LOS ANGELES, CA – The City of Santa Monica began taking down the historic blue neon sign at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday so it can be restored at a sign company’s Las Vegas facility, the city said.
Removal started Oct. 20 at the Pier entrance at Ocean and Colorado avenues, according to a city news release issued Oct. 19. The city said the work is part of the Pier Bridge Replacement Project.
The sign is scheduled to leave Santa Monica on Monday, Oct. 26, for the secure Las Vegas facility of sign company YESCO. The city says the bridge project is scheduled for completion by 2028, ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Removal runs in three stages
Preparation and neon removal began Tuesday, Oct. 20. The city said the crown of the sign comes down Wednesday, Oct. 21, and the main sign follows Thursday, Oct. 22.
Work is scheduled from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. One lane of Ocean Avenue near the Pier entrance is closed while crews work.
The city said the sign will be wrapped and loaded onto transport vehicles. In its release, it said the sign “is anticipated to begin its journey to YESCO’s secure Las Vegas facility on Monday, Oct. 26.”
What restoration includes
YESCO will restore the sign at its Las Vegas facility. The work includes repairing the neon tubing, removing rust, repainting and making structural repairs, according to the city.
The city’s Pier construction page says the sign will be temporarily removed in fall 2026 and refurbished by YESCO while bridge construction takes place.
The city’s plan calls for the sign to be reinstalled at a slightly higher elevation once the work is finished.
Sign has marked the Pier since 1941
The blue neon sign has welcomed visitors to the Santa Monica Pier since 1941 and is listed on the California Register of Historical Resources, the city said.
According to the city’s history page for the sign, it was unveiled June 17, 1941, after the local business community funded it. The arched sign stands 20 feet at its highest point and 12 feet at its lowest.
The same page says the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation declared the sign a historic landmark in 1996.
Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis said in the city’s release that few sights are as instantly recognizable as the Pier sign.
Temporary replica stands on the Pier
A half-scale replica of the sign is installed on the Pier just before Pier Burger, on the left side.
The city announced the replica in October 2025, after the City Council approved the bridge construction contract at a meeting in late September of that year. The announcement said the replica is next to Pier Burger near the entrance to Pacific Park.
Where to watch the removal
The city designated two public viewing areas for the work. One is the southern edge of Palisades Park, and the other is the northeast corner of Ocean and Colorado avenues.
The Pier remains open with its restaurants, shops and attractions operating during construction, according to the city’s construction page. That page also lists other closures tied to the bridge work, including a two-month closure of the Moomat Ahiko Way ramps that began Sept. 28.
Bridge replacement is the reason
The sign removal is tied to the replacement of the Pier Bridge, which the city has said was built in 1939. When the city announced the start of construction in December 2025, it said the new bridge will meet modern seismic standards and have expanded sidewalks.
The same announcement said roughly 726 spaces remain in Beach Parking Lot 1 North during staging.
In October 2025, the city said the project to replace and upgrade the 86-year-old bridge would “break ground by the end of the year.” The December 2025 announcement planned completion for December 2027. It also noted that the original schedule showed the sign being reinstalled in July 2027 and that the current schedule is later.
The city’s most recent release says the project is scheduled for completion by 2028. The release lists Melinda Espinoza, communications and marketing coordinator, as the city contact.
Sign is set to leave Oct. 26
The city anticipates the sign will begin its trip to Las Vegas on Oct. 26, after the main sign comes down Oct. 22. Its return will follow the Pier Bridge Replacement Project, which the city says is scheduled for completion by 2028.
