The Klose-In Motel, located on Aurora Avenue, was originally an auto court built in the 1930s when this area was outside the Seattle city limits. The hotel lobby was once a grocery store. In the 1950s, when this neon sign was added, the motel was thriving, along with the other roadside attractions on the avenue. But in later decades, Aurora Avenue became a rough and seedy place teeming with prostitution and drug use. In the 2000s, the building was sold to various operations, and in 2017, the current owners donated the very dilapidated sign to MOHAI. The museum is looking into funding options to conserve and restore the sign to its original glory.