Old Griffith Park Zoo

If you find yourself in Los Angeles with an eye towards visiting the Zoo, I'd encourage you to take a little time for a detour.  It won't take you long and it won't take you far - just a mile or so from the gates, in a quiet, wooded part of Griffith Park.  It's a peaceful spot, great for birdwatching, or a picnic lunch.  Wrapped around the grove are a series of unusual concrete formations.  You probably wouldn't mistake them for natural rock formations, even if that was the artist's intent.  Elsewhere, a series of heavy iron bars removes any doubt.  You're taking a stroll through the old Griffith Park Zoo.

Many zoos keep a fragment of their former selves on display for educational purposes, but few cities have a feature quiet like Los Angeles (the only other example I can think of is Miami, where the old Crandon Park Zoo was left behind following the construction of Zoo Miami, a few miles off).  It's a fascinating place to explore, especially in association with the nearby zoo, to ponder how far these facilities have come from what they were. I wish there had been some signage to help better interpret and orient the experience.

It's also spooky as heck.  Poking around inside some of the old cages, I almost expected the ghost of a bear to rise up in front of me.  It would definitely be something else to explore them at night time.