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Penguin Point Drive-ins

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The Penguin Point drive-in chain was founded in 1950. The northern Indiana chain recently had thirteen locations. In 2023, it was announced that the remaining locations would be closing.

Penguin Point corporate office
Warsaw, IN
2009: 2025:
This seven-foot-tall sign at the Penguin Point corporate office was built in the mid-1960s and installed on roof. Despite the company closing in 2023, this sign remains. The paint is beginning to fade and the metal is starting to rust. [map]

former Penguin Point [gone]
Decatur, IN
This former Penguin Point housed Arnold's Fabulous Fifties Drive-In when this photo was taken in 2009. By 2015, it housed Aunt Bee's Drive-in. By 2016, the building and canopy had been demolished.

Penguin Point
Elkhart, IN

2009:
2025:
This Elkhart location featured a neon penguin on top of its plastic sign. This guy has yellow feet while the one shown below in Plymouth had red feet. This location closed in 2022. The sign was adapted for the Food Shack. The penguin remains. [map]

Penguin Point
Plymouth, IN

2009:
2025:
The Plymouth location has the same style sign as the one in Elkhart above. Both of these locations opened in 1972 with these signs. They are the only ones left with neon penguins. This sign style originated in 1964 when a Warsaw location from 1952 was remodeled. The neon penguin portion of the sign is about five feet tall. This location closed in 2022. The signs were still there in 2023. The neon sign was gone by 2025 and the building was still vacant. For more, see this website. [map]

Penguin Point
Marion, IN		 Penguin Point
Goshen, IN
The Marion location opened in 1968. Their sign once had a neon penguin on top like those in Elkhart and Plymouth. This location closed in 2022 and was housing Poppy's Donuts in 2023. The first sign shown above was either covered up or replaced. By 2025, the building was vacant but the pole sign remains. [map]

The Goshen location features the older style sign like the one in Wabash at the top of this page. This location closed in 2022 but the sign was still there in 2023. [map]

Penguin Point
Wabash, IN

This Wabash location opened in 1950 and was the first in the Penguin Point chain. It originally had car hops and a large neon sign with penguins. That sign was later demolished. The sign that is there now and the canopy are probably from the early 1960s. This location closed in 2023. In 2025, there was a sign announcing that a BP gas station was going to be built on the property. [map]

Penguin Point Sign:
Cincinnati, OH

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