Spotlight: Los Angeles - Griffith Park

Spotlight: Originally part of the Rancho Los Feliz land grant by the Spanish, Griffith Park was named for its former owner, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith. He purchased the land after making a fortune in California gold mine speculation, and later donated much of it as a Christmas gift to the people of Los Angeles to be used as parkland. Since Griffith's original gift, further donations and city purchases have added to the Park's size.
     Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA is one of the biggest city parks in the United States (over 4,210 acres). Because of its size, it provides a myriad of entertainment options to its guests. Some of the park's most popular attractions include: the Autry National Center, the Bird Sanctuary, the Ferndell Nature Museum, the Greek Theatre, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, the Griffith Observatory, the Griffith Park Southern Railroad, the Hollywood Sign, Hollywoodland Camp, the L.A. Equestrian Center, L.A. Live Steamers, the L.A. Zoo, the Plunge, Pony Rides, Shane's Inspiration Playground, and Travel Town. In addition to these attractions, other popular activities include: hiking, cycling, golf, horseback riding, jogging, picnicking, soccer, swimming, tennis, and exploring the Old Zoo Ruins.

View of the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park

Location: Griffith Park is located in downtown Los Angeles, just west of Interstate 5 and south of HWY 134. The official address is 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, but it can be accessed via several different streets.

Cost: Admission to and parking at Griffith Park is free. Some venues may have admission or attraction fees: Autry Museum ($4-$10); shows at the Observatory ($3-$7); Merry-Go-Round ($2/ride); L.A. Zoo admission ($15-$20); Pony Rides ($3/ride); Southern Railroad train rides ($2.75/ride); Travel Town doesn't have a specific admission fee, but requests donations

Time: You could spend several days exploring Griffith Park. The park is open 24 hours, but the attractions have different schedules.
- The Autry National Center is open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (Tues.- Fri.), 10:00 - 5:00 (weekends)
- The Observatory is open from noon - 10:00 pm (Tues.- Fri.); 10:00 am - 10:00 pm (Sat. & Sun.)
- The Merry-Go-Round is open from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on weekends, and on weekdays during spring, summer, winter vacation, and major holidays.
- The Southern Railroad is open daily from 10:00 am - 4:15 pm.
- The L.A. Zoo is open from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.
- Pony Rides is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
- The Travel Town Museum is open Monday - Friday 10:00 - 4:00, weekends from 10:00 - 5:00

Description: With a park this big, we are exploring it little by little on our annual trips to southern California. One place we particularly enjoyed was the Griffith Observatory. There is no entrance fee to explore the Observatory exhibits, and tickets to the shows are very affordable ($3-$7) - and well worth it! We saw the show Centered in the Universe and most of my family really enjoyed it. My wife, who suffers from motion sickness, had to close her eyes through most of it, but the rest of us enjoyed our jaunt through space and time to learn more about the constellations and the history of astronomy. Other shows currently playing are The Once and Future Griffith Observatory, All Space Considered, Water is Life and Light of the Valkyries.

     The Griffith Merry-Go-Round was built in 1926, and still uses the original horses and benches. The Stinson 165 organ that accompanies the Merry-Go-Round plays over 1,500 selections, and is reputed to be the largest of its kind on the West Coast.

     The Old Griffith Park Zoo Ruins used to house animals until 1966, when it was closed and the animals were moved to the new L.A. Zoo, which used modern animal enclosures rather than the old iron cage style used in the Griffith Park Zoo. Although the animals were moved to new homes, the old structures remain. Visitors can still walk the old path and explore the old cages and dens used by the animals.

     Near the Old Zoo Ruins is the Shane's Inspiration Playground. It is unique because it was designed with handicapped children in mind.

     The Travel Town Museum was set up as a "petting zoo" for old trains. Visitors are encouraged to climb around on the old engines and cars to get a better idea of what it must be like to be an engineer.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Many attractions are closed on Mondays and holidays.
- Parking up near the Observatory is extremely difficult to find. If you go on a weekend or holiday, you may need to park down by the Greek Theatre and hike up.
- If the old benches on the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round were a movie, they would be rated PG-13.
- The Hollywood Sign is visible from the hills near the Observatory. You can hike to the sign, but the hike is longer and more difficult than it looks.
- Sections of the Old Zoo have been closed off with chain-link fence. Although some visitors have cut holes in the fence to gain access, these areas are supposed to be off-limits.
- The Pony Rides stay open until 4:30 from March - August.

Nearby: The Chandelier Tree, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Hollywood, Dodger Stadium