The "Great Sign" was the roadside sign used by Holiday Inn during its original era

of expansion from the 1950s to 1970s. It was perhaps the company's most successful
form of advertising. It was extremely large and eye-catching, but was expensive to
construct and operate. The manufacturer of the sign was Balton & Sons Sign Company,
and it was originally designed by sketch artists Gene Barber and Roland Alexander.
Wilson wanted a prominent sign, desiring that it be at least 50 feet (15 m) high
and visible in both directions. He also wanted a changeable marquee to welcome
different groups. The original sign cost $13,000.[10] It is said that the sign's
colors were selected because they were favorites of Wilson's mother. The popularity
of the sign led to many imitations, some of which remain to this day.

In 1982, following Wilson's departure, the Holiday Inn board of directors phased
out the "Great Sign" in favor of a cheaper back-lit sign. The decision essentially
signaled the end of the Wilson era, and Wilson considered it "the worst mistake
they ever made". He loved the "Great Sign" so much that it was engraved on his
tombstone, with the marquee reading "FOUNDER" and the arrow aimed at his name.[11]
The majority of the signs were sold as scrap metal and recycled.

Several intact fragments of the famous sign have been restored and relit, mostly
the Holiday Inn top section of the sign and the marquee box. In 2006, a complete
sign was found. The disassembled sign, complete with star, marquee box, and the
sign base, was discovered in a backlot in Minnesota. On June 3, 2007, it was
purchased by a neon sign restoration expert, in order to restore it to its 1950s
appearance. It would be displayed at the National Save the Neon Signs Museum in
Minot, North Dakota. An intact sign that came from a Las Vegas location stands
outside of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Another intact and
operating Holiday Inn Great Sign is at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan,
and yet another is with a private collector in Park Hills, Kentucky.