The Hollywood sign is big and white.
It sits on a high hill. It was made a long time ago. People love to see it in movies. It is a famous place.
Do you want to see it?
The Hollywood sign is big and white.
It sits on a high hill.
It was made in 1923. At first, it said "Hollywoodland." It was an ad for new homes.
Long ago, the letters were wood. They even had light bulbs! Now, the letters are made of strong steel.
People see the sign in many movies. It is a famous landmark. Many people like to visit it.
Special groups work to keep it safe. They paint the letters white. They help keep the sign looking good.
The Hollywood Sign is a famous landmark in Los Angeles.
It sits on Mount Lee. The sign was built in 1923. Back then, it said "HOLLYWOODLAND." It was an ad for a new housing area.
The first letters were made of wood. They even had 4,000 light bulbs! They could flash in different parts. In 1949, people removed the word "LAND." This left only the word "HOLLYWOOD."
Over time, the wood sign fell apart. In 1978, people rebuilt it. The new letters are made of strong steel. They sit on concrete bases. Nine donors gave money to help. Each person gave about $27,700. This helped make the sign last a long time.
A group called the Hollywood Sign Trust cares for it. They paint the letters white. They also keep the sign safe. Today, you can see the sign in many movies and shows. It is a symbol of the city.
The Hollywood Sign is a famous landmark in Los Angeles.
It sits high on Mount Lee in the Santa Monica Mountains. People all over the world recognize these giant white letters. They appear in many movies and TV shows to show a scene is in Los Angeles. Because it is so famous, the sign has become a true cultural icon. It is a symbol that many people cherish and protect.
Building the sign was a huge job long ago. In 1923, workers used mules to haul poles up the steep hills.
The first letters were made of wood and sheet metal. They even had 4,000 light bulbs attached to them! These bulbs could flash in different patterns to grab attention. A searchlight was also used to help people see it from far away. The whole project cost about $21,000 to finish.
This sign did not start out saying just "HOLLYWOOD." It was originally an advertisement for a new housing area called "HOLLYWOODLAND."
Real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults wanted to show off the area. They hired the Crescent Sign Company to build the thirteen letters. The sign was only meant to stay up for a year and a half. However, the rise of movies made the sign very famous. People decided to leave it up for many years.
Over time, the wooden sign began to fall apart. By 1978, it was in very bad shape.
A big windstorm even caused some of the letters to break. To fix this, the sign was completely rebuilt with strong steel. Nine special donors each gave about $27,700 to help pay for the new letters.
These new letters sit on solid concrete footings. This makes the sign much more durable than the old wooden one.
Today, a group called the Hollywood Sign Trust keeps the letters safe. They are a nonprofit group made of nine volunteers. They work to paint the sign white and keep it looking good.
They also use a security system with cameras and motion sensors. This helps protect the sign from people who might try to touch it. While many tourists want to visit, the sign stays on steep and rough ground. The city and the Trust work hard to manage the many visitors who come to see it.
The Hollywood Sign is an iconic American landmark overlooking Hollywood in Los Angeles.
It sits on Mount Lee within the Santa Monica Mountains, just above Beachwood Canyon. While many see it as a symbol of the film industry, it began as a simple commercial tool. The sign is a massive structure of white uppercase letters. It spans 450 feet in length. Today, it serves as a vital cultural icon that appears frequently in films and television.
The sign's original construction was a massive logistical challenge. In 1923, developers Woodruff and Shoults created the sign to advertise a new housing development. They named this area "Hollywoodland." To build the sign, they hired the Crescent Sign Company. The owner, Thomas Fisk Goff, designed the letters using wood and sheet metal. Because the terrain was so steep, workers had to use mules to haul support poles to the site. The entire project cost approximately $21,000. To attract attention, the sign featured 4,000 light bulbs. These bulbs could flash in segments or as a whole.
Over the decades, the sign underwent several major transformations. It was originally intended to last only eighteen months. However, the growing popularity of the American film industry during the Golden Age of Hollywood made the sign famous. In 1949, the sign was modified to reflect the district rather than the housing development. The last four letters, "LAND," were removed. This changed the message from "HOLLYWOODLAND" to simply "HOLLYWOOD."
The sign also faced significant physical deterioration. The original wooden structure was not built to last forever. By 1944, the letter "H" was destroyed by either wind or vandals. In the 1970s, the sign reached a state of extreme dilapidation. A severe windstorm in February 1978 caused the letters to break further. One "O" looked like a lowercase "u," and another "O" fell down completely. This left the sign reading "HuLLYWOD."
To save the landmark, a major restoration project occurred in 1978. The wooden letters were replaced with a durable all-steel structure. These new letters are supported by steel columns and concrete footings. The project was funded by nine major donors. Each donor gave exactly $27,778 to sponsor a specific letter. These donors included famous figures like singer Andy Williams and actor Gene Autry. The new sign was unveiled on November 11, 1978, during a live CBS television special.
Today, the Hollywood Sign is managed by the Hollywood Sign Trust. This is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of nine volunteers. These volunteers are appointed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles. The Trust is responsible for painting the sign and maintaining its structure. They also manage a security system installed by the Los Angeles Police Department. This system uses motion detection and closed-circuit cameras to protect the sign from unauthorized access.
Managing the sign also involves complex legal and social issues. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds trademark rights for a stylized "HOLLYWOOD" wordmark used on merchandise. However, they do not own the physical sign, which belongs to the City of Los Angeles. There is also significant debate regarding public access. Many tourists visit the area, causing traffic and congestion in residential neighborhoods like Beachwood Canyon. To manage this, city officials have petitioned mapping services like Google Maps to redirect visitors to designated viewing areas. These areas include the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood and Highland Center.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (10)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.