A multi-day removal operation on the historic Santa Monica Pier sign reaches its final stage today, taking down the 85-year-old landmark before transporting it to Las Vegas for restoration.

According to city officials, work began earlier this week when crews dismantled the landmark and stripped away its neon tubing on Tuesday, then removed its upper crown on Wednesday.

Crews are scheduled to remove the main portion of the sign Thursday, using a crane and temporary support structures to lower it from its position at the pier entrance.

A worker removes the Santa Monica Pier sign at the end of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California, on October 20, 2026 (AFP/Getty)

Having welcomed visitors to the Santa Monica Pier since 1941, the sign is being taken down as part of the broader Pier Bridge Replacement Project.

Listed on the California Register of Historical Resources, the sign will undergo repairs at a Nevada facility operated by YESCO, a company known for maintaining neon signs, including the Welcome to…