The emblematic symbol of L.A.’s culture and identity was originally just a billboard marking a real estate development back in 1923. The Crescent Sign Company was hired to erect the 13 white letters, each 30 feet wide and 50 feet high, illuminated with 4,000 light bulbs and a searchlight below to attract even more attention. But what happened to the sign, and why is it no longer lit today?
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From Hollywoodland to Hollywood
The original sign was only meant to last a year and a half, but its location coincided with the boom of Hollywood’s golden age, slowly turning it into an urban icon over the next 25 years. The problem? Neglect and lack of maintenance. By 1933, the lights were gone, as they were too expensive to maintain, and the sign was visibly damaged, not only by the weather but also by vandalism. This led to complaints from neighbors demanding its removal altogether.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce opposed the sign’s removal and offered to restore it. They partnered with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department to repair and rebuild the sign, removing the “LAND” to spell “Hollywood” instead, representing the district rather than the housing development. The restoration took place in September 1949.
Despite efforts, the sign’s wooden structure continued to deteriorate over time. By 1978, it was decided to rebuild the entire structure using steel. Donations came from celebrities like Alice Cooper, Andy Williams, and even Hugh Hefner. By November 11, 1978, the Hollywood sign as we know it was in place, this time without any lights.
So, why the Hollywood sign isn’t lit at night anymore?
Considering the sign’s history, the first thing that stands out is the cost of maintaining thousands of light bulbs, as was once the case. Back in the 1930s, it was already expensive… We can’t even imagine how it would be now, in this economy. But aside from that, there are two key reasons: environmental impact and the quality of life for nearby residents.
The current residents of the area live in a place where winding roads meet nature, and having a massive landmark lit at night would attract too much attention from both locals and tourists, disturbing their lives and creating traffic chaos. In fact, they’ve expressed this concern multiple times in the past whenever initiatives to light up the sign have emerged.
Regarding the environmental impact, the organization Friends of Griffith Park mentioned to the L.A. Times a while back that their main concern is how it would affect birds. These animals are attracted to light and could end up getting hurt by flying into the massive letters.
Special occasions when the Hollywood sign was lit up
Although there are no traces left of the original lights and no infrastructure to install any lighting mechanism, the truth is that, after the 1930s, the sign has been lit up on special events and celebrations:
- 1984, as part of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
- 1999, during New Year’s Eve as part of a Millennial light and fireworks show.
- 2013, for no apparent reason, the sign was lit up, and it was later revealed to be for the filming of David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars.
- 2022, Laser projections in rainbow colors lit up the sign for Pride Month, followed by digital projections for the BET Awards.