Tumble Inn Cowboy Sign Restoration

The Tumble Inn Steakhouse and Bar had its original roots in Tensleep Wyoming. In 1938 the the business moved to Powder River, Wyoming where a log bar and restaurant was built. By the late 1940's American families were traveling a lot more by car and Highway 20 to Yellowstone was getting busier.

Sometime in the early to mid 1950's the iconic Tumble Inn neon sign was installed to beckon patrons into the establishment. The sign stands 21 feet tall and had animated neon lighting on the cowboy's hand. Sizzlin Steaks is the Tumble Inn Cowboy's promise. This sign quickly became a welcome landmark to many.

The Business flourished throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's. But over time, people seemed to stop less and less in small towns like Powder River. The Tumble Inn and surrounding businesses started to wither. Towns like Powder River, Highland and Natrona continued to see their population moved elsewhere. The neon tubes on the cowboy sign broke and were not replaced. Corrosion took hold. The sign went dark

1995 and beyond was not kind to the Tumble Inn. The business opened and closed and was bought and sold a number of times. Sometime around 2005, most likely in a last ditch effort, the establishment was leased to a party that turned it from a steakhouse into a party bar and strip club. This evolution of the establishment was short lived and the proprietors, it is said, left town with the sheriff on their heels. The Tumble Inn was then sold in 2007 to a wishful couple that hoped to reopen the steakhouse. But this never came to pass. The cowboy sign remained dark and continued to corrode away.

In 2018 a group of people that love the sign started talking about saving this piece of iconic Wyoming imagery. The sign, much of its protective paint gone, rust taking hold, was degrading fast. The effort to purchase the sign and plan of restoration took a few years to materialize, but in 2023 the property was purchased, sign included. The sign is being disassembled and moved to a restoration facility where the corrosion and rust can be inhibited, repairs made and restored neon and electrical can be installed. This is where we are now. If you would like to get involved in this restoration and effort to re-light this Wyoming piece of history, please consider making a donation or get involved in other ways. Go to www.tumbleinncowboy.org for more information.