Griffith park

Griffith Park - history and attractions

Griffith Park is a famous urban park in Los Angeles, one of the largest in North America and home to many attractions.

The park was built on land bequeathed by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith to the people of Los Angeles and has since grown in size. Today it is one of the most popular and important attractions of the world capital of cinematography.

History of Griffith park

Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza led a group of colonists on a long journey from Mexico to San Francisco in early 1776. One of the soldiers was José Feliz. By the end of his service, he received over 6,000 acres of land.

American Butler After the death of Feliz, the ranch was in the hands of Maria Verdugo, who married one of the sons of Feliz. The land remained with her family for a good age. From the middle of the 19th century, the property would change hands before being bought by Griffith J. Griffith in 1882. Yes, that's actually his name.

Griffith was not originally a wealthy man. By 1873 he had moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a correspondent for lucrative special projects. Wealth grew, and in 1882 he purchased a 4,000-acre ranch. He later met Christina Mesmer, the daughter of a wealthy hotelier, and married her. And then something rather unfortunate happened.

On September 3, 1903, Griffiths and their son were vacationing in Santa Monica. In the Arcadia Hotel's presidential suite, Griffith ordered his wife to kneel and pointed a gun at her. He asked her numerous questions, indicating deep paranoia, and then fired. Miraculously, Christina jerked her head to the side, as a result of which the bullet deprived her of her eye, but did not kill her.

Griffith, who portrayed himself as a strict teetotaler, turned out to be an aggressive alcoholic prone to paranoid delusions. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison and a fine.

In 1912, Griffith tried to give Los Angeles money to build an observatory and expand the park, but the city was no longer interested in his money. When Griffith died in 1919, it was revealed that he left the money to the city of his own free will.

The park, for which the money was allocated, has become ideal for hiking, and bird watchers love it as a great place for bird watching. Although Griffith died humiliated by everyone, his dream of a park came true.

Griffith Park is home to several city attractions:

• The Hollywood sign is perhaps one of the most famous in the world!

• Then comes the famous Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden, which is home to 250 species of animals, and the garden has 800 species of plants.

• In the park there is an open concert venue - the Greek Theater, which can accommodate 6,000 people. It is one of the most well-equipped amphitheaters in Los Angeles.

• And, of course, the famous Griffith Observatory is located in this park.

A group hike in Griffith park

 image source: Flickr/Brian Champlin

This is a great place for walking and hiking in the mountains, for lovers of romance and beautiful sunsets, as well as for those who do not want to spend time thoughtlessly, but want to explore and learn about the world and nature.