Hollywood Sign

The story

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.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dates from 1923.

Wikidata Q180376, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Built

1923

What to expect

Operated by

The Trust for Public Land

Step-free access

No

How to reach it

Named places within 25 miles

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 14.8 miles of Hollywood Sign. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

When to go

Light through the year

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Burbank Valley Pump PLT, 4 mi away.

Where this comes from

OpenStreetMap element node/3204926589