Old Los Angeles Zoo

Last modified April 5, 2026

The Old Los Angeles Zoo is a tourist attraction in Los Angeles, United States, featuring the abandoned ruins of the city’s original zoo within Griffith Park.

What to Expect

You will find the abandoned remnants of the original Los Angeles Zoo, which opened in 1912. The site contains concrete and stone enclosures that once housed animals like lions, bears, and monkeys. Many of these rather tight enclosures date from the 1930s. The area now functions as a unique hiking destination and a popular spot for picnics. You can walk a 2.63-mile loop trail to explore these haunting relics of a bygone era.

History & Significance

The zoo opened with a modest collection of 15 animals. It operated for over 50 years before it was abandoned in 1966, the same year the current Los Angeles Zoo opened just to the north. Instead of being torn down, the old enclosures were preserved, creating the unusual historical site you can visit today.

Practical Information

The address is 4801 Griffith Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Parking is available in a lot that fits approximately 40 cars. The trail is considered an easy hike with a 374-foot elevation gain. It is open all year, and dogs are allowed on a leash. Restrooms are available at the nearby Merry Go Round. The site has a 4.6/5 rating.

Location

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Hidden in the hills of Griffith Park, you’ll stumble across something you really don’t see every day—crumbling cages and concrete grottos that once made up Los Angeles’ original zoo.

The Old Los Angeles Zoo opened in 1912 and ran until 1966, when the city decided to build a newer zoo just two miles away. Instead of bulldozing the old site, Los Angeles just let it stand, turning the eerie animal enclosures into a public picnic area.

It’s now one of the city’s most unusual spots. You can wander through rocky caves that once housed bears, or poke around rusted enclosures where exotic animals lived for decades.

Honestly, the place feels like an abandoned movie set—which isn’t too far off, since some of the zoo’s first residents were Hollywood film stars (the animal kind, not the people). It all started with just 15 animals on an old ostrich farm, but by the 1950s, there were 1,000 creatures squeezed in here. Conditions were, let’s say, far from ideal.

Now, the Old Zoo is something completely different from your usual Los Angeles sightseeing. Nature’s taken over the ruins, and history just sits there, frozen.

It’s free to visit, super easy to reach from downtown, and if you’re into quirky photo ops, this is the jackpot.

Key Takeaways

• The Old Los Angeles Zoo is a collection of abandoned animal enclosures from 1912 to 1966, tucked inside Griffith Park.
• You can freely roam the ruins—think bear caves, cage structures—and picnic right where animals once lived.
• The site is totally free and packed with unique photo opportunities among the old zoo remains.

About Old Los Angeles Zoo

The battered cages and weathered grottos hidden in a Griffith Park canyon tell the story of LA’s first real zoo. This place limped along for five decades before finally calling it quits.

History and Significance

The zoo opened in 1912, scraping by on a shoestring city budget. The first animals? Pretty much leftovers—some abandoned at an ostrich farm, others from Frank Murphy’s private collection.

By 1913, a hundred sick animals arrived from the Eastlake Park Zoo, which was in shambles. Not exactly a glamorous start.

Things never ran smoothly here. Animals were crammed into makeshift cages and hillside caves that barely held them. In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration came in and built those iconic rock grottos and bear caves. They poured half a million dollars just into the bear enclosures. Still, the problems never really went away.

The place was a magnet for mishaps. Bears escaped during a 1935 flood. Animals died from bad food and overcrowding. By the ’50s, over 1,000 animals were packed into spaces meant for way fewer.

Finally, in August 1966, the city opened the new zoo up the road. The old place was left to the weeds and the ghosts of its past.

What Makes It Special

You can still walk through these abandoned ruins today. The sculpted rock caves that once held bears now attract photographers, Instagrammers, and the occasional curious hiker instead of wildlife.

Picnic tables are scattered where animal enclosures used to stand. It’s wild—LA doesn’t usually let old things just sit and crumble, but here, they did.

Walking through graffiti-tagged caves and crumbling concrete, you get a real sense of how different zoos were before animal welfare was a thing. There are hiking trails weaving through the site, connecting the ruins to bigger Griffith Park adventures.

Most people don’t realize how close this is to the current zoo. The difference between the two is honestly kind of shocking.

What to See and Do

The old zoo ruins are a playground for explorers. You can wander through empty animal enclosures or have a picnic right where bears and big cats used to roam.

You’ll spot everything from small cage structures to larger, cave-like exhibits scattered around. Some are hidden in the brush, so keep your eyes peeled.

Main Attractions and Highlights

The big cave enclosures are the real stars. They’re carved out of rock, stacked up like boulders, and you can actually walk inside. Peer through the old gates at the back—it feels a bit like trespassing, but it’s totally allowed.

One of these exhibits was used in the bear fight scene from Anchorman. Makes for a fun story while you’re there.

The smaller animal cages are off in another section. They’re mostly fenced off now, but a couple have open gates if you want to poke your head in. They’re cramped, a little sad, but they really show how much zoo standards have changed since 1912.

Picnic tables are everywhere, so you’ll probably see birthday parties or families hanging out. Sometimes there are art students sketching the ruins, or photographers setting up gear. The merry-go-round near the parking lot still works, which is a bonus if you’ve got kids with you.

Best Time to Visit

The park closes at sunset, so don’t cut it too close. Mornings are quieter if you want to avoid crowds, but weekends get busy with families. There’s not much shade, so if you’re not a fan of sweating, cooler months are definitely better.

Weekdays are your best bet for a more solitary, slightly spooky experience. Since it’s free, people wander through all day, especially on weekends.

Visitor Information

The Old Los Angeles Zoo sits inside Griffith Park and doesn’t cost a dime to visit. Getting there means navigating some winding park roads, so keep your GPS handy.

You’ll want to check park hours and wear shoes you don’t mind getting dusty. The ruins are fun to explore, but it’s all on foot.

Location and How to Get There

You’ll find the old zoo at 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, right by the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round.

Coming from the 5 Freeway? Exit at Zoo Drive and follow the signs for Griffith Park. Once you’re in, aim for the merry-go-round parking area.

There are two main ways in. The quick route is past the merry-go-round to the far end of the lot—then it’s a five-minute walk straight to the entrance.

But honestly, I like the second option better—a dirt trail starting at a closed road near the merry-go-round lot. It winds uphill, then you can work your way down through the enclosures. You get a better feel for how the zoo was laid out.

Parking isn’t dedicated, so you’ll be sharing with merry-go-round visitors and anyone else hanging out in Griffith Park. Sometimes you have to circle a bit, but that’s just part of the adventure.

Tips for Visitors

Griffith Park closes at sunset, so you’ll want to plan your timing. The Old Los Angeles Zoo gets seriously packed on weekends—families spread out with picnics, photographers wander around with their gear, and hikers just keep streaming by.

If you crave some peace and a little eerie solitude, weekday mornings are the move. That’s when you can have the ruins mostly to yourself—well, except for the squirrels.

Definitely wear sturdy shoes. The trails wind over uneven ground, and some of the old animal enclosures have tricky steps or loose stones. The big bear grottos are surprisingly well-kept and safe to poke around in, but a few of the smaller cages are still fenced off—and for good reason. Don’t get clever and try to duck under any barriers; some of those structures look like they’d collapse if you so much as sneeze.

Bring your own water and snacks. There’s nowhere to buy anything once you’re in the old zoo area, and trust me, you’ll want a drink after climbing around. The park has set up picnic tables inside a couple of the old exhibits, which is honestly a wild spot to eat lunch. You’ll be surrounded by crumbling walls and graffiti, with the distant hum of the city just out of earshot.

If you’re still feeling energetic after exploring, the trail up to Bee Rock is right there. It’s about two more miles, and the payoff is a killer view of Griffith Park and the city beyond. I always hesitate before adding extra miles, but this one’s worth it.