Like many American communities during the 1950s and early 1960s, Cocoa Beach embraced neon signage as a way to attract attention to local businesses. While it never reached the intensity of Las Vegas or Times Square, the area still featured a variety of eye-catching signs. These often reflected Cocoa Beach’s close ties to the space activities at nearby Cape Canaveral, as well as the nationwide Tiki craze that grew due to servicemen returning from the Pacific Theater after World War II.
With its missile launching facilities, it is no surprise that Cape Canaveral became inextricably associated with the Space Age. Its name appeared on a wide range of products, from the Marx Cape Canaveral playset and Erector sets to toy rockets, T-shirts, pennants, caps, and buttons. If companies across the country were capitalizing on the Cape’s growing fame, it made sense that businesses just a few miles south along A1A in Cocoa Beach would do the same. One of the most memorable examples was the sign for The Satellite Motel. Featuring a large image of Earth with satellites orbiting it, the sign welcomed visitors to stay and watch the rockets launch from the nearby Cape. However, by the 1970s, public enthusiasm for the space program had begun to wane. Many of the space-themed motels and other businesses either changed their names or were acquired by larger chains. Our MemoryMarker gallery offers a virtual look back at 1950s and 1960s Cocoa Beach—including quirky icons like Pinkie the Elephant, who once stood outside Lee Caron’s Carnival Club.
