Hollywood Sign

White letters forming the HOLLYWOOD sign, surrounded by lush green slopes of Mount Lee - without exaggeration, is the most recognizable sign of "village" in the world and also the only one with its own website. Symbolaising the Dream Factory, Los Angeles, California and, often, all of the States, the inscription "Hollywood" first appeared in 1923 - and for the past almost a century has repeatedly been the object of pranks, an occasion for curious scandals and cinematic scenery.

A bit of history

The history of the most famous sign began in 1923. Then the Dream Factory no one else could not think of, the neighborhood of Los Angeles was an uninhabited hectare of land with a complete lack of any kind of colorfulness. With the beginning of the construction boom, there was a demand for land, and then enterprising agents began to offer plots for sale outside the city. The inscription "Hollywood" was created to attract buyers' attention to suburban land lots. The sign was supposed to last only a year and a half, but here in the sky of the world cinema the star of the Hollywood movie theater rose, and the inscription was decided to leave, dropping the ending "-lend."

With the passage of time, the sign was decrepit that it did not go unnoticed by Hollywood stars. In 1978, nine representatives of American show business shared the cost of restoring the inscription - by letter to "nose". The new letters were made of super strong (and expensive) Australian steel - and the old ones were auctioned for a round sum of 450 thousand USD.

Where to see it

The best place you could chose for hiking is the walk to the Hollywood sign, the great view at the whole valley can be seen from a famous touristic spot – a view point behind the giant letters. Despite the fact that it looks close and easy the whole track of hiking will take about an hour, but it’s a great place to visit and train your cardio! Super cool spot for photo shoots you might want to remember and keep your phone handy to catch a purple sunlight at dawn.

The sign "Hollywood" can be seen from almost anywhere in Los Angeles. For ideal photos, and also to enjoy the view of the inscription from afar, it makes sense to come to the observation deck of Griffith Park, located just opposite Mount Lee. An important point: it’s prohibited by law to climb Mount Lee to the sign. The inscription itself is under round-the-clock digital protection and is controlled by the park's rangers.

Another popular place for photo shoots on the background of the sign is the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and North Hyland Avenue, near the Kodak Theater, where the Hollywood & Highland Center shopping and entertainment complex is located. You can get here by car or by the red metro line.