Have you ever wondered why the sign exists at all? After all, not many cities display neighborhood names on a nearby hill. When the sign was first erected in 1923, it was simply a billboard promoting a real estate development, and it was supposed to stand for only about 18 months.

Image: Emma Timmers

The sign originally read "Hollywoodland", the name of a new housing development that promised wealthy buyers unique views of the sunny hills of Los Angeles. So, they stuck a gigantic sign on Mount Lee. Just temporary, they said. Just for marketing.

Over 20 years later, the district had become more culturally relevant than the housing development, but people had grown used to the sight by then. So, they decided to let go of four letters. Each cost a fortune to maintain anyway.

Image: Sarah Sheedy

The original "Hollywoodland" sign was massive. Each letter stood 43 feet tall and stretched 30 feet across. They were made from thin metal panels slapped onto wooden frames and held up by telephone poles.

It dazzled from afar, but up close, it was a wobbly mess. The construction was so flimsy that by the 1930s, some of the letters were already tilting, cracking, or sliding out of place.

Image: Eliot

Doesn’t that fact make you giggle? It’s not Bette Davis, and it’s not Anthony Hopkins—it’s the Hollywood Sign that has more movie credits.

Aliens have blown it up. Earthquakes have toppled it. Sharks have flown right through it. But it’s also been the backdrop for kisses, chases, and friendship montages. Directors love it because it screams "L.A." in three seconds flat.

Image: Ramaz Bluashvili

The Hollywood Sign doesn’t actually sit within the neighborhood of Hollywood—it stands atop Mount Lee, inside Griffith Park, which is managed by the City of Los Angeles. So while it may say Hollywood, it’s not technically in Hollywood.

Image: RDNE Stock project

By the 1940s, the city stepped in and gave the sign a minor facelift. After the crumbling "LAND" was scrapped, the remaining letters were patched up.

But by 1978, the sign was in serious trouble again—rusted, leaning, and on the verge of collapse, it was deemed beyond repair. This time, Hollywood did what it does best: rebooted it entirely. A new sign was built from scratch, using steel beams and concrete foundations.

Image: Gerald Schömbs

When Hollywood cried for help in the late ’70s, it was Playboy founder Hugh Hefner who stepped in. The city didn’t have the funds to rebuild the sign, so Hefner threw a glitzy fundraiser to find sponsors for each of the nine letters, at $27,777 apiece.

And it worked. Alice Cooper funded the "O" in memory of Groucho Marx. Gene Autry sponsored the second "L." Even Warner Bros. chipped in.

Image: Joseph Menjivar

Perhaps you’ve heard a disappointed tourist complain about this before: You can hike near it. You can pose below it. But actually walking up to the letters is a no-go. The trails in Griffith Park will get you close, with plenty of Instagram-worthy views. But conservation efforts mean you’ll never legally stand between the "L"s.

One reason is that decades ago, it was easier to reach the sign—and some fans even climbed the letters.

Image: Venti Views

In the early 2000s, developers had their eyes on the land behind the sign. The plan was to construct luxury homes in the hills with killer views. But the public response was pure outrage.

Enter Hugh Hefner (again), along with celebrities and conservation groups, who raised over $12 million to save the land. Today, those hills are permanently protected.

Image: izayah ramos

As mentioned earlier, you can’t get a selfie next to the "H" because the sign is off-limits to the public. It’s monitored 24/7 with infrared cameras, motion sensors, microphones, and regular patrols. Some hikers still try their luck, but trespassing can lead to citations, fines, and in some cases, arrest.

Image: Lukas Geck

Call a lawyer before you print the Hollywood Sign on your merch. Some trademark rights to the sign are owned by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. That means any commercial use—like shirts, mugs, or movie scenes—requires a license. Even photographers have to tread carefully.

Image: Simon Ray

The letters have been helicoptered off before. In 1978, when the new sign was being installed, the old, rusted letters had to go. But since you can’t exactly wheel 50-foot steel slabs down a hiking trail, helicopters came to the rescue.

One by one, the original letters were airlifted off the mountain in a strange, sky-high farewell. It was quite an event, and crowds gathered to watch.

Image: Somchai Kongkamsri