Appearances
Twin Peaks:
- Opening Credits
Twin Peaks (2017):
- Opening Credits
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with me
Overview
Background
Originally painted by Steven LaRose, this iconic sign received a permanent installation in 2017 at 41471 SE Reinig Rd in Snoqualmie, WA. Richard and Barbara Koefod usually put up a temporary version of the sign during the Twin Peaks Festival, but due to the return of the series the city decided to honor the classic show and placed the sign there with the art commissioned it Sally Rackets.
The City commissioned the new sign June 1, 2017 and within a month it was stolen. It was recovered but never reinstalled. The view that Cooper had is still there, though. And if you sign up for the Twin Peaks Tour at 206-723-5201, you might get a surprise with a replica sign.
Population of Twin Peaks
One fun fact about the sign was that the sign would have originally featured the population size to by 5,120 but the executives of ABC felt that that number was too low. This was especially true for the television audiences of the 1990s. So a “1” was added to the population number, making it to 51,201. Here’s the kicker; according to a 1990 Census, this change made the city the ninth largest city (at least by population) in the state of Washington. That’s hardly the small town that Sheriff Truman described to Agent Dale.
This was in 1990. But after the show ended, it seems that the audiences were more than willing to accept a smaller town. The brochure “Welcome to Twin Peaks – Access Guide to the Town” from a 1991 computer generated tour, updated the Twin Peaks population to 5,120.1.
The Moving Sign
During the production of the series, hard core fans found it humorous that the sign would seem like it changed places. From the ABC promo spot to transition scenes within the show. The road was frequently shot to show characters moving from one place to the next.
The sign can move within the show, but it can apparently move out of country as well. Being such charismatic little sign has led some Japanese companies to include it in their commercials in 1993!
Welcome to Twin Peaks Sign Filming Location
The Welcome to Twin Peaks sign filming location is a mile or two east of Ronette’s Bridge and Sparkwood and 21 on Reinig Road. Except for the sign, the view, telephone poles, and trees remain the same. Mount Si dominates the background. GPS Coordinates are 47.525452, -121.785446. This stretch of road appears in the Pilot Episode with Sheriff Truman driving with blaring siren passing Bobby and Shelley in their car. You can’t see the sign as they shot the scene in the opposite direction the sign was pointing.