Film Location Visitation: Old L.A. Zoo
Abandoned places in Los Angeles are right up our alley, so today we bring you the Old Griffith Park Zoo in Los Angeles, CA.
Grizzly caves
Nestled on Griffith Park Drive over near the famous Carousel (currently closed) still sits the cages and structures from LA’s first Zoo which was open from 1912-1966. You can now picnic in a bear grotto, climb inside abandoned monkey cages and explore inside these creepy caves.
Because this area is so close to Hollywood, lots of films, TV shows, and commercials were filmed right here! Watch as we highlight some favorites in the video below and discuss the history of this place as we explore in the present! :
It was a hot July day when venturing out to photograph and film at this hot spot for cinema. At the site of Los Angeles’ very first Zoo, which opened in 1912 they had only 15 animals. Many of the enclosures you see here were built in the 1930s. Seeing the large bear grottos still standing was downright epic, but also sort of eerie…
Presenting the Old Griffith Park Zoo bear enclosure
As we explored deeper into these rock enclosures we noticed lots of graffiti, trash, and yellow jackets and it also smells like tinkle. (But luckily, you can’t tell from the photographs.) Venturing into these narrow passageways and colorful stone walls were rather claustrophobic, but also reminded me that these abandoned enclosures were a piece of LA history that luckily still stands today.
Graffiti says: Boooooo!
A dirt trail leads up from the caves so you can walk around the grounds and get a gorgeous view of the golf course and mountains below in Griffith Park.
There are barred cages towards the top which gives you an insider’s view of what it would be like to be on the other side of those bars. I had speculated the monkeys might occupy this enclosure, but we came across an old picture of a full-grown tiger inside this very cage. Oh, the pacing that must have gone on here.
Luckily the 1960s standards of zoo enclosures were enforced when building the new zoo nearby so the animals got “upgraded” when they moved.
Hollywood often used this site for the filming of such movies as Police Academy II, Cry Wilderness, and Anchorman, being that they are so close to the studios and can double as real zoo enclosures for animal actors. Here’s a still from Anchorman just to give you an idea. :
So here is the Old Zoo now in 2020 when we visited:
And here is the Zoo when it was still open before 1966. (Historical photos provided thanks to the internet.):
I hope you enjoyed our adventuring video and our take on the historical and cinema based facts about this rare piece of Los Angeles history. If you’re in the area, feel free to check it out!
Just a tip, from Crystal Springs Drive/Griffith Park Drive, turn west at Griffith Park Drive. If going south, watch for the Griffith Park Drive sign and turn right. Watch closely for the sign a few hundred feet after the turn. The parking area is on the left. We dropped Pin near 5400 Griffith Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA to park close enough.
Thanks for exploring with us!
-Mike & Crystal Olguin of OlguinScene
August 2, 2020
