Griffith Park Zoo (Closed) Impressions of the Old L.A. Zoo (Griffith Park Zoo)

[Lori Patton]

This weekend I visited the Old Los Angeles Zoo (formerly called the Griffith Park Zoo) for the first time and it was surreal. The bear grottos are covered in graffiti, people were partying inside and on top of the exhibits in restricted areas, and others were literally climbing the walls. It was like I entered the Twilight Zone watching people in decrepit cages acting like animals!

There were unbelievably steep stairways leading from the backs of these grottos, which appeared to be crumbling death traps (fortunately these were fenced off). The remaining cages were very small concrete cells that looked like a prison. While I explored the area, I got a feeling somewhere between revulsion and fascination. It's hard to tell how much was from the thoughts of animals living their lives in such horrible conditions or the overall "crime scene" appearance from the revelers, graffiti, and decaying ruins. In my opinion, the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department needs to repair and refurbish the whole site and post a security guard to keep everyone safe. If any other ZooChatters would like to share their experiences at the Old L.A. Zoo, I welcome your comments!

 

[DavidBrown]

I had a chance to visit the old LA Zoo site with the late great former LA Zoo curator Michael Dee several years ago and wrote about it here:

Put Me In The Zoo Review: The Old Los Angeles Zoo [Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens]

 

[snowleopard]

Thanks for your thoughts @Lori Patton and I spent time touring that old area with a fellow zoo nerd (and Los Angeles Zoo keeper) in 2017. I pretty much agree with your assessment. This short thread might interest you:

Film footage of Griffith Park Zoo [Griffith Park Zoo (Closed)]

 

[wild boar]

I don't know much about the history of the old zoo but the location was part of a two-episode plot of police procedural The Rookie. It was definitely one of the more hair-raising storylines, with a serial killer was using a secluded building at the zoo to hide out. I doubt any filming took place at the actual zoo but describing the site as a "crime scene" reminded me of the storyline.

 

[Lori Patton]

I had a chance to visit the old LA Zoo site with the late great former LA Zoo curator Michael Dee several years ago and wrote about it here:

Put Me In The Zoo Review: The Old Los Angeles Zoo [Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens]

@DavidBrown -- Thanks for posting a link to your review! Touring the old zoo with someone who used to work there must have been so interesting and insightful. I saw the restroom building when I was there and never would have guessed it used to be an elephant barn as it seemed too small for that purpose. The map in your thread is really informative and it would be great if a copy were displayed at the park entrance now. It's hard to imagine so many animals being kept in the large central grassy area where I saw children playing ball on my visit. I think it's terrific that L.A. has kept some relics of the old zoo for people to explore, but it would improve the experience so much if park officials could control the vandalism.

Thanks for your thoughts @Lori Patton and I spent time touring that old area with a fellow zoo nerd (and Los Angeles Zoo keeper) in 2017. I pretty much agree with your assessment. This short thread might interest you:

Film footage of Griffith Park Zoo [Griffith Park Zoo (Closed)]

@snowleopard -- Thanks for the link to the film clip! I watched the scene shot at the zoo and it was so neat to see it in its heyday. How all those animals were kept in cages stacked together in rows reminds me of my recent trip to the pet store. Walking down the aisle and seeing hamsters and parakeets was sort of like that zoo except there were lions and apes!

I don't know much about the history of the old zoo but the location was part of a two-episode plot of police procedural The Rookie. It was definitely one of the more hair-raising storylines, with a serial killer was using a secluded building at the zoo to hide out. I doubt any filming took place at the actual zoo but describing the site as a "crime scene" reminded me of the storyline.

@wild boar -- I could definitely picture the zoo being used in a film shoot for a crime series -- the graffiti looks like something from the inner city and the stairways at the back of the bear grottos are super creepy.

As a follow-up comment to my post, I wanted to mention that I first got interested in the Old L.A. Zoo after viewing the "Investigating Griffith Park" exhibit at the Autry Museum across from the current L.A. Zoo. This exhibit is now over, but there was a section dedicated to the Old Zoo and it featured the stories of two of its more famous animals: Topsy the camel and Ivan the Terrible, a polar bear that killed three of his bear companions at the zoo. There was old film footage of Topsy and Ivan along with signage prepared by the North Hollywood High School Zoo Magnet, which has its campus across from the current zoo. Here is a link to a story about Topsy from L.A.'s Natural History Museum: Topsy the Camel