The Hollywood Sign was never meant to last. In 1923, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler erected 'HOLLYWOODLAND' on Mount Lee to advertise an upscale housing development. The sign cost $21,000, rose about 50 feet high, and was studded with 4,000 light bulbs that flashed sequentially at night. It was supposed to stand for 18 months. A century later, it remains - minus the 'LAND,' which was removed in 1949 when the city took over the derelict sign. By then, Hollywood had become synonymous with the movie industry, and the sign had transcended advertising to become a global symbol of dreams, fame, and California itself. The sign has been vandalized, altered to read 'HOLLYWEED,' and nearly demolished. Peg Entwistle jumped from the 'H' to her death in 1932. It's been rebuilt, protected, and turned into the most photographed landmark in Los Angeles.
The Hollywoodland development was a project of Harry Chandler, who owned the Los Angeles Times and much of Southern California. The Hollywood hills were still undeveloped in 1923; Chandler's company was building an upscale neighborhood above the old Cahuenga Pass. The sign was pure advertising spectacle: thirteen letters, each about 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide, built of white-painted sheet metal on wood and steel frames. At night, 'HOLLY,' 'WOOD,' and 'LAND' lit up in sequence, then all together, visible across the Los Angeles basin. A caretaker lived behind the sign to maintain the 4,000 bulbs.
On September 16, 1932, 24-year-old aspiring actress Peg Entwistle climbed the workman's ladder on the 'H' and jumped to her death. She had come to Hollywood from Broadway, hoping for film stardom. After one role - as a doomed woman in a film called 'Thirteen Women' - her option wasn't renewed. Her suicide became Hollywood's cautionary tale: the dream factory that chewed up young hopefuls. Ironically, letters offering her roles arrived after her death. The sign has been associated with the darker side of Hollywood ambition ever since.
By the 1940s, the sign was derelict. The Hollywoodland development had failed; the sign had served its purpose. Maintenance stopped. Letters collapsed. In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce contracted to repair and maintain the sign, removing 'LAND' to make it a community landmark rather than an advertisement. But repairs were minimal. By the 1970s, the sign was crumbling. The third 'O' had fallen, leaving 'HuLLYWOOD.' In 1978, a campaign led by Hugh Hefner and others raised $250,000 to completely rebuild the sign in steel, with donors sponsoring individual letters.
The rebuilt sign has faced ongoing challenges. Pranksters have altered it to 'HOLLYWEED' (1976, 2017) and 'HOLYWOOD' (1987, for a visit by Pope John Paul II). Security cameras and fencing now protect it. More seriously, development has threatened the views. In 2010, a trust backed by celebrities including Hugh Hefner purchased the land behind the sign to prevent a housing development from blocking the iconic view. The sign is now protected forever - or at least as forever as anything in Los Angeles can be.
The Hollywood Sign is visible from across Los Angeles but is protected by fencing; you cannot legally touch or climb it. The closest official viewpoints are at Griffith Observatory (spectacular views), the Hollywood & Highland complex (framed by the mall architecture), and Lake Hollywood Park. Hiking trails in Griffith Park offer views; the most popular is the Mount Hollywood Trail from the Griffith Observatory parking lot. The sign faces south, so it's best photographed in morning light. Tours claiming to take you to the sign take you to viewpoints only. The current sign is 45 feet tall (the 1978 rebuild is slightly shorter than the ~50-foot original), 350 feet long, and located at 34.13°N, 118.32°W. LAX is the main airport; Hollywood is accessible by Metro Red Line.
Located at 34.13°N, 118.32°W on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. From altitude, the white letters are clearly visible against the brown chaparral of the Santa Monica Mountains. The sign faces south over the Los Angeles basin. Griffith Observatory is visible below and to the east. The Hollywood bowl is to the southwest. Downtown Los Angeles rises beyond the flats. The sign is smaller than many expect from the air but unmistakable.