Hollywood Sign facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign in 2015
Former names	Hollywoodland Sign (1923–1949)
General information
Location	Griffith Park, Mount Lee, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California
Country	United States
Coordinates	34°8′2.62″N 118°19′17.73″W / 34.1340611°N 118.3215917°W / 34.1340611; -118.3215917
Completed	1923; 102 years ago (1923)
Renovated	Repaired in 1949 Rebuilt in 1978 Repainted in 2005 Repainted in 2023
Cost	$21,000
Client	Woodruff and Shoults (Hollywoodland)
Technical details
Structural system	Wood and sheet metal (1923–1978) Steel (1978–present)
Size	45 ft (13.7 m) tall, 450 ft (137.2 m) long
Design and construction
Architect	Thomas Fisk Goff
Engineer	Cornelius A. Van Dam

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Designated:	February 7, 1973
Reference #:	111

The Hollywood Sign is a famous American landmark. It is a cultural symbol that looks over the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California. It was first called the Hollywoodland Sign. It sits on Mount Lee, above Beachwood Canyon. This area is part of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The sign originally spelled "HOLLYWOODLAND" with white letters. Each letter was 50-foot-tall (15.2 m). The whole sign was 450-foot-long (137.2 m). It was put up in 1923 to advertise a new housing development. People loved the sign so much that it stayed. In 1949, the last four letters, "LAND," were removed.

In 1978, the sign was completely rebuilt. It was made stronger with all-steel letters. These new letters are 45-foot-tall (13.7 m). The Hollywood Sign is one of the most recognized landmarks in California and the United States. You often see it in movies and TV shows set in Hollywood.

History of the Hollywood Sign
Where the Sign Is Located
How the Sign Has Changed
- Times the Sign Was Changed Unofficially
Other Signs Like It
- In Movies and TV Shows
See also

History of the Hollywood Sign

How the Sign Started

The Hollywood Sign was first built in 1923. It originally said "HOLLYWOODLAND." This was to promote a new housing area in the hills above Hollywood. Developers Woodruff and Shoults called their project "Hollywoodland." They advertised it as a great place to live.

The original sign, reading "Hollywoodland"

The Crescent Sign Company built the sign. Thomas Fisk Goff designed the wooden letters. They were 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) and 50-foot-high (15.2 m). About 4,000 light bulbs made the sign glow. It would flash "HOLLY," then "WOOD," then "LAND," and then the whole word. A searchlight below also drew attention. Mules helped carry the poles for the sign up the hill. The project cost $21,000.

The sign was officially opened on July 13, 1923. It was only meant to last for about a year and a half. But Hollywood's film industry grew very fast. This made the sign famous, so it stayed up for over 25 years.

When the Sign Fell Apart and Was Fixed

Over time, the wooden sign started to break down. The letter 'H' was damaged in 1944. Some reports blamed strong winds, while others mentioned vandals.

In the 1970s, the sign looked very old and broken. This photo was taken before it was rebuilt in 1978.

Repairs in the 1940s

By 1949, people complained that the sign looked bad. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce offered to fix it. They made a deal with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department. The agreement said that the "LAND" part would be removed. This made the sign say "Hollywood," representing the district. The repairs and removal of "LAND" happened in September 1949.

Rebuilding in the 1970s

The sign's old wood and metal structure kept getting worse. After a big windstorm in 1978, parts of the 'O' letters broke. The sign then looked like "HuLLYWO D."

The sign was rebuilt with strong metal letters and a steel frame.

In 1978, the Chamber decided to replace the sign completely. Nine people and groups each gave $27,778. This raised $250,000 for the new sign. The new letters were made of steel. They had steel poles and concrete bases.

The new letters were 44 ft (13.4 m) tall. They were between 31 to 39 ft (9.4 to 11.9 m) wide. The new sign was shown to the public on November 11, 1978. This was part of a TV special celebrating Hollywood's 75th birthday. In 2005, the sign was repainted white. It was repainted again in 2023.

Who Helped Pay for the New Sign

After the 1978 effort to rebuild the sign, these nine donors each gave $27,700:

H: Terrence Donnelly (a newspaper publisher)
O: Giovanni Mazza (an Italian movie producer)
L: Les Kelley (who started Kelley Blue Book)
L: Gene Autry (a famous actor)
Y: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, honoring Hugh Hefner
W: Andy Williams (a singer)
O: Warner Bros. Records (a music company)
O: Alice Cooper (a singer), who gave money in memory of comedian Groucho Marx
D: Dennis Lidtke (a businessman), in the name of Matthew Williams

Finding the Original Sign Pieces

The original 1923 sign was thought to be gone forever. But in 2005, parts of it were found and sold online. Artist Bill Mack bought the old metal. He used it to create art of famous Hollywood stars. In 2012, Mack even built an exact copy of the original 'H' letter using the old metal.

Getting to the Sign

Many people want to see the Hollywood Sign up close. But the trails leading to it go through neighborhoods. Residents in areas like Beachwood Canyon worry about too much traffic. The roads are narrow and not made for many cars. The Los Angeles Fire Department also says the area has a high fire risk.

A walking trail near homes. You cannot go past this point to the sign.

To help, city officials asked GPS companies like Google Maps to send tourists to better viewing spots. These include Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood and Highland Center. These places are farther away but have better facilities. The Hollywood Sign Trust also suggests these viewing areas.

In 2017, a popular access point called the Beachwood Drive gate was closed. This happened after a lawsuit from a local ranch. The court ruled that too many tourists were bothering the ranch's business.

There have been ideas to build a cable car, called an aerial tramway, to the sign. In 2018, Warner Bros. offered to pay for a $100 million tramway. It would go from their studio to a new visitor area near the sign. Other ideas include a visitor center or shuttle buses.

Where the Sign Is Located

You can see the sign from West Hollywood, near Santa Monica Boulevard.

The Hollywood Sign is on the south side of Mount Lee. This is inside Griffith Park. It is north of the Mulholland Highway.

The Hollywood Sign from Runyon Canyon Park.

The area around the sign is rough and steep. There are fences to stop people from getting too close without permission. In 2000, the Los Angeles Police Department put in a security system. It has motion sensors and cameras. If someone enters a restricted area, an alarm goes off.

The sign is at an elevation of 1,578 ft (481 m). The building behind the sign is a communication center for Los Angeles. It helps with cell phone, radio, and police signals. Mount Lee is named after The Don Lee Network. This network had the first TV station in Los Angeles there from 1939 to 1947.

The sign in 2010 during a campaign to save the land around it.

In 1940, Howard Hughes bought land near the sign. He wanted to build a mansion there. Later, in 2002, his estate sold the land above the sign. A developer planned to build luxury homes. This worried environmental groups.

In 2009, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) worked to buy the 138 acres (56 ha) property. They wanted to protect it from building. In February 2010, they put banners on the sign that said "SAVE THE PEAK." This helped raise money. On April 26, 2010, they announced they had enough money. Hugh Hefner donated the final $900,000. This land then became part of Griffith Park.

How the Sign Has Changed

The Hollywood Sign has been changed for special events.

It was lit up for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
In 1987, it read "FOX" for five days to promote the new Fox TV network.
For the movie Cool World (1992), a 75 ft (22.9 m)-tall cutout of a character was placed on the sign.
For the year 2000, the sign was lit up with lasers for a TV show. This was rare because of fire concerns.
In February 2022, the sign read "RAMS HOUSE" to celebrate the Los Angeles Rams winning the Super Bowl LVI.
In June 2022, the sign was lit with rainbow colors for Pride Month. Digital projections were also shown on it for the BET Awards.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, a film showed Tom Cruise climbing the sign. He changed the 'O's to Olympic Rings for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
On October 30, 2024, the 'D' was lit blue and white. This was to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2024 World Series.

Times the Sign Was Changed Unofficially

People have also changed the sign without permission. These changes often get a lot of attention.

HOLYWOOD – April 1976 and September 1987: Once for Easter, and once when Pope John Paul II visited.
GO NAVY – December 1983: Navy students changed it for a football game.
RAFFEYSOD – 1985: A rock band changed it to promote themselves.
OLLYWOOD – 1987: The first 'H' was covered to protest a political event.
OIL WAR – 1990: Changed to protest the Gulf War.
PEROTWOOD – October 1992: Supporters of a presidential candidate changed it.
JOLLYGOOD – 1993: The reason for this change is not known.
CALTECH – 2003: This was a prank by students from Caltech university.
SAVE THE PEAK – February 11, 2010: Banners were put up to help save the land around the sign.
HOLLYBOOB – February 1, 2021: Changed by YouTubers to protest social media rules.
H🐮LLYWOOD – April 2, 2021: A band put a cow face over an 'O' to promote their song.

Other Signs Like It

Many places have made signs similar to the Hollywood Sign.

The band System of a Down changed the sign to "SYSTEM OF A DOWN" on their album cover.
In 2008, a studio in Massachusetts got permission to use "Hollywood East" for their film industry.
In 2009, a "Hollinwood" sign was put up in Hollinwood, England. It was taken down because it distracted drivers.
In 2010, Wellington Airport in New Zealand planned a "WELLYWOOD" sign. This was for their film industry. But people didn't like it. They later put up a "Wellington" sign with letters blowing away.
In 2010, the town of Renca in Chile put up a sign saying "Renca la lleva" ("Renca rocks").
In 2010, Basildon in England put up a sign with its name to attract businesses.
In 2010, an Irish betting company put up a huge "Paddy Power" sign on a hill in England.
In 2011, a 20-foot tall copy was built in Pompano Beach, Florida. It was used in the movie Rock of Ages.
Dolly Parton said the Hollywood Sign inspired her Dollywood theme park. She wished she could change the 'H' to a 'D'.
In 2014, Druskininkai, Lithuania, opened a sign to celebrate social media.
In 2015, the album cover for Dr. Dre's album Compton showed a sign like Hollywood's.
There are copies of the sign in Hollywood, County Wicklow in Ireland and Keelung, Taiwan.
There is a copy near Szastarka, Poland, and on Mount Tâmpa in Brașov, Romania.
In the video game Grand Theft Auto V, there is a fake "Vinewood" sign.
In 2016, a sign for the Netflix series Marseille was put up in Marseille, France.
A "Lake of the Ozarks" sign welcomes visitors in Osage Beach.
There is a sign behind the stage of the Burning Hills Amphitheatre in Medora, North Dakota.
There is a sign in Anguillara Sabazia, Italy.
There is a sign on "Garbage Hill" in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
There is a sign over the town of Hatta, United Arab Emirates.
In 2022, Dundee, Scotland, installed a "BEANOTOWN" sign on the Dundee Law. This was for a festival themed after The Beano comic.
In 2024, Detroit, Michigan, installed a "Detroit" sign for the 2024 NFL draft.

In Movies and TV Shows

An episode of The Optimist (1982) showed a swordfight near the sign.

The Hollywood Sign often appears in movies and TV shows. It is used to show that the story is happening in Los Angeles or Hollywood. Sometimes, the sign is shown getting damaged or destroyed. This often happens in disaster movies to make the story more exciting. It can show that all of Los Angeles is in danger.

The sign has been destroyed in movies like Earthquake (1974), Superman (1978), Independence Day (1996), and San Andreas (2015).

In the Netflix cartoon BoJack Horseman, the 'D' in the sign is stolen. The area is then called "Hollywoo" for most of the show.

A famous photo by Steve Winter shows a mountain lion, P-22, in front of the Hollywood Sign. This picture was in National Geographic magazine in December 2013.