| A |
The sign was built by the local Hollywood municipal government, in celebration of the fame and prosperity brought to the city by the film studios.
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| B |
The sign was built for a 1953 Marilyn Monroe movie. The sign was such a success with the public that the studio donated it to the Hollywood municipal government, who vowed to leave it on the hill as a city landmark.
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| C |
The sign was originally much smaller. The current Hollywood sign, in place since 1978, is 3 times bigger than the original.
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| D |
The sign was the idea of an anonymous eccentric 1930’s Hollywood millionaire, who believed the city lacked a significant landmark.
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| E |
The sign was built in 1923 for an advertisement campaign for land developers in the Hollywood area.
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| F |
The sign originated from a competitive feud between neighboring towns Hollywood and Beverly Hills in the 1930’s, over which city could build the biggest and most striking landmark. Hollywood won.
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| G |
The original sign was built in the late 1800’s, when Hollywood was nothing but a small western frontier cowboy town. The sign was much smaller than today’s and stood at a different hill much closer to the ground.
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| H |
The sign was erected in 1912, the result of a joint effort of the first 15 film studios that had established themselves in the Hollywood area the previous year.
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| I |
The sign is actually located outside of Hollywood’s city limits, and sits on a hillside within Beverly Hill’s city limits.
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| J |
The sign was once the stage to a tragic suicide by a frustrated unemployed actress who jumped to her death from the top of the letter “H”.
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| K |
The sign only became an official city landmark in 1973, fifty years after it was first built.
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| L |
The old original weathered sign structure was finally replaced in 1978 for a newer and much sturdier steel framed version. For 3 months in 1978, there was no Hollywood sign on the hill while it was being replaced.
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| M |
The sign’s color appears to be white from far away, but it is actually silver.
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| N |
The sign originally said “Hollywoodland”. The “land” letters were removed by the Hollywood city government 26 years later.
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| O |
The sign currently has no public access for visitors. A continuous recording, played through audio speakers, echoes along the valley below it, warning folks in English and Spanish that climbing the hill towards the sign is illegal, and that any violators will be fined and/or arrested for trespassing.
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| P |
The sign’s oddest occurrence was during a heavy windstorm in 1939. The strong wind gusts blew away all the letters except for the first four, and damage to the remaining “O” made the sign read: “Hell”.
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| Q |
The sign today is property of Hollywood Entertainment Corporation (better known as Hollywood Video), a nationwide video rental business.
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| R |
The sign had to be moved further up the hill in the 1950’s, as more and more taller buildings being built in Hollywood began to block the view in its original location.
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| S |
The sign developed from an idea in the 1910’s to promote the city as a film production Mecca, and attract a steady influx of studios, people, and business in general.
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| T |
The sign can be seen by naked eye from as far away as San Diego, on a clear day.
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