Howard Johnson's

[47of74]

The last surviving Howard Johnson's restaurant has closed down.

Quote

The last surviving Howard Johnson's restaurant has closed.

Open for most of the past 70 years, the restaurant was located in Lake George, New York, a popular summer vacation spot near the Adirondack Mountains. The restaurant closed its doors in recent weeks and the property is up for lease, according to a local affiliate.

"Lake George is officially dead," a Howard Johnson's fan wrote on Facebook, adding several pictures of the abandoned restaurant. "Cobwebs on the door. Right before Memorial Day rush up here."

The longtime roadside staple had about 1,000 restaurants in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was once America's largest restaurant chain. Instantly recognizable for its orange roofs, the diners served 28 types of ice cream and became a part of American culture. "Mad Men" recreated the restaurant to film a scene.

The hotel chain is still going and is now owned by Wyndam.  The first hotel I ever stayed in was a Howard Johnson's in Iowa City.  I was 11 or 12 and it was a trip to Des Moines with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandma.  I think it was a bit of a trial run to see how my cousin and I would do on longer road trips.