The SCA is an all-volunteer membership organization that celebrates the living history of America’s roadside.

We Host Online Events by Scholars, Authors and Enthusiasts.

Introduced in 2020, SCA’s Zoom events have proven a major hit with members. Experts on a wide range of roadside-related topics share their research, stories, photos and ephemera with a live, very interactive member audience.

All events are FREE for members, as are recordings of these events. See what’s coming up next.

Promotional images from SCA Zoom events

We Post Tons of Original Content to Our Website. All of it FREE for Members.

From recordings of our Zoom events, to curated one-day tours, to articles from our Road Notes and Journal, to running series on postcards from the road, to the amazing Jim Seelen motel database, you can find all that and more on our website. Much of it is offered free. But members get access to EVERYTHING!

SCA Website Header

We Research and Share the Often Quite Poignant Stories That Historic Signs and Structures Tell.

The Society for Commercial Archeology publishes scholarly articles, original stories, book reviews, and lots and lots of roadside ephemera to the SCA Journal, SCA Road Notes, our printed newsletter, our website and the SCA Roadside Roundup, our e-newsletter.  All publications are included as part of a membership. Back-issues can be purchased through the SCA Store, with digital downloads of all back issues available free to members.

Want to get published? The SCA invites preservation professionals, academics, authors, independent scholars and enthusiasts to submit story ideas for our Road Notes, Journal or website at any stage of development.
SCA Journal covers

We Focus Attention on Efforts to Save North America’s Most Endangered Roadside Places.

All along the nation’s highways and byways there are reminders of the heyday of the American roadside. From filling stations, to tourist courts, to bridges, parks, and diners, these roadside icons are survivors from a time when the American road trip was truly a journey of adventure and discovery.
Images of roadside buildings and signs
Through our website, Facebook page and email newsletter, The Society for Commercial Archeology is working to call attention to the potential loss of these national treasures, and help coordinate action to protect the most vulnerable properties.

If you are looking for information on how to save an important roadside building or structure, our guide, How to Save a Roadside Place, is a great place to start.

And We Travel, Present, Eat, Drink, Share Stories and Generally Have a Lot of Fun.

The SCA hosts a bi-annual conferences in city’s across the United States and supports member-organized road trips, tours and events all year round. Check out our upcoming events, past events, tour guides, photos and news.
Folks enjoying an SCA event
From Blobfest to Weeki Wachie and all roadside points in between, the SCA goes everywhere. We invite you to check out where we’ve been and join us on our next adventure.