Post #64380 by tikijackalope on Thu, Dec 11, 2003 5:12 AM

Name:Tropicana Motel / Tropics Lounge
Type:motel
Street:2417 S Range Line
City:Joplin
State:MO
Zip:64801
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
The Tropics Lounge, 2415 S Range Line, originally called the Tropic Room, was built in 1959 or 1960 and the adjacent Tropicana Motel, 2417 S Range Line was finished a year later.

This is a postcard view of the motel, as built. (postcard scan borrowed from Dustycajun's
post below)

By 2002, when both businesses were demolished, the motel sign had been damaged by one of Joplin's many storms and most of it had been replaced.

As the Tropics Lounge was being demolished, the original tikiesque Tropic Room lettering was revealed; it was saved by the owners for usage in the Tropicana Lounge and Grill, 3215 S Main, Joplin MO, which they soon opened. They did not replace the motel. I managed to buy the "entrance" arrow seen above.

And I bought the tiki head part of the sign. I separated the panels and use one in a window of my house.

I also got some metal hanging ceiling fixtures. I've since seen some of the same design in the Mt Fuji Inn in Omaha.

As the buildings were demolished, nearly everything was scavanged and sold. I'm afraid this photo is symbolic of the fate of Tiki in SW MO.

[ Edited by: tikijackalope on 2003-12-11 05:14 ] Edited again on March 11, 2013, to restore photos.

[ Edited by: tikijackalope 2013-03-10 23:08 ]