Shipley Do-Nuts sign because it reminded them of early morning trips to get snacks before school.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. His favorite sign in Houston is the old Dot Coffee Shop sign. It reminds him of pancakes, cigarettes, and long talks.