LAKE OZARK, Mo. — The Hollywood-style "Lake Of The Ozarks" sign has been welcoming residents home and visitors to what they wish was home for five years.

The monument stands high on the hill at the junction of Highway 54 and Route 242, welcoming all who visit the Lake of the Ozarks.  It is one of the most recognizable sights for locals and visitors alike, and this year it is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

The Lake of the Ozarks sign was built to brand the Lake of the Ozarks as a visitor-friendly region, and to serve as an iconic landmark signaling to all that they have arrived at the Lake of the Ozarks.  To build the sign, the Lake Area Chamber entered into an agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation to lease the land for 70 years.  The Chamber took responsibility for the construction, as well as the ongoing operation and maintenance of the sign.

While the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce provided the vision and leadership for the project, the funding and construction of the sign was a community-wide effort.  Over 70 individual contributors donated in excess of $50,000 in cash, and a similar amount in in-kind material, labor and expertise, to make the vision of a welcoming monument a reality.

The sign is constructed with 8-foot aluminum letters standing on a 4-foot concrete wall that is 87 feet long.  The letters are covered with a white reflective paint that is illuminated with eighteen 4-foot LED light bars that are programmed to change colors with the seasons and holidays.  Those who drive by the sign on Christmas will see it lit up with greens and reds, while those who visit during the Fourth of July will see it lit up red, white and blue.

Construction of the Lake of the Ozarks sign began in the Spring/Summer of 2012, following a year of fundraising and design.  The lights illuminating the sign were switched on October 4, 2012, and have continued to light the sign each evening since that date.

The Lake Area Chamber would like to thank the following sponsors and contributors to the Lake of the Ozarks sign project: 

Major Sponsors:  Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association, Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau, City of Osage Beach, Camden County, Central Bank of Lake of the Ozarks, City of Lake Ozark, RE/MAX Lake of the Ozarks, Wal-Mart 815, Duenke Enterprises, The Sign Source, The Miller Companies, Lamar Outdoor, American Sun Control, Ozark Ready Mix Company, Lake Area Concrete Construction, Integrity Electric LLC, Apperson Utility Company, Legacy Sign Company, Lake Media, Bagnell Dam Association of REALTORS, Scott’s Concrete, Bob Dickerson Contracting LLC, Lowe’s Osage Beach, Sunrise Concrete Pumping, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Services.

Sponsors:  Paul’s Supermarkets, First Title Insurance Agency, Bank Star One, Providence Bank, Eldon H. Becker Jr., CPA, Bill Bennett, RIS Inc., First National Bank, Osage Beach Hy-Vee, Miner Mike’s, Naught-Naught Agency, The Cisar Law Firm, Baxter’s Lakeside Grille, Hawken CARSTAR, Page Stores LLC, Lake Regional Health System, Woodland Scenics, AB Pest Control, MSW Interactive Designs LLC, Chase Company, and John, Jessica and Jackson Caran.

Contributors:  Showcase Publishing, Brad Moseley, Ely Consulting Group, Hans Baumann, Richard Meyer, First National Bank of St. Louis, Jim and Mary Holcomb, McClure Engineering Company, Vista Grande Restaurant, The Duck Restaurant, Schultz & Summers Engineering, Peoples Company, Michael and Pamela Scherer, F.D. Stark, JJ Twigs, Olympus Media, Robert Gustafson, Prudential Lake Ozark Realty, Ronald Biesboer, Drennan & Judi Cloyd, TR, I Constructors LLC, Arnold Sandbothe, S M Krause, Boar’s Restaurant Inc., Golden Age Center, and Resort at Port Arrowhead. 

Without their generous support, the Lake of the Ozarks sign would not have been possible.  

The Chamber would also like to recognize those on the original project team, without whose vision and hard work, the project would not have been possible: 

Concept and Design – The Sign Source

Engineering – The Miller Companies

Project Management – Lamar Outdoor and Bob Dickerson

The iconic monument has invoked notice throughout the Midwest and served as the example for a similar smaller replicate on the west side of the Lake in Laurie Missouri.

Lake Area Chamber area beautification committee chairman, Joe Roeger, commented, “The original construction and the ongoing refurbishing of the icon would not have been possible without the extensive support of the Lake community.  The project is truly a model for what can be accomplished with a community comes together to support an effort.”

The Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is honored and proud to maintain this now nationally recognized landmark, and hopes that it continues to serve as a warm welcome to all who visit our beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.

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