“Ruins whisper stories” they say. Stand here before the Griffith Park Old Zoo. This isn’t just a picnic area. This is a ghost of a zoo. A forgotten chapter in Los Angeles’s history.
The Griffith Park Old Zoo opened in 1912. It started small just 15 animals. It was built on the site of Griffith J Griffith’s old ostrich farm. Imagine ostriches strutting where now only crumbling walls stand. Later film producer William Nicholas Selig donated animals. He’d tried to make an animal theme park. It failed. His animals found a new home here.
The zoo expanded in the 1930s. Workers from the Works Progress Administration built more enclosures. They were built in a common style caves with iron bars. The Griffith Park Old Zoo grew. It became a popular place drawing over two million visitors annually. Despite its popularity it was criticized. It was called inadequate ugly poorly designed and under-financed. The cages were small and outdated.
The city decided to build a new zoo. An $8 million bond was passed in 1958. The Griffith Park Old Zoo closed in August 1966. Its animals moved to the new Los Angeles Zoo. The old enclosures were left behind. Some became picnic areas. The bars were removed. The ghosts of the animals remain.
Today you can walk among these ruins. You can still see the outlines of the old cages. Feel the history beneath your feet. You are in a place where lions once roared. Where bears slumbered. Where monkeys chattered. The Griffith Park Old Zoo is more than ruins. It’s a monument to a bygone era. A testament to Los Angeles’s ever-changing landscape. It’s a reminder that even the grandest dreams fade. They leave behind whispers and crumbling stone. Enjoy your picnic among the ghosts.