LA’s Abandoned Zoo

High in the hills of Griffith Park, hidden among hiking trails and picnic areas, sits one of Los Angeles’s strangest forgotten landmarks: the abandoned remains of the city’s first zoo. Built in 1912, the original Griffith Park Zoo was once a symbol of civic ambition, meant to prove that a rapidly growing Los Angeles could rival America’s great cultural cities. Instead, it became a cautionary tale of poor planning, limited funding, and an era that understood far less about animal welfare.

In this episode, we explore how LA’s first zoo was built cheaply into the hillsides, why its concrete cages and cramped enclosures quickly became a public scandal, and how New Deal renovations briefly masked deeper problems. From its quiet closure in the 1960s to its afterlife as an urban ruin, graffiti-covered hangout, and public curiosity, this is the forgotten story of how Los Angeles ended up with an abandoned zoo in one of its most iconic parks.
#LosAngeles #AbandonedPlaces #ItsHistory

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IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

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Original Research & Script: Sean Chan
Adapted & Narrated by: Ryan Socash
Editor - Karolina Szwata
Host - Ryan Socash


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