The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles. Originally the Hollywoodland Sign, it is on Mount Lee, above Beachwood Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was originally erected in 1923 as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development, and spelled out "HOLLYWOODLAND" in 50-foot-tall (15.2 m) white uppercase letters in a word 450 feet (137.2 m) long. Due to increasing recognition, the sign was left up; the last four letters "LAND" were removed in 1949. The sign was entirely replaced in 1978, using 45-foot-tall (13.7 m) letters in a more durable all-steel structure with concrete footings. Among the best-known landmarks in California (and in the United States as a whole), the sign makes frequent appearances in popular culture, particularly in establishing shots for films and television programs set in Los Angeles. Signs of similar style, but spelling different words, are frequently seen as parodies. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds federally registered trademark rights for a stylized "HOLLYWOOD" wordmark used on specific classes of merchandise (e.g., apparel, souvenirs). These registrations do not confer rights over the physical landmark itself, which is owned by the City of Los Angeles. A point of legal and public confusion arises because the trademark spells the same word as the landmark, the trademark's lettering style resembles the landmark's, yet the landmark and the trademark are under separate ownership. The Hollywood Sign is promoted, protected and preserved by the Hollywood Sign Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was originally formed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1978; the trust was modified in 1992 to add two members appointed by the city of Los Angeles. The Hollywood Sign Trust operates closely with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, as they have similar missions to promote and protect historic Hollywood. The trust is made up of nine volunteers, appointed by three organizations: the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the office of Los Angeles's 4th City Council district, and the City of Los Angeles. The trust has been responsible for installing a surveillance system on the sign, painting and maintaining it, and celebrating its landmark anniversaries.
History
Origin The original sign was erected in 1923 and originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND" to promote the name of a 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 excessive 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-foot-wide (9.1 m) and 50-foot-high (15.2 m) white block letters. Studded with around 4,000 light bulbs, the completed sign alternated between flashing in successive segments "HOLLY", "WOOD", and "LAND" and 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 $400,000 in 2025. To place each of the letters in its correct position – on a rather steep slope with a lot of vegetation – numerous workers were recruited to transport, clear a path through the earth, and erect the sign, which currently weighs over 200 tons. First, they had to clear the vegetation and open a dirt path so a tractor could transport the material, including the 18-meter telephone poles that would serve as support. Since the last section, about 70 meters long, was very steep, the transport had to be done with pack animals. The sign was officially dedicated on 13 July 1923, intended to last only a year and a half. The rise of American cinema in Los Angeles during the Golden Age of Hollywood gave it widespread visibility, causing it to be left beyond that, for over a quarter of a century still spelling "Hollywoodland". In September 1932, 24-year-old actress Peg Entwistle died by suicide by climbing a workman's ladder up to the top of the 'H' and jumping to her death. The sign’s illumination was switched off in about 1933, as the new owners decided it was too expensive.
Deterioration and restoration
1940s In time, the sign deteriorated. The letter H was destroyed in early 1944. A United Press report in 1949 indicated that winds were to blame, while the Los Angeles Times said that the H was destroyed by "vandals or windstorms." In 1949, the sign drew complaints from local residents, who called it an "eyesore and detriment to the community" and advocated its demolition. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce protested against the sign's removal and offered to repair it. The Chamber entered into a contract with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department to repair and rebuild the sign. The contract stipulated that "LAND" be removed to spell "Hollywood" and reflect the district, not the "Hollywoodland" housing development. The restoration and removal of the "land" portion of the sign was conducted in September 1949.
1970s
The sign's unprotected wood-and-sheet-metal structure deteriorated over the years. After a severe windstorm on February 10, 1978, the first O was splintered and broken, resembling a lowercase u, and the third O had fallen down completely, leaving the now-dilapidated sign reading "HuLLYWO D." In 1978, the Chamber set out to replace the severely deteriorated sign with a more permanent structure. Nine donors gave US$27,778 each (totaling US$250,000, equivalent to $1,230,000 in 2025) to sponsor replacement letters, made of steel supported by steel columns on a concrete foundation (see § Donors, below). The new letters were 44 ft (13.4 m) tall and ranged from 31 to 39 ft (9.4 to 11.9 m) wide. The new version of the sign was unveiled on November 11, 1978, as the culmination of a live CBS television special commemorating the 75th anniversary of Hollywood's incorporation as a city. Refurbishment, donated by Bay Cal Commercial Painting, began in November 2005 as workers stripped the letters back to their metal base and repainted them white.
Donors
Following the 1978 public campaign to restore the sign, the following nine donors gave $27,700 each (which totaled $249,300):
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