L.A. County’s Most Historic Locations Turn 100
Turning 100 years old is a milestone for people, places and things. This year Los Angeles will see several historic locations reach centennial status.
Hollywood Sign
Info www.hollywoodsign.org
The iconic Hollywood sign turns 100 with birthday events to be held throughout the year. To kick things off, the 45-foot-high letters of the sign were painted “Hollywood Sign Centennial White” by Sherwin-williams in November.
Plus, the Hollywood Sign Trust, which was formed in 1978 to preserve and maintain the sign, has announced plans to spearhead a Visitor Center.
The sign is currently inaccessible to visitors who want to get up close and personal. A fence and high-tech security system keep visitors at a distance. Trespassers will be arrested and fined.
Ushering in the fundraising campaign, the Trust will seek donations and sponsorships. The campaign will also include concept designs and location contests that give residents and others the opportunity to share their ideas for the Visitor Center. To get involved with the Visitor Center project, contact betsy@hollywoodsign.org.
The Hollywoodland sign was first erected in 1923 as a billboard for an upscale real estate development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.
The sign was intended to last just 18 months however, it has endured as a celebrity in its own right. The word “land” was removed from the sign in September 1949.
Appearing in hundreds of films, TV shows and music videos the sign has rallied movie stars, rock stars, directors, producers and philanthropists to help keep it intact, including the 1978 restoration when Hugh Hefner, Andy Williams, Alice Cooper, Gene Autry and others pledged funds to help the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce rebuild the famous monument.
Another birthday event includes the opening of the Academy Museum’s “Hollywoodland” exhibit, however the date of the exhibit has yet to be announced. Visit the museum’s website to learn when the exhibit will open at www.academymuseum.org/ en/exhibitions.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 3911 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles 90037 Info
www.lacoliseum.com
The L.A. Memorial Coliseum is the only facility in the world to host two Olympiads (1932, 1984), two Super Bowls (I and VII) and the 1959 World Series. However, in 2028, the Summer Olympics return to Los Angeles and the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will host it’s unprecedented third Olympic Games.
It was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to L.A. Veterans of World War I and was rededicated to all veterans in 1968.
After a groundbreaking held Dec. 21, 1921, work was completed May 1, 1923. It opened to the public in June 1923.
The first varsity college football game at the Coliseum attracted 20,000 fans to watch the University of Southern California play Pomona Pitzer. The Trojans won, 23-7.
The game was a double header, opened by USC’S freshman team, known as the “peagreeners” vs.
Santa Ana High School.
It was also home to the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team from 1958-1961.
Biltmore Hotel
506 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90071 Info
bit.ly/3yojndq
The Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel opened in 1923 across from Pershing Square in downtown L.A. At the time the Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago. Now known as the Millennium Biltmore, the hotel has appeared in numerous movies and TV series, including “Chinatown,” “Ghostbusters,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Mad Men.”
With exquisite Beau Arts architecture, its rich history is most noted for its connection with the Oscars.
The founding banquet for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was held in the Crystal Ballroom in 1927, where the original Oscar statuette was sketched on a Biltmore napkin. Italian Giovanni Smeraldi led a team of artists who hand painted the Greek myth-inspired frescoes that cover the ballroom ceiling. It took them seven months in 1922 to complete the job.