Griffith Park
34.133333333333 - 118.3Koordinaten: 34 ° 8 ' N, 118 ° 18' W
The Griffith Park is a large park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. With an area of 17 km ², it is one of the largest urban parks in North America and the second largest municipal park in California to the Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.
As founder of the Griffith Park is Colonel Griffith, of the location near the Los Angeles River Rancho Los Feliz bought in 1882 and where he initially einrichtete an ostrich farm. At the time, ostrich feathers, a popular material for the manufacture of ladies' hats. The raison d'être for the ostrich farm, however, was to lure residents of Los Angeles at the housing estates, the Griffith also sold there. After the construction boom had died down, he donated on December 16, 1896 twelve square miles of its area of Los Angeles. Later, Griffith was sentenced to prison for aggravated assault on his wife. After his release he tried to finance the construction of a planetarium, an observatory and a an outdoor stage in the park, which he founded. Due to its battered reputation, the city of Los Angeles, however, refused to accept the money offered.
1912 Griffith devoted an additional 40 acres in the northwest part of the park, right on the Los Angeles River to the purpose, " to do something to promote aviation". Thus, the Griffith Park Aerodrome, which was later handed over to the National Guard Air Service was formed. After the death of Griffith in 1919, the city of Los Angeles began to build the originally planned projects but gradually. The open air theater, the so-called Greek Theatre was completed in 1930, the Griffith Observatory in 1935. Through further land donations and purchase agreements, the park gradually grew to its present size. The park is open 5 clock in the morning until 10.30 at night.
Within the park is the 512 -meter-high Mount Lee. Its south-facing slope is the site of the world famous Hollywood Signs. Below the lettering runs the eastern section of Mulholland Highway. Mount Lee himself is private property and not accessible to the public.