Entry No. 19 — the Pittsburgh file — filed under: history
The Murrysville Tree Sign
An 850-foot-long arboreal sign planted in 1933 by local Boy Scouts using Norway Spruce trees to spell out 'MURRYSVILLE' on a steep hillside, once featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not.
The story
In 1933, local Boy Scouts hiked up a steep Westmoreland County hillside along the William Penn Highway and carefully set hundreds of Norway Spruce saplings into the dirt. Their goal wasn't just reforestation; they were spelling out 'MURRYSVILLE' in living green block text stretching 850 feet across the slope. The giant arboreal stunt eventually landed the town in Ripley's Believe It or Not as one of the world's largest living signs.
Maintaining an 800-plus-foot word made of living needles is a slow-motion logistics nightmare. Over nine decades, trees die, storms tear down branches, and wild growth constantly threatens to turn the municipal landmark into an unreadable green blob. The land itself has been split across private properties and municipal caretakers—at one point, a local couple owned just the 'ysville' portion—requiring periodic restoration pushes costing upwards of $100,000 to clear brush and replant Norway spruces so the town name stays legible from the highway.
What it's like
Don't look for a parking lot, visitor center, or scenic overlook platform here—this is strictly a roadside spotter operation. The best way to actually decode the giant letters is from across the valley. Pull over along Route 22 near the Haymaker Gas Well historic marker, look across toward the hillside around Braun Avenue, and give your eyes a moment to pick out the dark evergreen spruce shapes standing out against the native hardwood canopy.
The move: Drive along Route 22, pull over near the Haymaker Gas Well marker, and try to decode the massive, 90-year-old living letters on the opposite hillside together.
- 📍 Murrysville
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 3033 Braun Avenue, Murrysville, PA 15668
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Living Dead Museum — Drive five miles west down Route 22 after spotting the sign to browse movie props and zombie lore inside the Monroeville Mall.
- The Big Mac Museum Restaurant — Swap 1930s Scout land-art for 1960s fast-food history by taking a short drive south to visit the 14-foot Big Mac statue inside a working McDonald's.
- Trundle Manor — Head west toward Swissvale to follow up an outdoor botanical oddity with an intimate tour of a private gothic cabinet of curiosities.
Good to know
Where is the best spot to see the tree sign?
Pull off along Route 22 (William Penn Highway) near the Haymaker Gas Well historical marker across the valley, which gives you the wide line of sight needed to spell out the hill.
Can you hike through or climb the tree sign?
No. The sign sits on a steep slope tied to private residential properties along Braun Avenue, so view it safely from across the highway rather than trespassing on the hillside.
What species of trees make up the letters?
The sign was originally planted in 1933 using Norway Spruce trees, which were chosen for their dark evergreen foliage and sturdy height.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: triblive.com · pittsburghpostgazette.com · thirdstopontheright.com · archive.triblive.com
last checked: 2026-07-21