The Glowing History of Pittsburgh's Iron City Beer Sign

The iconic red-and-white Iron City Beer sign atop Mt. Washington was taken down last week and replaced by a black-and-gold display that reads: “IC Light. Cheer Pittsburgh. Drink Pittsburgh.” (Maybe it’s because I’m a Pittsburgher and I naturally don’t like change, but I preferred the old one.)

The site was originally built in 1921, and Iron City Beer has a long history hanging its banner there. The previous Iron City Beer sign, erected in 2020, was based on the color scheme of the early 1950s design. Pittsburgh Brewing Company had that billboard spot from 1938 to the mid-1950s. Then, the large advertisement above the city, now operated by Lamar Advertising, was replaced with other brands like Alcoa, Bayer, and Sprint.

But did you know that back in 1938 — according to Pittsburgh Brewing Company — it was actually the “World’s Largest Neon Sign”? It was 650-feet long, and each letter was more than 30-feet tall. The glow cascaded over the smoky city, and it even featured a clock and beer glasses that filled from the bottom.