Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council had declared October 31, “Hollywood Sign Day” in commemoration of its 100th anniversary
An imposing landmark and the epitome of American cultural icon, Hollywood Sign, turned 100 years old on December 8. What originated largely as a publicity stunt, soon turned to global recognition that attracts close to 50 million visitors annually now.
Perched atop Mount Lee in Griffith Park, Hollywood sign has appeared in the background of numerous famous movies, photos and has been the centre of tourist attraction
For the first time in decades, the Hollywood sign, at least a little bit of it, was illuminated on the occasion to celebrate its 100th birthday.
Now officially a centenarian, when Hollywood Sign illuminated the hills for the very first time it was originally built with the intention to promote the name of a new housing development in the hills overlooking the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, United States.
Perched at the top of Mount Lee in Griffith Park, the Hollywood sign has appeared in the background of numerous famous movies, photos and has been the centre of tourist attraction to become one of the most photographed sites in the world.
When erected in 1923, the USD 21,000 billboard read “Hollywoodland.” It was only meant to stand for a year and a half.
About 4,000 light bulbs graced the original ‘Hollywoodland’ sign, with the bulbs timed to blink so that the words “Holly,” “Wood,” and “Land” each lit up consecutively, followed by the entire word. The last four letters of the sign wouldn’t be dropped until 1949.
However, the ‘grande dame’ of Hollywood has had to battle several wildfires, pollution and vandalism. Along the way, the Sign has been in its share of award-winning films, TV shows and music videos and has rallied movie stars, rock stars, directors, producers and philanthropists to help keep it intact. In 1978, the Hollywood Sign Trust was founded to preserve and maintain the sign.
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council had declared October 31, “Hollywood Sign Day” in commemoration of its 100th anniversary.
Nithya Raman
Because the sign is perched on a very steep hill, visitors are no longer allowed to hike right up to the sign. And this ‘grande dame’ cannot discount its fair share of fascinating myths and legends, with many believing the sign is a beacon for UFOs to having been the site of a suicide in 1932. Rechristening, as a part of its centennial celebrations the sign is on the heels of a transformative ‘makeover’ for visitors to enjoy a richer experience and in conjunction is plans to build a visitor centre, soon.
Adam Burke
“The Hollywood Sign is one of the top three tourist attractions in the City of Los Angeles and it is one of the crown jewels of Council District 4. By celebrating the Hollywood Sign’s 100th anniversary, we also recommit ourselves to investing in sustainable efforts to maintain the parks, communities, and neighbourhoods around it,” says LA Councilmember Raman.
“The Hollywood Sign provides a red-carpet welcome for visitors from around the globe, with tourism playing an indispensable role for all Angelenos. In 2022, visitors to LA generated USD 34.5 billion in total sales to local businesses and supported more than 528,000 tourism-related careers – including USD 1.36 billion in business sales and over 5,600 jobs in Council District 4,” says Adam Burke, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board.
Seema Kadam
“Hollywood landmark hits 100, we indeed pulled off a blockbuster! Celebrating the centennial year of the iconic Hollywood sign with our partners on December 8 was undoubtedly remarkable, The Hollywood sign is really Hollywood’s biggest star, After the last several years this is really a coming out moment for Los Angeles because the Hollywood sign is our global icon it is the reason people choose to come to Los Angeles, not just for a picture with the sign as a backdrop but because LA is a city of endless possibility,” Seema Kadam, Regional Director India, of Los Angeles Tourism tells India Outbound.
