The Hollywood Sign (originally the Hollywoodland Sign) is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is situated on Mount Lee, in the Beachwood Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains. Spelling out the word Hollywood in 45 ft (13.7 m)-tall white capital letters and 350 feet (106.7 m) long, it was initially created in 1923 as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development. Still, due to increasing recognition, the sign was left up and replaced in 1978 with a more durable all-steel structure.
Among the most well-known landmarks in California and the United States, the sign frequently appears in popular culture, particularly in establishing shots for films and television programs set in or around Hollywood. Signs of similar style, but different spelling words, are frequently seen as parodies. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds trademark rights to the Hollywood Sign.
Because of its widespread recognizability and visibility from many points across the Los Angeles Basin, the sign has been a frequent target of pranks and vandalism over the decades. It has since undergone restoration, including installing a security system to deter mischief. The nonprofit The Hollywood Sign Trust protects and promotes the sign, while its site and surrounding land are part of Griffith Park.
Visitors can hike to the sign from the Bronson Canyon entrance to Griffith Park or Griffith Observatory. There is also a trailhead near the Lake Hollywood Reservoir outside of Griffith Park, and although not an access point in itself, there is a popular scenic vista point around Lake Hollywood Park near the trailhead. Bed Bug Exterminator LA King
History
The new sign was erected in 1923 and originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND” to promote the name of the new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults called their development “Hollywoodland” and advertised it as a “superb environment without high cost on the Hollywood side of the hills.” They contracted the Crescent Sign Company to erect thirteen south-facing letters on the hillside. Crescent owner Thomas Fisk Goff (1890–1984) designed the wooden sign in 30 ft (9.1 m) wide and 50 ft (15.2 m) high white block letters. It was studded with around 4,000 light bulbs, and the completed sign alternated between flashing in successive segments “HOLLY,” “WOOD,” and “LAND” as a whole. Below the sign was a searchlight to attract more attention. The poles that supported the sign were hauled to the site by mules. The project cost $21,000, equivalent to $330,000 in 2021. The sign was officially dedicated in 1923, intended to last only a year and a half. The rise of American cinema in Los Angeles, CA during the Golden Age of Hollywood gave it widespread visibility, causing it to be left beyond that, for over a quarter-century, still spelling “Hollywoodland.”
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