OLD GRIFFITH
PARK ZOO
Los Angeles
94
Ever wondered what a zoo is like from the animals’
perspective? Griffith Park, a 4,310-acre tract of greenery in the
hillside Los Feliz area of Los Angeles—not far northeast of
Hollywood—offers the chance to find out.
Opened in 1912 and replacing a former ostrich farm, the
Griffith Park Zoo began life with just 15 animals. A series of
donations and investments saw it quickly expand in volume
and lure as many as 2 million annual visitors. As LA grew,
however, the zoo came under fire for being “inadequate, ugly,
poorly designed and under-financed”. It was eventually closed
in 1966, with all animals transferred to a new and still-
operational facility two miles away (lazoo.org).
Wholly abandoned, the canyon-set site remains today. Many
of its caves-with-iron-bars enclosures—such was the prevailing
early-century zoo style—are now open so that visitors can gain
a sense of life inside the cages. Grills and picnic benches inside
bear grottoes enable an unusual lunch spot, while
longstanding graffiti reminds of the urban setting.
Nearby, a trail provides a zookeeper’s view of the old
lion’s den and some of the numerous former monkey cages
are also accessible—their cramped size helping one to
further understand why so many concerns about animal
welfare were raised.
The unusual, slightly eerie setting has tempted plenty of
cinematographers. Anchorman’s bear-fighting scene took
place in one of the old caves, while two Starsky & Hutch TV-
series instalments and the first ever episode of S.W.A.T. were
also filmed here. QBy Richard MellorGEMS