As automobiles became a popular mode of travel for leisure-seekers, early auto-enthusiasts camped along roadsides or in organized tourist campgrounds. Beginning in the 1920s, motor courts and motels developed along busier highways to provide affordable accommodations for families and individuals. Typically located outside city centers, motor hotels included rows of freestanding cabins or attached rooms arranged around a courtyard. They were often one part of a larger complex that also included a restaurant, a service station, and sometimes a swimming pool. Ample parking stood in front of each room or sometimes in an attached garage. The number of roadside motels soared through the 1930s and again after World War II, following the rise in automobile ownership. As Americans enjoyed the prosperity and freedom of the post-war period, the number of motels in the United States quadrupled. To attract customers, motel operators erected giant signs to catch travelers' attention, often using elaborate neon displays to communicate quality and range of services.
