No, but check out this nugget. A proposed design for the new zoo to go where Dodger Stadium now is (instead of up the road in Griffith Park where they actually put it). A Googie Zoo for L.A. - latimes.com
Along with Dodger Stadium and the zoo, Chavez Ravine was also seriously considered as one of Walt Disney's proposed sites for Disneyland.
Dear All, I am going to be myself in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks from now and I am planning to check the remains of the old Griffith Park Zoo (1912-1966). Was anybody of you able to locate a map of this institution? It could be very helpful to understand the place and its development. Thanks in advance Jonas Livet Leszoosdanslemonde
As far as I can tell there is no map of the old Griffith Park Zoo, I have been searching for one since 2005...........the old Zoo was in a small site but actually had more animals than the current zoo, the grottos and cages are still there and the fence lines for hoofed mammals and some service buildings, its worth a look for anyone interested in Zoo history.
Thanks for your reply! It is a real pity there is no map available... but I am looking forward to discover on site what remains from this institution. Jonas Livet Leszoosdanslemonde
Hello, Please find below a map of the Griffith Park Zoo in the 1960s! Courtesy of a Polish zoo friend who has an incredible collection! I am looking forward to see the remains in a few weeks from now. Best regards Jonas Livet Leszoosdanslemonde
This is fantastic Jonas! Thanks for finding and posting this, and thanks to your friend for sharing it with us. In looking at the map the main structures remaining are the bear/big cat grottoes (number 3 on the map) and the cages that held small mammals (number 14). Possibly the footprints of some of the other exhibits remain, but I've never had a map to decipher them before so it will be cool to take the map to the field and see what remains of the outlines.
@Jonas - there is another old, closed zoo in the US for which no can seem to find the map. Could you ask your Polish friend if they have a map of the Crandon Park Zoo, Miami, FL?
Amazing!!! I have searched the L.A. Zoo files high and low and I'm very happy to see the map, on another note, I have a map of the Crandon Park Zoo (growing up in Miami and also I started my career at Zoo Miami ).......I'll scan it and share sometime this weekend.
Crandon Park Zoo Map I need to do a bit of research, I know this is from the mid to late 1970s as the new elephant habitat was built and the Zoo has Indian rhinos (very rare at the time).
Thanks Jonas, it's really great to finally see a map of the zoo! @David: I think the Bear grottoes that you are referring to are on number 22.
Hmmmm, could be, but I'm not sure. Let's go out in the field (maybe when Jonas visits?) and figure it out.
I have been in contact with Jonas and will show him around the remnants of the old zoo. It will be toward the end of March and I will let you know the exact date.
Great find on Griffith Park Zoo map, but there is still some stuff from the current site missing. Some of the only remaining buildings are above and to the left of the big cat grottoes, where this map shows nothing. There is an enclosed building with small outer cages that may have held birds or small monkeys and there is a large cement block with heavy steel poles that I think the curator told me possibly held chimpanzees.
Speaking of chimps, I was curious about what species was in the ape house (number 16). Does anybody know if it would have been chimps?
