Iconic Hollywood sign's makeover officially complete
Crews have had to work through steep terrain to fully clean and repaint each of the letters.
HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's loomed over the movie capital of the world since 1923 and now, the famous Hollywood sign is ready for its close-up.
The work to refurbish and repaint the iconic sign is officially complete and many people saw the results for the first time Thursday.
Crews have had to work through steep terrain to fully clean and repaint each of the letters. It's all a part its upcoming 100th birthday.
They've all been power washed and are now rust-free with a fresh coat of special paint, which is made with a special formula where any dirt can be simply washed away with rain or whatever and requires very little maintenance.
"It's great," said a visitor from New York City who was hiking near the sign on Thursday. "I think it's a symbol for Hollywood, it stands out, it's up in the mountains ... I think it's a great aesthetic."
The Hollywood Sign Trust oversees the sign.
According to the trust, up to 400 gallons of donated primer and paint were used for the facelift.
"They named the special paint after us, yeah, it's called Hollywood Sign Centennial White and you can buy it now in any Sherwin-Williams paint store," said Hollywood Sign Trust chair Jeff Zarrinnam. "The reason why it's called centennial [is] because we're gonna be celebrating the Hollywood sign's hundred years in 2023."
