The Griffith Park Los Angeles

Griffith Park Los Angeles, the largest urban park in the United States, has more than 4,000 acres of parkland with hiking and horseback riding trails, picnic grounds, a golf course, and a childrens play area.

In addition, the park is home to the Los Angeles Zoo, a major museum and the famous Griffith Park Observatory and planetarium, and an outdoor theater, used for summer concerts.

During the Christmas holidays, the park's festival of lights is a very popular event here, and I recommend it highly.

The park is named after Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, who bought the land from profits made during gold mining, and he donated it to the City of Los Angeles in 1896.

One of the parks major draws is the original 1926 merry-go-round with about seventy hand painted horses. I remember riding the merry-go-around in 1962, with my husband Tony Piccino, as a young girl.

If you like your kids to experience the real thing, try out the pony rides near the Los Feliz Boulevard entrance. The little kids really love it.

Park Rangers lead hikes on the first Saturday of every month at 9AM from the merry-go-round parking lot.

The observatoy is a fantasttic and truly wonderful place to visit. It has recently undergone a major and extensive remodel.

The stunning show about the outer space and the heavens is unforgettable, and it's shown with regularly scheduled shows in the planetarium theater. Make show reservations early, as it's extremely popular.

You can enter the park from I-5 freeway, the Ventura Highway (134), or the Los Feliz Boulevard all which borders the park. From the I-5 and the 134 highway, take the Los Feliz exit, and follow the signs to the Griffith Park Los Angeles.

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