Rising quietly above the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, perched on a ridge that surveys the Cahuenga Pass, the Hollywood Freeway, and even the distant curve of the Hollywood Bowl, stands one of Los Angeles’ most enduring—yet often overlooked—monuments. Officially known as the Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, but more commonly called the Hollywood Cross, the 32-foot steel structure has watched the city evolve for more than a century, its glowing silhouette offering a silent benediction over the restless traffic below.
By Allan R. Ellenberger
The Hollywood Cross dates back to 1923 and Christine Wetherill Stevenson, a wealthy philanthropist, playwright, and founder of The Pilgrimage Theatre, the outdoor amphitheater built into the hillside now known as the Ford Amphitheatre. Stevenson dedicated her life to religious studies and the arts. Her life's work was titled The Pilgrimage Play, which told the story of Jesus' life in an outdoor summer production. As artistic inspiration and spiritual journey, Stevenson's creation strove to offer grace and elegance to the growing city of Los Angeles, consumed by the fast-rising motion picture business.
Honoring her sacrifice, her fellow boosters placed a giant cross atop the hillside overlooking the theater. Lit up against the night sky, the cross became both a memorial to her and a breathtakingly literal extension of the play itself. Visible to theater patrons and passersby alike, it could be seen for miles around Cahuenga Pass. The wooden cross remained a Hollywood landmark for over fifty years. It symbolized faith, art and Hollywood's frontier days.
However, by the early eighties the original cross had been claimed by nature. Wind and weather had worn it down. By now it had become weather-beaten, unstable, and unsafe—close to falling apart. It was taken down—quietly, without much attention. But that did not stop people from missing it. In fact, they seemed to yearn for it even more. In the late eighties volunteers built another cross from leftover pieces of the original. It would seem that this small monument had rooted itself deep into Hollywood's religious and visual identity.
That temporary replacement stood for only a few years. In 1993, it was replaced once more—this time with a permanent structure: a steel and opaque plastic cross, engineered to withstand the mountain winds and decades of sun. It is this third version, rising 32 feet into the air, that the city officially recognized in 1995 as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 617.
Over the decades, the Hollywood Cross has survived attacks and trials of its own. Vandals have shot at the cross and tried toppling it. Lightning has struck the monument several times. Land disputes and court cases involving separation of church and state have threatened to move or remove the cross as well. Despite all these controversies, the cross has persevered, remaining under the ownership of Van Nuys church The Church on the Way and maintained by multiple generations of Los Angeles citizens who have come to see it as an intrinsic part of Hollywood. Whether appreciated for its spiritual message, its historical significance or simply as a source of light atop the Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood Cross is unique.
Christine Wetherill Stevenson
Its legacy was recently revisited in the acclaimed 2024 documentary A Light in the Darkness, a film that traces the monument’s 100-year story—from Stevenson’s artistic dreams to the cross’s place in the modern cultural landscape. Through interviews, archival photographs, and sweeping aerial footage, the documentary reintroduces the Hollywood Cross not just as a symbol of faith, but as a testament to the individuals and communities who have kept it shining.
Today, as headlights stream through the Cahuenga Pass and music drifts from the Bowl on warm summer nights, the Hollywood Cross continues its vigil—an illuminated relic of the city’s spiritual and theatrical past. Much like the hills it crowns, it is steady, watchful, and enduring, reminding Hollywood that beneath the glitter and spectacle lies a century of quiet devotion.
Climb into the history behind one of Hollywood’s most enduring landmarks—then comment, rate, and share your thoughts.
Add comment
Comments