It’s the end of an era — for now!
The iconic Santa Monica Pier sign, which has stood above the Los Angeles-area landmark since 1941, is set to be dismantled. However, the move is only temporary, as the sign undergoes a multi-year refurbishment in Las Vegas.
A smaller, half-scale replica will be erected just left of the original near Pier Burger after the original comes down this fall.
The refurbishment comes as the pier bridge prepares for a $35 million reconstruction project ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“The sign, truss, and Crown Sign will then be secured, braced, and protected with wrapping before being loaded onto separate flatbed trailers for transport to Las Vegas,” the city’s website reads.
The Santa Monica Pier sign originally cost $2,000 and was commissioned by the Santa Monica Pier Business Men’s Association. Pan-Pacific Neon Sign Company designed and constructed the would-be landmark.
“The Sign is unique in and of itself, and there are no other extant examples of its type and style, an arched neon Streamline Moderne sign, within the City of Santa Monica, the broader Los Angeles metropolitan area or other Southern California beach cities,” the city’s landmark designation states.
The restoration project will be handled by Las Vegas-based YESCO, an award-winning company that “specializes in the design, manufacture, install and maintenance of custom electric signs [and] displays.”